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Brand Fatigue in the automotive world

Not sure if such a term exist or I have just coined it but there is no better way to explain.

Sahil recently shared this with other BHPians.

Besides Volvo, Tesla and Range Rover I have already indulged in other brands like Lexus, Jaguar, Mini, etc. Porsche most recently. I would be open and willing to add the latter two to my garage in the coming years. however not very excited about adding Volvo.

I am not sure about others but I have/had been experiencing brand fatigue. Not sure if such a term exist or I have just coined it but there is no better way to explain that after a point, the 3 Germans start feeling very similar, especially models within the same brand.

Currently, I am experiencing major brand fatigue with Mercedes since we have the S-class W222, GLS, GLC and CLA in the family. Besides the S, the rest just feel all too similar and start getting boring. Thus when I had to get a car for the wife and the E was the perfect fit, I yet went ahead with the Jag F-pace to break the brand fatigue of being just too similar to the W222 S. The 6GT was also considered but having owned three 5 series in the family between 2007 to 2015, I was keen to try a new brand that felt different and special. Same was the reason for the Lexus ES300 coming in just a few years ago. CLA (it is up for sale in the classifieds) has now been replaced with a Porsche Macan.

I am going to try and keep a variety to brands rather than stick to one brand of multiple models going forward as this has been a trend in my buying pattern first with BMW and now with Mercedes-Benz.

I think dealer relationship and discounting/VFM also play a large role in the skew towards a particular brand.

There is a thin line between brand fatigue and brand loyalty. Too much of the latter can lead to the former, so tread carefully! And as they say- Variety is the spice of life.

This is what GTO had to say on the matter:

Sahil makes an excellent point on the non-German luxury car thread. It sure made me think and yes, we have also experienced brand fatigue at one point. We owned an 800, Zen & Esteem in quick succession. Got "brand fatigue" and wanted to explore options other than Maruti. I think we might have overdone it as it's been 25 years since we owned a Maruti!

Someone in my family owns a Rapid (Vento) and a Tiguan. They were looking at another car, but consciously steered clear of the VW Group as it would really be more of the same thing.

Anyone else ever experienced it?

Thanks to Sahil once again! Check out BHPian comments for more insights & information.

 
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