Luxury Car Makers Bet on Lower-Priced Rides

Steve Berger, a 59-year-old from Massachusetts, never owned a Mercedes before picking up a black CLA with a tan interior earlier this month. He’d considered Chevrolets and Lincolns, until he was awed by the styling and handling of the German sedan, which has a starting price of $29,900. “It hit me right away, like ‘Bang!’ ” says the television ad salesman, who paid about $37,000. “It’s a bargain price for the car.”

Germany’s high-end automakers are vying for buyers like Berger, who typically might consider mass-market models such as Ford Motor’s $26,780 Taurus and Chrysler Group’s $30,545 Chrysler 300. By offering models with price tags less than half those of their flagship cars, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are aiming to lure a broader base of entry-level luxury customers who will remain loyal for years to come.