From the tailfin-ornamented Cadillacs of the 1950s to the super-sized luxury sport utility vehicles of the last two decades, the U.S. luxury vehicle market has operated on a bigger is better aesthetic. Larger cars and SUVs typically command higher prices, and the top-of-the-line car for most prestige brands is still the biggest one.
“No longer does luxury have to mean excess,” says John Mendel, executive vice president of Honda Motor Co.’s U.S. sales arm.
