Comfort, efficiency, and utilitarianism are the three factors that govern the difference between the BMW X5 and the Land Rover Range Rover. The symbolic structures that stand-in for this comfort, efficiency, and utilitarianism are represented in the two models are captured in connotations of class, culture, gender, and utilitarianism.
The marketing of these two models is usually aligned along with the values that endear these cars to specific cadres of the society, gender, attitudes where the values captured in the physical attributes of these models are most manifest (Miller & Muir, 2004). The attributes of size, color, and shape are the three important signifiers that capture the specific objectives that the models stand for. The beauty of the BMW X5 has been exploited to evoke a sense of feminine sleekness so that the model attracts more admirers from the female gender and men with aesthetic sensibilities to life. The big size of the Land Rover Range Rover has, on the other hand, been used to capture the masculine instinct of power and conquest. It is because of this reason that the model attracts more men than women.
The process of marketing these models often includes the deliberate expression and emphasis of these attributes so that the models evoke a sense of elegance, comfort, and class (Miller & Muir, 2004). However, the descriptions between the BMW X5 and the Land Rover Range Rover have been designed in ways that also expose their salient differences so that the trendy factor becomes competitive even within the class system.
The sizes of the headroom and the legroom have become the symbolic creations of comfort which carry connotations of affluence, freedom, and progress. The meaning that this space is meant to bring out is invariably connected to the aspect of the class that the two models seem to celebrate. The comparative advantage of the BMW X5 over the Land Rover Range Rover derives from the fact the BMW X5 commands slightly more room space than the Land Rover Range Rover. The marketing advertisements for the BMW X5 have emphasized this aspect for the reason that it gives the driver and the front passenger relatively more comfortable than they would expect elsewhere.
The comparison as highlighted does not necessarily include aspects of the class. It is almost entirely anchored on the question of comfort because the two models are almost equal in all other attributes. The BMW X5 has been modeled along the lines that situate the model among the progressive cadres of society. The Land Rover Range Rover has also been modeled to evoke a sense of elegance and class which means that there is no substantive difference between the two models.
The creation of the system of difference, therefore, is basically a competitive motive that is supposed to privilege one type of model; over the others. The two models represent the mythology of the superior way of life (Miller & Muir, 2004). The terms and vocabulary used in their marketing are those that celebrate the quality of a hassle-free lifestyle. The targeted buyers are those who belong mostly to the upper-middle class and the upper class. One conspicuous feature of the terms of description is that the two models appear to overlook the claims of conventional utility so that their value lies primarily in the aspect of luxury.
In most cases, the BMW X5 has been made to resemble a certain cultural totem that defines the station and lifestyle of individuals. The advertising agencies in charge of this model have made it their practice to privilege above other models as one that does not transgress the boundaries of class. The way through which it is marketed carries the aspects of culture that are essentially synonymous with progress.
Most of the BMW X5 and the Land Rover Range Rover are marketed in silver, brown, white, dark blue, and golden colors. These colors are mostly associated with a sense of luxury and freedom. The colors do not carry any associations of the daily grind of routine or strict officialdom. The impression that the colors leave on the minds of the consumers, and admirers is that the utility values of these models cannot be associated with the strict business of survival. In a sense, the vehicles are meant to capture an aspect that celebrates success.
The cars are designed to evoke a sense of completion and success. Consumers and admirers are made to believe that these models are some kind of awards that should necessarily follow a life of hard work and determination. Their purchase should be construed as some form of acceptance of the purchaser into the highlife of success and excellence. There is also a form of setting or location implied in the advertisements of these models. Mostly this setting is mostly in the urban areas and the rich palatial estates so that the aura of wealth is successfully captured in the being of the BMW X5.
There is also the factor of convenience through which some form of comparison is created between the BMW X5 and the Land Rover Range Rover models. This aspect however plays out only on the score of similarities. The two models have been assessed to use almost the same amount of gas while performing equal tasks. The impression that this comparison creates is that the two models are mostly situated within the same operational range. This again brings in the case of class and privilege. Given that the two models are almost equal in terms of class the terrain must represent their similarities in style and comfort. This might mean therefore that variety is the key factor that determines the system of difference between these two models which ultimately belong to the same category in all other representations.
There is the device of allusion that these models appear to represent. One of these is the allusion to power and privilege. The owner of the BMW X5 or the Land Rover Range Rover may not specifically wield any influence over society but what he enjoys is the privilege of association. It is common knowledge that these models are mostly used by important personalities in the systems of governance. The allure of power has therefore been transferred from the station of the positions held onto the type of vehicles that are represented by this power. In this manner, the vehicles, therefore, become a system on their own. It is a kind of reservoir that holds the connotations of power. It, therefore, becomes some tool of acceptance into the high order of power and control. In cultural terms, these models have been used to reify aspects of the upper class. The lifestyle that these models seem to celebrate is one in which most of the concerns have to do with leisure and luxury. The models are therefore marketed as symbols of the culture of success and affluence.
In terms of utility, the BMW X5 has more seating than the Land Rover Range Rover. This means that the BMW ultimately has more capacity for passengers than the Land Rover Range Rover although the latter has more room for cargo. The difference between the BMW X5 and the Land Rover Range Rover can therefore be classified as complimentary in aspect. Because of this reason the two vehicles are ultimately classified as belonging to the same class although carrying different aspects of that class.
The fact of being linked to a BMW X5 or a Land Rover Range Rover also means that one is linked to an aspect of culture that transcends the lower struggling masses that form of the society. The process of acquisition of either of these models meant that one has successfully transgressed the boundaries of poverty into the terrain of affluence. These cultural associations have the effect of creating some form of segmentation for the modes so that only a select cadre of the society is defined by these models (Sidney, 1999). This systematically enables the zoning of the culture of affluence so that only a few people are culturally classified as the owners of the two models.
In many cases, this system of difference is enabled through a protective system of costs. Through this system, a BMW X5 offers a comparably lower cost than Land Rover Range Rover. This is because the BMW X5 has a comparably lower Manufacturerâs Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) than the Land Rover Range Rover. This is usually the case despite the fact that the two models have similar Destination Charges.
One other factor of difference is that the Land Rover Range Rover has been modeled to be comparably wider than BMW X5. This means that factors of old age and frailty which are usually associated with the upper class will be catered for better in such a model. On the other hand, consumers who might have a special liking for bigger rooms of the car will prefer the Land Rover Range Rover model. The level of comfort which negotiates the difference between these models, therefore, plays out on a variety of utilitarian scores (Sidney, 1999).
The Land Rover Range Rover has a higher torque than the BMW X5. This means that it can transmit power to the wheels in a more efficient way than the BMW X5. This advantage also translates to the turning radius where the Land Rover Range Rover possesses a smaller turning radius than the BMW X5. This smaller turning radius allows the Land Rover Range Rover to maneuver easily in tight spots.
The Land Rover Range Rover still commands slightly more horsepower than the BMW X5. Symbolically this power is a connotation that celebrates the aspect of conquest and triumphant masculinity. To further this form of symbolism the visual advertisement of the Land Rover Range Rover model will mostly be captured in terms of its high performance on rough and rocky terrains (Sidney, 1999). These performance comparisons are the values that celebrate conflicting preferences within the classes.
References
Miller, J. & Muir, D. (2004). The business of brands. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Sidney, L. (1999). Brands, consumers, symbols, & research: Sidney J. Levy on marketing. London: SAGE.