View Poll Results: If you drive a C63, what is your annual household income (before taxes)?
Under $50K
17
5.67%
$50K to $100K
49
16.33%
$100K to $150K
62
20.67%
$150K to $200K
44
14.67%
$200K to $250K
28
9.33%
$250K to $300K
23
7.67%
$300K to $400K
12
4.00%
$400K to $500K
17
5.67%
$500K to $750K
9
3.00%
$750K to $1M
9
3.00%
$1M to $2M
6
2.00%
Over $2M
24
8.00%
Voters: 300. You may not vote on this poll
If you drive a C63, what is your annual household income (before taxes)?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 440
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'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
I just think that some people may have exaggerated, about their income that's all. 
If I was making $2M, would I be driving a C63, not that their is any wrong with the C63, as I own one. I just think that if I made that type of money, I would be driving something like a CL63 instead. 
Or maybe something a little more exclusive or exotic, say perhaps a Ferrari 458 Italia. 
That's all I'm saying.
If I was making $2M, would I be driving a C63, not that their is any wrong with the C63, as I own one. I just think that if I made that type of money, I would be driving something like a CL63 instead. Or maybe something a little more exclusive or exotic, say perhaps a Ferrari 458 Italia. That's all I'm saying.
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From: Alexandria, VA
07 E63 AMG, 10 C63 AMG, 07 E63 Designo, 07 E350, 09 C300, 07 C230
I can attest to this, as most of the people in the exclusive gated community drive simple cars, but trust they have their exotic/exclusive car sitting in the garage
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 440
Likes: 1
'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Union County, NJ
Magnum SRT8 + Magnum R/T
Totally correct. I know a guy who owns buildings in NYC (brownstones) and drives an Acura TSX from 05. My father in law has some wealthy friends and they all drive non-flashy cars.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 336
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From: San Antonio
09 c63 p30 mars red
Yea, money and nice cars don't always go together. I know Mr. Butts of H.E.B. gorcery chain (billionaire+) He and his wife drive a Buick LeSabre and a old one at that. Its all about being a car guy or not. I would be more like Jay Leno if if I were a Billionaire.
I bet there probable needs to be some ajustment to the poll after the last few days of the market -----------
I bet there probable needs to be some ajustment to the poll after the last few days of the market -----------
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Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 440
Likes: 1
'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
My thoughts on the relationship between car choice and wealth:
- Serious car enthusiasts are more likely to stretch themselves to get a performance car, so the ratio of their income to car price will tend to be lower than for non-enthusiasts and other types of cars. I've heard of enthusiasts spending as much on a car as their annual income.
- As the price of performance cars goes up, the average incomes of their owners will also tend to go up. Someone mentioned posting an income poll for E63 and S63 owners, and that would be an interesting way to test this hypothesis. Also, I posted this same poll in a Porsche 911 forum, and I did find the incomes from that poll to be considerably higher than for our C63 poll.
- Based on a book I read, the typical wealthy person isn't a car enthusiast and drives a "premium" car in the $50K price range, like an MB or BMW, but not AMG or M, and not a Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc.
- Some wealthy people deliberately choose a less flashy car to keep a lower profile, but some obviously also say the heck with it and get Rolls, Bentleys, etc.
I think that the bottom line is that if someone is driving an expensive car (say well over $100K), they're probably doing well financially. In the extreme case, think Bugatti. In the case of more affordable cars, the owner probably isn't wealthy, but you can't tell for sure.
- Serious car enthusiasts are more likely to stretch themselves to get a performance car, so the ratio of their income to car price will tend to be lower than for non-enthusiasts and other types of cars. I've heard of enthusiasts spending as much on a car as their annual income.
- As the price of performance cars goes up, the average incomes of their owners will also tend to go up. Someone mentioned posting an income poll for E63 and S63 owners, and that would be an interesting way to test this hypothesis. Also, I posted this same poll in a Porsche 911 forum, and I did find the incomes from that poll to be considerably higher than for our C63 poll.
- Based on a book I read, the typical wealthy person isn't a car enthusiast and drives a "premium" car in the $50K price range, like an MB or BMW, but not AMG or M, and not a Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc.
- Some wealthy people deliberately choose a less flashy car to keep a lower profile, but some obviously also say the heck with it and get Rolls, Bentleys, etc.
I think that the bottom line is that if someone is driving an expensive car (say well over $100K), they're probably doing well financially. In the extreme case, think Bugatti. In the case of more affordable cars, the owner probably isn't wealthy, but you can't tell for sure.
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From: NY
See Sig
Funny what some people feel is a lot of money. I guess it depends on where you live.
After tax 2 mil is about 1.3 mil. Two people with successful careers can easily attain that income.
Now live within those means. 2 70K cars. 1 Family wagon. Maybe a boat and a house worth about 2.5 mil. Tax, Kids, Daycare, retirement, college and maintenance on all of those and you are no longer that well off. A C63 is a good purchase for a 2 mil a year before tax income family. If you live within your means.
Now if you are making 2 mil on your own and don't have a wife,kids and home then your doing well and a C63 is below your means for sure.
After tax 2 mil is about 1.3 mil. Two people with successful careers can easily attain that income.
Now live within those means. 2 70K cars. 1 Family wagon. Maybe a boat and a house worth about 2.5 mil. Tax, Kids, Daycare, retirement, college and maintenance on all of those and you are no longer that well off. A C63 is a good purchase for a 2 mil a year before tax income family. If you live within your means.
Now if you are making 2 mil on your own and don't have a wife,kids and home then your doing well and a C63 is below your means for sure.
Last edited by propain; Aug 9, 2011 at 05:07 PM.
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CLK63 Black Series
Funny what some people feel is a lot of money. I guess it depends on where you live.
After tax 2 mil is about 1.3 mil. Two people with successful careers can easily attain that income.
Now live within those means. 2 70K cars. 1 Family wagon. Maybe a boat and a house worth about 2.5 mil. Tax, Kids, Daycare, retirement, college and maintenance on all of those and you are no longer that well off. A C63 is a good purchase for a 2 mil a year before tax income family. If you live within your means.
Now if you are making 2 mil on your own and don't have a wife,kids and home then your doing well and a C63 is below your means for sure.
After tax 2 mil is about 1.3 mil. Two people with successful careers can easily attain that income.
Now live within those means. 2 70K cars. 1 Family wagon. Maybe a boat and a house worth about 2.5 mil. Tax, Kids, Daycare, retirement, college and maintenance on all of those and you are no longer that well off. A C63 is a good purchase for a 2 mil a year before tax income family. If you live within your means.
Now if you are making 2 mil on your own and don't have a wife,kids and home then your doing well and a C63 is below your means for sure.
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 7
From: Orlando, FL
2026 AMG GT63 Pro
My thoughts on the relationship between car choice and wealth:
- Serious car enthusiasts are more likely to stretch themselves to get a performance car, so the ratio of their income to car price will tend to be lower than for non-enthusiasts and other types of cars. I've heard of enthusiasts spending as much on a car as their annual income.
- As the price of performance cars goes up, the average incomes of their owners will also tend to go up. Someone mentioned posting an income poll for E63 and S63 owners, and that would be an interesting way to test this hypothesis. Also, I posted this same poll in a Porsche 911 forum, and I did find the incomes from that poll to be considerably higher than for our C63 poll.
- Based on a book I read, the typical wealthy person isn't a car enthusiast and drives a "premium" car in the $50K price range, like an MB or BMW, but not AMG or M, and not a Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc.
- Some wealthy people deliberately choose a less flashy car to keep a lower profile, but some obviously also say the heck with it and get Rolls, Bentleys, etc.
I think that the bottom line is that if someone is driving an expensive car (say well over $100K), they're probably doing well financially. In the extreme case, think Bugatti. In the case of more affordable cars, the owner probably isn't wealthy, but you can't tell for sure.
- Serious car enthusiasts are more likely to stretch themselves to get a performance car, so the ratio of their income to car price will tend to be lower than for non-enthusiasts and other types of cars. I've heard of enthusiasts spending as much on a car as their annual income.
- As the price of performance cars goes up, the average incomes of their owners will also tend to go up. Someone mentioned posting an income poll for E63 and S63 owners, and that would be an interesting way to test this hypothesis. Also, I posted this same poll in a Porsche 911 forum, and I did find the incomes from that poll to be considerably higher than for our C63 poll.
- Based on a book I read, the typical wealthy person isn't a car enthusiast and drives a "premium" car in the $50K price range, like an MB or BMW, but not AMG or M, and not a Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc.
- Some wealthy people deliberately choose a less flashy car to keep a lower profile, but some obviously also say the heck with it and get Rolls, Bentleys, etc.
I think that the bottom line is that if someone is driving an expensive car (say well over $100K), they're probably doing well financially. In the extreme case, think Bugatti. In the case of more affordable cars, the owner probably isn't wealthy, but you can't tell for sure.
Just because A tends to move with B doesn't mean that B caused A to move...
Trying to determine the socio-economic position of an individual by looking at his car is like making a decision between the chicken or the egg...you've only got a 50% chance of being right.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 336
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From: San Antonio
09 c63 p30 mars red
Just because A tends to move with B doesn't mean that B caused A to move...
Trying to determine the socio-economic position of an individual by looking at his car is like making a decision between the chicken or the egg...you've only got a 50% chance of being right.[/quote]
Sounds like a Prius driver--- Do you work for NPR??? Just kidding
Oh! I didn't read you Bio --- Maybe it's the NRA!
I guess it's hard to tell-- like income & Cars
Trying to determine the socio-economic position of an individual by looking at his car is like making a decision between the chicken or the egg...you've only got a 50% chance of being right.[/quote]
Sounds like a Prius driver--- Do you work for NPR??? Just kidding
Oh! I didn't read you Bio --- Maybe it's the NRA!
I guess it's hard to tell-- like income & Cars
Last edited by jim07; Aug 9, 2011 at 07:33 PM.
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From: Orlando, FL
2026 AMG GT63 Pro
Oh! I didn't read you Bio --- Maybe it's the NRA!
I guess it's hard to tell-- like income & Cars[/QUOTE]
LMAO....
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From: NY
See Sig
28K? Yeah, same here in NY depending on property size. 2.5 Mil can be up to 40K in taxes a year as well.
Last edited by propain; Aug 9, 2011 at 08:47 PM.
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CLK63 Black Series
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,974
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From: NY
See Sig
If you live like you make 2 mil the C63 along with the wife driving another 70K and the family wagon costing 70K its right where you should be.
Now many factors apply. If you make 2 mil and live in a small home and have no kids and are not married. Then yes, go get a lambo and enjoy!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
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'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
I'd say that correlation and causation are two very different things and need to work together in order for there to be any relevance to the matter...
Just because A tends to move with B doesn't mean that B caused A to move...
Trying to determine the socio-economic position of an individual by looking at his car is like making a decision between the chicken or the egg...you've only got a 50% chance of being right.
Just because A tends to move with B doesn't mean that B caused A to move...
Trying to determine the socio-economic position of an individual by looking at his car is like making a decision between the chicken or the egg...you've only got a 50% chance of being right.
My point was that, as you get into increasingly expensive cars, it will be more likely that the driver has money. There aren't a lot guys driving a newish Ferrari or Lambo with a $100K income.
At the same time, when you get down to car prices lots of people can afford, you can't tell how much money the driver has. But the odds are that they're not rich (because only a small percentage of people are rich).
All of this means that the scatter plot probably has a wedge shape.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 440
Likes: 1
'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
Funny what some people feel is a lot of money. I guess it depends on where you live.
After tax 2 mil is about 1.3 mil. Two people with successful careers can easily attain that income.
Now live within those means. 2 70K cars. 1 Family wagon. Maybe a boat and a house worth about 2.5 mil. Tax, Kids, Daycare, retirement, college and maintenance on all of those and you are no longer that well off. A C63 is a good purchase for a 2 mil a year before tax income family. If you live within your means.
Now if you are making 2 mil on your own and don't have a wife,kids and home then your doing well and a C63 is below your means for sure.
After tax 2 mil is about 1.3 mil. Two people with successful careers can easily attain that income.
Now live within those means. 2 70K cars. 1 Family wagon. Maybe a boat and a house worth about 2.5 mil. Tax, Kids, Daycare, retirement, college and maintenance on all of those and you are no longer that well off. A C63 is a good purchase for a 2 mil a year before tax income family. If you live within your means.
Now if you are making 2 mil on your own and don't have a wife,kids and home then your doing well and a C63 is below your means for sure.
Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 87
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2012 C63 Coupe P31
2 mill isnt really hard to make in a year if you have your mind set on it and the situation you are in allows it to happen.. without revealing identities, i know for a fact that people i know and work with can make 2 mill easily in about 2 or 3 months. one person i know of owns one of the biggest and cleanest modern coal refineries in north eastern china and he only owns a c63, porsche design edition 3 cayenne gts, and a toyota fj cruiser.
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Joined: May 2007
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From: Hong Kong/Charlotte
2010 C63
I am in Hong Kong now, and everybody in the U.S. talks about how low taxes are in Hong Kong (15% max average rate), but no one here believes it. Overall, we don't pay much more in the U.S. because there are NO deductions in Hong Kong (other than a small exclusion for low wage earners and a small housing expense deduction). So the advertised rate isn't everything.
With regard to property taxes, there are none here, which is great, right? Not even close. US$28,000 will probably pay 3 to 4 month's rent on a decent 3-bedroom 1,200 sq. ft. apartment. Instead of property taxes, the government owns almost all the land and closely controls it in order to raise money through periodic land auctions.
The above rant, of course, ignores payroll taxes, which are high, but again the highly paid don't pay the whole way. SSI cuts off around $105,000 or so, I believe, which means that someone making $300,000 pays just 1/3 the average rate of someone making $25,000.
So if we are going to complain about taxes, at least recognize that the marginal rates don't mean much.
