Dinner tonight with my two favorite physicians. Subject got to money, investing, saving, spending, toys we buy, and of course autos.

Both told me the only reason they drive a MB is for IMAGE only. Said they feel that's the REAL reason any of us buy one. Said we all use excuses like safety, quality, and so on but it really boils down to image. How it makes us feel when we see that beautiful Mercedes-Benz in our driveway, when we are driving it in our neighborhood, on the freeway, this is the big motivator. Said if we wanted reliable transportation we would all be driving Honda's or Toyota's.

I think I pretty much agree with them. My car looks so good in my driveway. I think my heart skips a beat when I come home and see it looking out of the garage at me......and the neighbors too.

 

Image is definitely one place where MB has Lexus (and just about everybody else) beat hands down!

And there is nothing wrong with a bit of image to tell people that I'm successful.

 

What's wrong with that?
Hey, I think they are just jealous

 

Oh, trust me, they think and I agree nothing is wrong with that at all. They were laughing about one of their neighbors who bought a new Lexus400 for his wife's birthday last year. Had her stand outside their garage as he happily opened it up for her. She looked back at him as the door opened and said, "you bought me an Avalon?"

I agree no matter what car you own or how much it cost, if it's not a Mercedes it's still just a car. My friend still has his 1987 260E which is in fantastic shape and he still hears the whispers, "they have a Mercedes!" when people walk by his house. He laughs thinking the car is probably only worth 3 grand, yet it gets the ohhhs and ahaaas.

 

It's actually a whole package: performance, comfort,style and image.

 

lol @ the first part but i disagree with "no matter what car you own or how much it cost, if it's not a Mercedes it's still just a car."...i like my MB as much as the next but i would choose a 8cyl F430 over just about any MB

 

In another thread they were comparing the car you drive to the watch you wear. It is a status thing to have a Mercedes or a Rolex watch even though there are more reliable choices.

 

I agree that image is one of the main things going for Mercedes. I remember how it felt to look out over the "Star" on my first benz (C230).

It is interesting to find that most non-mercedes owners look on the star as a pinacle while some owners like to drag it down. I guess if you want "inexpensive and built to stay that way" drive a Suburu or a Honda. If you want your friends and neighbors a little envious, drive something German ike a Benz or Porsche.

I still feel like I did with my first C230 when I look out over the badge. I feel the image is still strong.

 

True about the MB image but don't go borrowing against your 401k just to buy one... Keeping up with the Jones' isn't that important.

 

Man, did you hit the nail on the head! Status symbols are expensive and expensive to keep up. I recently read a posting on the Porsche forums where a 20 year-old was asking about where to finance a used 928. That young man is heading for a lifetime of living from paycheck to paycheck with that attitude. If a major repair will sideline you and your car, perhaps you need to readjust your wants in line with your needs.

 

Yes, my Rolex is now a status symbol. It surely wasn't when I bought it in 1966. It has cost me more in maintenance than I paid for it. I just can't bear to have it sitting in a drawer knowing what it is worth on the used market. Accurate? No. My Timex is accurate. I could have bought a new Timex every couple of months and thrown them away for just the maintenance on the Rolex. Very few watches feel like a Rolex on my wrist.

I don't look at my W210 as a status symbol. It is my bike hauler. It is my tow truck. I just got back from picking up 200 lbs of fertilizer. It is my slightly fancy truck. My wife's W211 is more of a status symbol. Now I do look fondly at the 3 pointed star on the hood and realize that I am driving a car that some look at as a status symbol. I have owned Volvos from 1969 to 2005 and some looked at those as status symbols too. I looked at the Volvos as the cheapest cars to own since we kept them for 10-15 years. I hope the MBs will last that long too but I am not holding my breath.

 

My wife likes her 2002 E class as a status symbol, a badge of honor that she's "made it." I'm cool with that, as she has worked very hard, made it to the top of her career field, pulled in more moolah than me at times and yet managed to retire at the young age of 33, stay at home with our daughter, and raise her until she was able to go to school. Now, she works (wife) at the local school in which my daughter attends for a pittance of a sum. I'm more than happy to let her ride in style, her reward, her snobbishery, her bling bling lookatme.

She knows it's one of the safest cars on the road today, has a decent track record, is fairly reliable, yet it has it shortcomings.

To be honest, I like the syle and image it portrays as well. Sure, I like the snob appeal, styling, and safety too.

My daughter just digs the fact she can say she cruises to school in a Benzo. (MTV crowd, I guess...I'm feeling old)


I've got a used Lexus GS300 (of which I plan to scribe a small real world comparison soon). 2002, as well as the MB, but I bought it for different reasons. I think it has class, snob appeal, image, and other items of interest as well. Do the 2 compare, you bet. Are there differences, you bet. Good on one and lacking on the other, you bet.

We've got a 2004 Dodge 4x4 diesel quad cab with oversized off road tires as well. We tow horses (used to tow a boat too). We like cruising in that big pig too and sitting above everyone else. It has it's snob appeal too, style, and functionality, yet in a different light.

I think MBZ is the ultimate in stylish statements, I do. But, then again, I sure do think a 1963 split window Corvette with a blown 427 sticking out of the hood (or lack of one) is stylish too. I know, horrible to hack up a 63 vette...just an example.

What stylistic image are you going for? I wear several hats throughout the week it seems.

 

I do believe that Benz is still one of the best, most recognizeable status symblols. 90% of the people out there have no knowledge of the QC problems at MB or anything of the sort, so if you look at it from the outside, it is still the "best" in almost everyone's eyes. I would say that a late 90's on up model Bimmer (and some Audi's too) in the driveway catch the eye as much as a Mercedes, though. I know it does mine and most of my friends (who do not drive German cars). I actually had someone working at a Whataburger one time ask me if my car (my 95 C 280 at the time) was a Bimmer or a Benz. Cracked me up cause there's a big fat 3 point star on the front of the hood you can't miss. But overall, I like my car for what it is more than a status symbol, because I did not by my car, I try to be humble about having it. But I get a lot of snide remarks and such as mentioned in a couple posts above. Yeah I'm rich , and these people have no idea how much was paid for my car (used CPO 2 years ago) or how much it's actually worth today. Oh well, I write it off to jealousy and most do not know how much and how long it took to earn that kind of respect and trust from my parents.

 

I guess we shouldn't take it for granted that we all own a benz..I know i don't..funny incident on Saturday, was just chillin with the guy that mods my car, and the car was parked outside. suddenly a young couple who were just checking out the street walked pass my car, stopped, doubled back, and took photos of it with them standing on the side of it.

Made me feel proud owning a benz...and seeing strangers' faces light up for someone elses car is just priceless.lol..

On the flip side, you do get jealous ppl thinking all ppl with benzes are a**holes, and they just key the ride just to feel proud of themselves...

Image is a huge thing here in asia..driving a benz, bimmer and prob a lexus wins you jobs, respect and a whole lotta extras that a toyota/hyundai/kia won't give.

The World is a funny place..

 

For that alone she deserves a Benz! More women should be like her.

 

not to be a snob.. but since we're on the subject

I wouldn't be caught dead with a Rolex anymore... I've discovered the world of "very fine" watches. KLASSE, fyi your remark about reliable is interesting because Rolex is actually universally known as a VERY reliable watch. While I don't care for them, since they're mass produced, they're anything but un-reliable.

btw..

My choice: Audemars Piguet

 

Having a Benz does make other people look at you differently, when I tell people about my long gone E55 they look at me say "YOU had an E55??!?!?" or "you had a MB?!?!?"

They especially go eyes wide open when I show them the donuts video

So I do also agree that most of it is Image.

 

Ummm...For me it was the test drive.
I loved the way the engine and drive train responded to inputs.
I just purchased an E55 AMG friday and all I can say is, Mercedes knows how to put a rocket ship into a Sedan body.
I really don't care about the image, that's just a bonus, what I care about is the machine.

 

yeah... but for God's sake man, it's an AMG!

we're talking about mere mortal MB's ..

 

Do people really notice the AMG?
Not trying to be a smarta#$
Just wondering, I come from a whole different car scene.
Supra, RX7, S2000 etc..

 

We who know, do.

The others...who cares.

 

Exactly. Going into debt to finance the machine (even if it's a MB ) that gets you from 'point A to B' is not the smartest thing to do. If one can't pay for it whole is cash, they are living above their means. Paying in cash is best.

 

Mostly people "in the know" will know an AMG..

the average stiff, is not anymore likely to tell it from a regular MB with a body kit or fancy rims added. It's the same as with watches.. most people don't know what my Audemars Piguet is? They'll tell me how their friend has an "Expensive Rolex watch in gold" that costs $18000 or something... Meanwhile I'm wearing a watch, that in Stainless Steel costs more than the gold Rolex..

People who'll comment on your AMG, are 90% of the time going to be MB fans and MB owners... not you're Toyota and Buick driver.

 

Hey..Toyota's are nice vehicles
Point well made though.

 

Don't get me started again! :p