People's perception of you driving a Mercedes
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 22
Likes: 5
W220 S320
People's perception of you driving a Mercedes
I bought a 1999 W220 S-Class just a toy. I'm the DIY kind of person and enjoy working on cars myself. I'm also a fan of cars in general and enjoy driving different cars and learning about them etc...
I have another car as my "reliable" car for daily errands... a 2002 Ford Focus. The W220 I picked up for very cheap, 1,500 Euros.
Since I got this Mercedes I do feel other drivers on the road look at me in a rather negative and opinionated way. Do you feel the same? Most people don't realise that this car is very cheap to buy. The car does indeed have a strong road presence and it makes people think that the car must cost $$$$.
I didn't buy it to look rich. I didn't buy it to show off. i just bought as a hobby.
I notice others drivers looking in my direction at traffic lights.
I notice other drivers looking in my direction when driving past, or in traffic.
Most people no longer say "thank you" when I stop at a pedestrian crossing. It's customary to give a nod of a small wave.
Most people no longer say "thank you" even when I stop for them without obligation (at a intersection without pedestrian crossing).
If I miss a green light by just 2 seconds I get an "extra long" beep from the car behind me.
People in parking lots look at me in a very unfriendly way, even when I'm doing nothing wrong when parking/exiting.
Is this the **** you put up with as a Mercedes driver?
I have another car as my "reliable" car for daily errands... a 2002 Ford Focus. The W220 I picked up for very cheap, 1,500 Euros.
Since I got this Mercedes I do feel other drivers on the road look at me in a rather negative and opinionated way. Do you feel the same? Most people don't realise that this car is very cheap to buy. The car does indeed have a strong road presence and it makes people think that the car must cost $$$$.
I didn't buy it to look rich. I didn't buy it to show off. i just bought as a hobby.
I notice others drivers looking in my direction at traffic lights.
I notice other drivers looking in my direction when driving past, or in traffic.
Most people no longer say "thank you" when I stop at a pedestrian crossing. It's customary to give a nod of a small wave.
Most people no longer say "thank you" even when I stop for them without obligation (at a intersection without pedestrian crossing).
If I miss a green light by just 2 seconds I get an "extra long" beep from the car behind me.
People in parking lots look at me in a very unfriendly way, even when I'm doing nothing wrong when parking/exiting.
Is this the **** you put up with as a Mercedes driver?
Last edited by mkqq; Sep 26, 2021 at 06:39 AM. Reason: typo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 3,360
Likes: 1,526
From: Washington DC
No more MB:(
I bought a 1999 W220 S-Class just a toy. I'm the DIY kind of person and enjoy working on cars myself. I'm also a fan of cars in general and enjoy driving different cars and learning about them etc...
I have another car as my "reliable" car for daily errands... a 2002 Ford Focus. The W220 I picked up for very cheap, 1,500 Euros.
Since I got this Mercedes I do feel other drivers on the road look at me in a rather negative and opinionated way. Do you feel the same? Most people don't realise that this car is very cheap to buy. The car does indeed have a strong road presence and it makes people think that the car must cost $$$$.
I didn't buy it to look rich. I didn't buy it to show off. i just bought as a hobby.
I notice others drivers looking in my direction at traffic lights.
I notice other drivers looking in my direction when driving past, or in traffic.
Most people no longer say "thank you" when I stop at a pedestrian crossing. It's customary to give a nod of a small wave.
Most people no longer say "thank you" even when I stop for them without obligation (at a intersection without pedestrian crossing).
If I miss a green light by just 2 seconds I get an "extra long" beep from the car behind me.
People in parking lots look at me in a very unfriendly way, even when I'm doing nothing wrong when parking/exiting.
Is this the **** you put up with as a Mercedes driver?
I have another car as my "reliable" car for daily errands... a 2002 Ford Focus. The W220 I picked up for very cheap, 1,500 Euros.
Since I got this Mercedes I do feel other drivers on the road look at me in a rather negative and opinionated way. Do you feel the same? Most people don't realise that this car is very cheap to buy. The car does indeed have a strong road presence and it makes people think that the car must cost $$$$.
I didn't buy it to look rich. I didn't buy it to show off. i just bought as a hobby.
I notice others drivers looking in my direction at traffic lights.
I notice other drivers looking in my direction when driving past, or in traffic.
Most people no longer say "thank you" when I stop at a pedestrian crossing. It's customary to give a nod of a small wave.
Most people no longer say "thank you" even when I stop for them without obligation (at a intersection without pedestrian crossing).
If I miss a green light by just 2 seconds I get an "extra long" beep from the car behind me.
People in parking lots look at me in a very unfriendly way, even when I'm doing nothing wrong when parking/exiting.
Is this the **** you put up with as a Mercedes driver?
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 789
Likes: 47
From: Eastern Massachusetts
2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
The Best, or Nothing
Traditionally, Mercedes owners have not noticed other drivers in any way. This is still true in Germany, where Mercedes owners often ride in the back seat. I tell the handful of friends and neighbors with whom this might be an issue, "This car doesn't show that I have money. It shows that I don't have money, because i spent all my money on this car."
The only person whose opinion i valued was my wife's. She was German, and when I got my first Mercedes, she was over the moon. When she was growing up In Germany, Mercedes had the never-never quality that Cadillac once had in the US. Ordinary people never expected to own one. She said several times to herself, "I don't believe it; my husband drives a Mercedes!"
The only person whose opinion i valued was my wife's. She was German, and when I got my first Mercedes, she was over the moon. When she was growing up In Germany, Mercedes had the never-never quality that Cadillac once had in the US. Ordinary people never expected to own one. She said several times to herself, "I don't believe it; my husband drives a Mercedes!"
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,429
Likes: 5,336
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
That highly depends on where you live. I see you are in the Netherlands. As you know cars are quite expensive in the Netherlands due to massive taxes, so somebody driving a Mercedes is probably looked at with jealousy. Flaunting your wealth in Europe is also somewhat taboo. They don't know how much you paid for it, as most people don't even see a car like that within reach, regardless of the age of the car. There's certainly a level of prestige associated with the brand, and a level of snobbery. I'm originally from Switzerland, and even in rich Switzerland Mercedes drivers are more viewed as snobs. I now live in the USA, and it's completely different here, although there are more and more jealous people around and that results in vandalism at times, but in general people here are not jealous of somebody who seems to have "made" it in live. I get constant thumbs up and approached by random people complimenting my AMG. I did European delivery as well and drove it around Europe for 2 months. Even visited the Netherlands, and didn't feel like I was being treated any different. I have a friend in the Netherlands and I visited him during my previous European Delivery with my Audi RS5, and he had me park the car at a friend's house behind a gate as he was saying people do hate on nice cars around there. He lives in Zierikzee. I didn't visit him with the AMG, but spent time in Amsterdam and had no issues whatsoever, but you don't generally see premium brand cars driving around the Netherlands much. Maybe I had a better experience, because of the German license plate, so I was clearly a foreigner.
Last edited by superswiss; Sep 27, 2021 at 05:07 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 1,184
Likes: 891
From: Arizona
Bentley Continental GT; AMG GT
I will echo what Superswiss said.
Here in the US, and especially where you live in the US, driving a Mercedes doesn't really rise to the level of any snobbery. In Scottsdale, where I live, on any day I will see more Mercedes (and BMWs, for that matter) than I see Chevys. I have at least a dozen MB owners living in my immediate neighborhood. My next door neighbor just bought a 2021 A Class and she is a part time hair dresser. Another neighbor's 23 YO college student daughter is driving a GLA Class.
I drive an AMG GT. It can stand out a little bit, but pales in comparison to all of the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, even Bugattis that I see daily. Even driving my Bentley Continental GT doesn't get much rise where I live, maybe a little bit more than the AMG, but within ten minute's drive when you see three more Bentleys, you can feel quite common....
Here in the US, and especially where you live in the US, driving a Mercedes doesn't really rise to the level of any snobbery. In Scottsdale, where I live, on any day I will see more Mercedes (and BMWs, for that matter) than I see Chevys. I have at least a dozen MB owners living in my immediate neighborhood. My next door neighbor just bought a 2021 A Class and she is a part time hair dresser. Another neighbor's 23 YO college student daughter is driving a GLA Class.
I drive an AMG GT. It can stand out a little bit, but pales in comparison to all of the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, even Bugattis that I see daily. Even driving my Bentley Continental GT doesn't get much rise where I live, maybe a little bit more than the AMG, but within ten minute's drive when you see three more Bentleys, you can feel quite common....
Last edited by Acta_Non_Verba; Sep 30, 2021 at 12:59 PM.
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