Anonymous wrote:Buying stuff feels good. Buying expensive stuff makes you feel good and successful.

Ego.

Dopamine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The secret is to buy a 2-3 year old one and it's basically new but 50% less

I always cringe when I see poor people driving around in an old German luxury vehicle. The maintenance and repair costs are astronomical. If you don’t have the $ to buy new, it’s not worth it.

I love my benz boat! I filler up with french fry oil from the local deli. It's pretty great.

Anonymous wrote:A dealership would actually loan out a brand new $130k car?

It’s odd that if OP got this as a loaner, they must already drive an expensive car. So why are they asking this question?

Anonymous wrote:It's a status symbol for people who are insecure, and suckers.

The kind of car you drive bears absolutely zero relevance to your net worth, income, or "status."

It doesn’t, but I’d much rather be comfortable with air conditioned seats that can adjust to exactly how I want it vs only going front and back with a lever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The secret is to buy a 2-3 year old one and it's basically new but 50% less

I always cringe when I see poor people driving around in an old German luxury vehicle. The maintenance and repair costs are astronomical. If you don’t have the $ to buy new, it’s not worth it.

If you go to the Mercedes dealership, this is most of their customers in the service lane plus Ovi’s cars are sometimes there.

I got soft. I like how quiet my car is on roads. I feel safe and protected. I like the heated seats and wood steering wheel. The steering wheel especially is something I'd never give a second thought to before but everytime I drive, it brings me quiet joy.

We still have our 9 year old Toyota that we drive around so that helps us enjoy the fancy car more. Maybe the trick is to keep driving your beater so you can really appreciate the luxe car in comparison

Anonymous wrote:What's your usual car? A Mercedes loaner suggests a Mercedes.

I drive a <$100K BMW. Not a 6 figure BMW I might get as a loaner. I don't think that's where you find the big difference. When I get in my kid's Honda or a rental car, yes, there's a difference that I am not going back to.

This. I have a regular GLS that’s only $95k, and it’s a nice car. I’ve had Honda and Toyota and it’s just quieter with nicer finished. I find it hard to believe they gave you a 580 as a loaner, but it’s a very powerful engine. Take it out on the highway and let it go. That’s what the cost is. What dealership is this? When I go, I get crappy GLB which has to be the absolute worst car Mercedes has ever made and a total waste of money.

Buying stuff feels good. Buying expensive stuff makes you feel good and successful.

Anonymous wrote:A dealership would actually loan out a brand new $130k car?

People who drive this tier of car want a similar tier car as a service loaner. You’re not going to give a crappy eco Hyundai sedan to someone driving an under warranty $100,000 luxury car in for service.

Also, it’s a sales tactic. You let people in the tier below have a higher tier as a service loaner and they come back and want to trade theirs in for the better version after getting a week of seat time.

There are certainly diminishing returns past a certain point. I honestly think umc and rich people are just bored and there must be a dopamine rush however brief when they buy and drive a new car. There’s a whole performative thing with the dealer that makes you feel successful and then a handful of your girlfriends know you’re driving the new thing. Beyond that, very very few people can randomly tell you’re driving a 2026 and not a 2023.

It’s mostly ego. Some people get that boost from driving an expensive car. Some get it by having fabulous hair and nails or traveling or having a pure bred dog.

Anonymous wrote:The secret is to buy a 2-3 year old one and it's basically new but 50% less

I always cringe when I see poor people driving around in an old German luxury vehicle. The maintenance and repair costs are astronomical. If you don’t have the $ to buy new, it’s not worth it.

Anonymous wrote:A dealership would actually loan out a brand new $130k car?

Of course because the people who bought a $90k Mercedes are in the target market for that car.

Anonymous wrote:It’s because you are telling the people around you that you have moneys, ergo you be better than them.

Are you slow or something?

I don’t get this. How many people even see your car? No one cares about a car. The people with fancy cars have them because they like fancy cars.

A dealership would actually loan out a brand new $130k car?