[Jesda]

Asians have always been obsessed with MB. I remember growing up how much my parents would fawn over the cars from the Bruno Sacco design era.

The brand has fallen out of favor for me except for the SLK and G-wagen. I've become a Cadillac fan.

 

[Jesda]

Wealthy people everywhere know that buying a luxury car with the worst resale value and low prestige factor, is really dumb.

This isn't the message executives and professionals want to convey either. They'd rather drive a Toyota Camry, as its better to be seen as being cheap rather than stupid.

That's an exaggeration of reality. If resale value mattered, no one would buy luxury cars at all. You should see the staggering decline in value for the CL coupe.

Cadillac owners aren't perceived as stupid either. Elderly perhaps, but not stupid.


It's all about prestige and MB has gobs of it.

 

[Jesda]

Not just Asians, but any group is likely to put Mercedes as the top brand. I don't own a Mercedes and have no plans to buy one, but if I had $3 MM in assets, I'd likely be at the Benz dealer ordering up a new E class coupe.

Absolutely, but it seems to be a particularly strong preference among Asians. The data are out there but I haven't looked at any of it since 2004.

 

[Jesda]

I'm pretty sure you're the only person who likes both the SLK AND the G-wagen.

I absolutely adored the older SLs, especially R129. That, to me, is the pinnacle of the two-seat, top-down, luxury experience.

I disliked the SLK until recently. The latest version doesn't come across as a shrunken, cheapened SL or an overpriced answer to the Miata. It has a more distinct identity.



And anyone who hates the G-wagen is dead to me.

 

[Jesda]

Oh yeah, but Mercedes has a lot of random parts-sharing too... I bet the turn signal/wiper stalk and cruise stalk thing didn't change between the 70's and like 2005

It spilled over into my Chrysler Crossfire too along with that poorly placed cruise control stalk that seemed to come right out of 1979.

 

[Jesda]

They will just not buy an ATS no matter what because it is too small (its the exact reason why they don't buy 3 series, A4, or C class). Cadillac had a high number of those people shoppers in their camp. While those in my area who end up leasing the 3 series, A4, and C class are those who want to appear successful in life (though obviously are not).

Indeed.

It's easy to forget that Cadillac initiated a successful downsizing in 2003 with the Sigma CTS. Before that, the smallest Cadillac that sold well was the Seville (50k units/yr) which was priced and sized similarly to the Q45, LS400, and Continental.

 

[Jesda]

What are Mercedes owners going through?

My 1995 C280 has never had a major mechanical problem in its life. And my 2010 E350 has never been in the shop for anything other than standard maintenance. All I've ever had to do on it was replace the battery.


So, you want your car to be in the shop every other couple of months? Go for it.

I'll stick with Mercedes.

Congrats. You -just- missed MB's worst years which were among the worst in the industry. I wouldn't touch a W210 to W220 with a 10-mile pole.

That's like saying you'll stick with Cadillac after you've owned a 76 Coupe Deville and a CTS-V.

 

[Jesda]

The W210 wasn't the real problem, it really was the W211, not to mention the W163. And I realize the years between 1997-2008 or so were among the worst in Mercedes history.

They've obviously learned their lesson.

And quickly, going from industry joke to industry leader in no time. The Japanese are focused but the Germans can polish a turd into a gold nugget overnight.

Last I heard, some of the execs during the DC era were forced to take regional retail positions as punishment.

 

[Jesda]

Dad still has his black W124. I adore the heck out of it. He bought it quite some time ago to replace another W124.