Mercedes new image/exclusivity, etc.

http://detnews.com/2002/insiders/0206/27/autos-507231.htm

"DaimlerChrysler expanded Mercedes-Benz sales through lower- priced models and sport-utility vehicles. That may have planted doubts whether the brand still conjures an image of exclusivity -- something the Maybach must now create by setting a new and higher standard, a risky strategy."

"DaimlerChrysler isn't linking its top-of-the-line Maybach with the Mercedes-Benz name, which it has affixed lately to models costing as little as $25,000."


What do you all think about this? I think its ashame how the name "Mercedes Benz" has changed over the years. When i first got my benz and before that mercedes was an "exclusive" car, kind of like jaguars, bentley, rolls, etc.

Nowdays they are making these "entry level" cars to compete with american cars, japanese cars, etc. i think it messes up the image. When the CEO and secretary both drive mercedes something is wrong, lol.

Oh dont forget about the wall street journal article on benzs.

[Cap'n Carageous]

The grille shouldn't be very expensive. It looks like it came of a Lincoln LS!:p

[G-Benz]

True...

People I know from abroad scratch their heads and wonder why Americans tout Mercedes-Benz as a luxury marque. Over there, they are used as taxi cabs, and because they don't come with leather seats and exotic woods, they are sold as mainstream family sedans.

MB is actually more prevelant in the heavy-duty vehicles they produce as busses and trucks than passenger cars.

MB did well in the US marketing (and pricing) the cars as "luxury" vehicles, but with all of the competition of late, has been forced to introduce cars more fitting for those of us with more modest incomes.

So this is new here, but "old hat" abroad...

From post WWI onward...and especially since WWII, Mercedes offered commercial vehicles, "bread and butter" sedans for the (generally well heeled) middle classes, and sports and luxury jobs. As a watch collector, I equate my W123 diesels with stainless-steel Rolex chronometers: the price paid is for mechanical value, precision, and longevity. Add special functions to the same watch and put it in a gold case, you reach the public that wants something with good mechanicals as well as a bit of flash...as well as those who care most about the "flash" and couldn't care less about what's "under the hood."

[Ashman]

I don't think the mercedes image has changed as much as the other manufacturers image getting better making mercedes seem not as exclusive.

I still consider mercedes to be the top of the line luxury vehicle over any other vehicles in their price range.

You want exclusivity, look for a bentley, rolls, or aston martin.

Alon

[jcyuhn]

Based on the reactions I get, most people still seem to see MB as a prestige brand. I drove a friend to lunch in my 15 year old, diesel powered station wagon. He's fairly sophisticated and knowledgable about cars. He gets in and says "THIS is what you use to haul your dog around in!?!?" with an air of disbelief. As if it's too nice or some such thing.

On a related note, there was an article on used car residual values in the 'Personal Journal' section of Tuesdays' Wall Street Journal. It discussed how widely varying is the depreciation of vehicles, even within a market segment. The main input to the article was from employess of the Automotive Lease Guide - the defacto standard in setting residual values, and hence lease rates. MB is still on top in their opinion, despite the quality concerns of late. According to ALG, the number of problems in the first 90 days has little impact on a cars' value five years down the road - overall appeal in terms of design, durability, support, etc. are far more important. MB still excels in these areas. Hey, it's some good news...

[placo1]

Exclusivity doesn't really matter as long as they continue to build high quality durable cars. If they get away from this then MB will have some serious problems.

The other point to keep in mind is that Americans have become wealthier in the last 10 years which has allowed us to purchase higher priced vehicles. Way back when I can remember when MB's were hard to come by and were considered extremely expensive by the general public. This was in relation to their income. The economy has changed and MB's are everywhere now.

I wonder if this observation by the last poster may be a manifestation of the "Volkswagen syndrome." 20 years ago, even though VW still held a relatively small part of the marketplace on an annual basis, you saw "beetles" everywhere...because of the fact that the basic model had changed so little over so many decades led to a cumulative impact.

MB certainly has a modest share of the US auto universe, but most MBs have a distinctive look and a durability that means there are a lot of them on the road now. In fact, I'm not even sure I mentally register most of the bland-looking later Benzes. If "Mercedes-Benzs are everywhere now" it is because the small numbers built, sold, and put on the road each year tend both to be recognizable, and to "persist in the environment."

[Zeus]

Mercedes is definitely still exclusive, it just depends on the model. Sure they make entry levels like the C-class, they make big trucks as well and in Europe and the Middle East (and elsewhere I'm sure) they are common as cabs, but I would consider a nice new SL600 to be exclusive.

Or an SL73 AMG, or the S500 sedan for those concert nights or the, well, you get the picture.

[placo1]

Jim,

Well I can't argue that I see a great deal of older Mercedes although I can say that I see much much more newer Mercedes. I should also say that I live in SoCal and technically it is a different world out here.

Now that I think back a bit when I lived in Mass I only saw a significant amount of Mercedes in places like Boston and NYC. So maybe I should retract part of my comment in stating that "MB's are everywhere now" and say that in SoCal they are just as prevalent as other cars (except maybe a Toyota or Honda!)

tkamiya,

Your correct that most people can't afford to fork over $30K to by a Benz but many of them can surely afford to make monthly payments on a $30K car. And lets not forget that ever so popular lease option that lets you buy a Benz at the same monthly payment of purchaseing a VW Golf. So maybe the real reason I see more MB's is our banks are making it easier to have access to these cars.

[jjrodger]

It is not quite correct that a Mercedes-Benz is perceived as an "every day" car in Europe; however, it has never been ranked alongside Rolls Royce. Mercedes-Benz's reputation is for quality and reliability, not unabashed luxury. A Mercedes-Benz is the choice of the professional driver not because it out handles a BMW (although the W201, W124 and W140 undoubtedly out-handled the contemporary BMW competitiors), but because it will drive and drive and drive. Any prestige that the Mercedes-Benz car enjoys is because it dooes th ebest job of being a car out of all the cars on the road, not because it is the four-wheeled equivalent of a diamond-encrusted watch.

The Mercedes-Benz product is not about "flash" or prestige, but about engineering integrity and production quality. I think that those values can be applied to a car in any market segment without diminishing the brand. In fact the enthusiast should welcome the expansion of those values into the mass market sectors. The A-Class is a high quality product. It does not appeal to car magazines because—like most Mercedes-Benz cars—the pleasures of ownership can only be enjoyed in the long term; they are not apparent on a half day test drive. Having driven both over extended periods, I would prefer an A170 CDi to a Ford Focus.

Undoubtedly Mercedes-Benz has taken its eye off the quality ball in the last couple of years. But not much. The W210 is a better car than the W124; I've ridden in both lately and I thought it was obvious. The W203 is better than the W202 iwhich in itself is better than the W201. In every respect. There can be no doubt that the 3-valve V6 motors are superior to the 4-valve in-line 6s with their leaking gaskets and lack of low down torque. The present five speed auto is superior to any automatic transmission anywhere except that in the Porsche 996 Tiptronic-S.

The bottom line is that if you enjoy your Mercedes-Benz because you think it makes you look good, you are missing the whole point of these cars. The kind of man who thinks like that is the kind of man who wears a fake Rolex. As Car magazine said of all Mercs in the 80s: "good to drive, better to own". And as for Mercedes-Benz moving into smaller car markets, remind yourself how good it would be if everybody drove a Mercedes-Benz.

[G-Benz]

Wow...well said!

Rolls-Royce in the past has made several efforts to broaden their clientele beyond the "carriage trade."

One was the introduction of the "standard steel saloon" in the early '50s, mostly on the R-Bentley chassis and meant for the owner-driver.

There was a series of very delightful models...the 20 HP, 20-25, and 25-30 which were meant to be "bread and butter" models. Many found homes as hire vehicles, funeral cars, and in other institutional service. All sold in suprisingly high numbers and mostly gave good service over many decades.