Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I know it's a bit of a silly question and it depends on many things like the crime rate in the area you parked in, etc. But in general if you drive a well-recognized luxury - are you seen as more of a mark for theft/robbery/etc?
I would think it depends on which model of MB you bought. I'm not a criminal but from my perspective when I see someone driving one of the entry level Benz's I figure they are more in debt than anyone else and probably living check to check so not a mark at all.
If you are driving the upper level one's, there's a good chance there is so many electronic gadgets/burglar alarms on it that it may not be worth the trouble.
So I would say that MB cars are not really a target for criminals more than any other car.
Probably not seen as more of a mark for theft, but it's been my experience that nice cars get vandalized a lot more than other cars. Whether it's from jealous people or what, a nice car runs a higher risk of being keyed or damaged far more than average cars.
I've had my cars vandalized 3 times in my life, each time they left the cars around me alone.
If you drive a high end and are in neighborhoods where that's an actual worry then you need to rethink the purchase. You can get robbed driving an 98' Camry if your timings wrong. People have figured out a way to steal the company you work for out from under you with your pension. There is no safety...Anywhere!! No matter what you drive or where you live or where you park or who you know. Get your car enjoy it and if something happens it wont be because of the car it will be because that's the world we live in.
More likely other drivers will be nasty, cut you off, etc. Some have a bone to pick. Just ignore them, stick your nose in the air, and drive on! Or pull over and let them pass.
So far as personal safety, robbery is more of a spur of the moment type of thing - they don't wait until a Mercedes comes along - actually they look for weakness - drunk, elderly old lady, etc.
Don't wear a bunch of flashy jewelry if going into a not-so-good neighborhood.
Other than that, Mercedes and the like have all sorts of security systems, stickers, etc. Thieves are lazy and don't want to work, so will avoid cars which will cause them trouble/attention.
I've seen people actually get angry over nice cars and scratch them. Just jealousy, even though you could spend that much on a camry. The lady I worked with had an issue with this. Every single time she saw a luxury car pull up, she would get insanely angry and vocal about it. I eventually just started saying maybe they got them used. This from a lady whose parents bought her a home and car and she didn't have to work.
If you live in the "hood" then you're just asking for the wrong type of attention. If not then you shouldn't have anything to worry about so long as you don't leave valuables in the car that are visible. Mercedes aren't uncommon and no longer draw the attention that they use to.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
