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Given that the greater % of MBs (and other luxury brands too) are leased it isn't the sign of wealth it once was. As someone else pointed out, biggest threat is leaving things visible. More likely your car will be stolen (for parts) if it is a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.
That having been said, if it was a Bentley, or a Rolls, or a Ferrari or Lamborghini, the answer could be different. I had an acquaintance that gave his wife a Rolls Royce. Sold it after one too many cars followed her home.
Remember the 90's when kids used to break off the hood ornament from Mercedes and put on chain around their neck?
That happened to me twice ! Once in Pasadena, Calif. and the other time in Newport Beach, Calif. where they are as common as V.W.s
I also got keyed once and once found a pile of dog crap on the hood.
I finally get fed up with all the negative attention the black 4 door sedan with blacked out windows got and bought a used Jeep Wrangler. Now I have no worries about it at all.
Someone can correct me if they think otherwise but I thought the vehicle theft market was primarily driven [no pun] by a demand for parts not necessarily by any value associated with the entire, operational, vehicle. So Civics, F150s, etc. are prime targets. You would be hard pressed to find any complete, stolen, vehicles driving around. They do exist, but not many.
MB, BMW, Cadillac, etc. are now virtually just generic vehicles that blend in with the rest of the pack on the road. Easy access to credit and manufacturer rebranding has allowed even those with $30k/yr incomes to drive a luxury marques. There is little, actual, association to personal wealth by driving mainstream luxury autos, I don't think you need to be worried.
Last edited by Lux Hauler; 02-13-2015 at 12:04 PM..
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?
Generally, having nicer stuff does place you at more risk. The vandalism thing is a huge problem, IMO. There are people out there who live to deface the property of people who have something that they don't. Why? Who knows. But it happens a lot.
There's a reason I drive a rusty '89 Caprice that extend beyond the fact that I'm too cheap to replace it as long as it serves its purpose. This is one of them.
I had a Mercedes SL Convertible when I was single (Used with 100K miles), but brand new paint job and it looked mint.
In Brooklyn back in the day I pull up to places and park the thing right on the sidewalk with top down doors unlocked. Secret you gotta act like you own it, meaning you gangsta all the way.
Setting alarms, using a club on steering wheel locking the doors means you aint a playa.
I even use to live top down in Manhattan on the street, the beach and you name it. I used to park on sidewalk, in firezones, even front lawns when I came to folks houses.
But big difference was my car looked mint, but with 110K on odometer it really was only worth 15k the price of a brand new entry level car back them.
Just be a playa and the playa hatas wont bother you.
Why people want to vandalize a car!?!? No! Truth is that its not that difficult to afford a nice Mercedes. Its not that hard to lease either. I would guess that these aren't the most targeted cars for theft purposes. I think more common cars are most lucrative to thieves for parts, right?
If all the other cars look safe wherever you are located, its probably the same for you. I think most people really don't notice. Its not as if you're driving a yellow Ferrari. Actually, a yellow car would prevent any possible theft, lol! Who would miss seeing it? Ha!
I always park far away from everyone else. I don't trust people to not create door dings. Park uphill from shopping carts.
Enjoy your Mercedes! :-) They are so meant to drive at 70mph. Whatever they do to them, its like soundproof in there. I don't have one. I have a Jeep.
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?
Is this thread here to make u feel good, or for u to find a way to show off? And the answer to your question is yes. You want to show off, deal with the consequences.
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