Originally Posted by
NeverEnough
I COMPLETELY AGREE! I can't see why anyone would cough up $10,000-$15,000 more for an older car that is basically the same mechanically and has the style and visual passion of a second generation Ford Taurus...
It just goes to show that people will pay more for what they see as a more desirable badge. It's just like generic Grocery Store Peanut Butter. It's all made by Jif, but you will pay more for the lable.
It also goes to show that TRUE auto enthusiasts will find the better car for the better deal. We all know that if the Crossfire was badged as a Mercedes, it would have sold 3 times as well for a 25% higher MSRP and no cash incentives and discounts. People are funny creatures aren't they. Perception is Reality to most people that refuse to look outside their "box". If everyone else says it and believes it, it must be true... RIGHT? Yeah Right...
I bet the SRT-6 will be worth alot more in 30 years than the SLK...
You can't think of ANY reasons? I don't think you are trying.
Less weight, retractable hardtop, subtler styling, Mercedes Benz build quality...I can think of many reasons why someone might chose the Mercedes Benz version of these two cars that share so much similarity.
A "TRUE auto enthusiast" may find heavy 19" rims a bit more for the stylistically concerned than the performance focused.
I won't buy anything but a Mercedes Benz. I turn all my own wrenches and I think they are the best engineered, easiest to repair and maintain cars I have ever worked on. My 15 year-old daily-driver Mercedes with 199k miles that is more reliable, comfortable, and attractive than most cars with half that age has a lot do do with that brand loyalty.
I know better than to disrespect the Crossfire SRT6 though when it shares so much in common with the SLK32 AMG. Different strokes for different folks. But only
slightly different strokes in this case.