Has the Mercedes E-Class become an old person's car?

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
06/30/2014 at 10:06 • Filed to: None

At least around here, any businessman (or woman) under tha age of 50 is buying a 5-Series, A6, or even the formerly elders-only CTS and Lexus GS. I'm not saying that Mercedes across the board is the new Lexus/Cadillac, that would be ridiculous. But is the E-Class, the former luxury express for the successful, no longer appealing to yuppies and middle-aged business folk? I particularly notice this trend with the outgoing model, time will tell if the new one is any better.

DISCUSSION (28)

nafsucof > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:15

as if to suggest it's not an old persons car? I've never seen one with a younger driver...

duurtlang > nafsucof
06/30/2014 at 10:16

I have. But those younger drivers were all taxi drivers.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > nafsucof
06/30/2014 at 10:17

I guess it used to be a little cooler, a little less of a Lincoln. But maybe you're right.

Brian Silvestro > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:17

All the young people are getting A7s, 6 Series GCs, and CLSs, from what I've seen.

Reigntastic > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:18

Only old people can afford them...

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:19

It appears to be the same situation in Hong Kong. Mercedes-wise, I usually see the affluent elderly drive around in E200 and E250s. The successful younger ones seem to have migrated to C63s and more recently, A45s and CLA45s. Sometimes, you do get some younger people in E63s, but on two occasions I have seen a housewife and OAP drive E63s.

Jon-o > nafsucof
06/30/2014 at 10:19

Only young person i know to drive one was my buddy driving his dad's E class around while his car (WRX STI) was being fixed (again), Usually yup older successful person car

Sn210 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:19

there's a guy in his 40's who leases one in my office. He had leased a Cayanne before that, so...

nafsucof > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:21

I once saw an old guy get out of a diesel one, e300 maybe? First year of the dual headlights back in 95 at Limerock. (Not sure the actual model year but it was the model with the dual headlights) That's when I made my e class = old guy distinction!

GhostZ > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:26

...when was it not? The CTS is the most youthful of all of the full sized luxury sedans out there.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Reigntastic
06/30/2014 at 10:28

The people I see driving Audis and BMWs tend to be younger, though.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > GhostZ
06/30/2014 at 10:30

Not sure about that one, but it certainly is up there.

KnowsAboutCars > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:34

Around here I mostly see them as taxis.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:37

Don't confuse CTS buyers for STS buyers. The cars are similar, but attract completely different people.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:41

Due to Mercedes constant need to push the S to supercar levels of expense and doo-dads, the E has taken the place as the normal "top" car in Merc's lineup.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:48

Yep. As far as I can tell, the E-Class' sole buying demographic since its inception has been old businessmen.

You might get a couple of young hotshots in the AMG versions, but the rest seem to have less than a decade til retirement.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
06/30/2014 at 10:55

The S-class has always been insanely expensive. It's position on the market hasn't changed in decades.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 10:56

At least around here, Mercedes is not nearly as generous with their leasing terms, especially compared with BMW and Lexus. On any given day you can get a screaming deal on a BMW lease, but real deals are few and far between on the E-Class. That, plus they're just...expensive probably doesn't help.

I also wonder how much of the "traditional" E-Class market has moved to crossovers and SUVs, including Mercedes' own models. Seems like a lot of affluent families are going that route, rather than the traditional luxury sedan.

All that said, it's hard to picture a younger person really lusting over an E-Class, except maybe a Jalop over the E63. Disclaimer: I personally like the E-Class, a lot. I guess that makes me sound old. :-)

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
06/30/2014 at 10:57

The STS is gone, so I'm assuming you mean the XTS. And I know it is now an excellent sports sedan, but I don't yet see every successful 35 year old rushing out to buy one. They still go for 5-dries/A6s, but the Caddy will get there eventual sales-wise, since it is already there performance-wise.

Textured Soy Protein > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 13:29

In my particular McMansion-y neighborhood in Wisconsin, there's a lot of "regular" cars. Mostly nicer, newer stuff like Highlanders, Pilots, Accords, Camrys etc. The most popular luxury cars by far are Range Rovers. Also lots of GM full-size SUVs and Lexus RXs. The A7 is probably the most popular executive sedan type car. There's 1 Maserati Quattroporte, and several exotics including a few various Aston Martins, a 458, assorted 911s including some newer turbos, a Maserati Granturismo, and a few weeks ago someone was driving an orange McLaren 650S spider.

But yeah, tons of Highlanders.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 13:44

I thought they were always for an older demographic. Usually from what I see day to day, younger people drive C's and ML's mostly. The more successful ones under 40 love C63's. Though there are a couple younger guys (upper 30's) who drive E63's. That being said, I would drive an E250. I'm 28 and don't like flashy cars. Actually own a 98 s210 e320 wagon as the wife's/family car.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 14:56

Call me old fashioned, but I'd have a Benz E-class over a 5-seres, A6, and lexus.
It's just so classy!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 17:05

I've always seen Mercedes as a whole as an old person brand, honestly.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
06/30/2014 at 17:07

The C-Class is bought by plenty of young people, as is the CLS. The S-Class, SL-Class G-Class, SLS, and every AMG are bought by whoever can afford them. And families of all ages absolutely eat up the GLK, GL, and ML. That leaves the SLK, which no one buys.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 17:10

I know a lot of people buy them that are of all ages, but for some reason all of them seem like old peoples cars. There's something old age about them, while still being modern. Their new use of column shifters throughout every car doesn't help.

javed k. > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/30/2014 at 18:14

Got a friend who went from a honda accord to a E63 hes 24

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
06/30/2014 at 18:15

Yeah, column shifters are mostly for old folk's cars.

It's probably because there are more rich old folks than rich young folks.

Ratonu > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/12/2014 at 07:58

I think you are right, as far as I am concerned, I see a face on every car. Audi, BMW and the others all have that mad smile. Mercedes hasn't. It has the face of a superior guy, a wise man, confident, successful, intelligent. Younger people prefer madness and craziness, it recaptures their youth, but older people know what they want, they want to be seen in a car like this.