What car looks way more expensive than it is?

"Stang70Fastback" (Stang70Fastback) 06/10/2015 at 10:05 • Filed to: None

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With automakers these days seemingly striving to capture market-share in every possible vehicle segment, the lines across brands are becoming increasingly blurred. It used to be that if you wanted a dirt cheap econo-car, you bought a Hyundai, or a Toyota. If you wanted an expensive, luxury barge, you bought a Mercedes or a BMW.

Nowadays, you can buy a $60,000 Hyundai Genesis with massaging rear seats, or you can buy a (just barely) sub $30,000 Mercedes CLA. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult for common folk to judge the price of a vehicle solely based on the badge that it wears.

My BRZ is a great example of a vehicle that punches way above its class in the “first impressions” department. I often get the same reaction from people: “Wow. I wish I could afford that.” Then I ask them what they drive, and it’s usually a Lexus, or some other vastly more expensive vehicle. Sometimes I can tell they wonder how I managed to acquire this thing, and I’m almost positive most people think it was bought for me by my parents (I’m 26, but I arguably look 15 at best.)

Not every sports car has this problem. Everyone knows Mustangs are cheap sports cars. If I was in a Miata, people wouldn’t think twice. But those are ubiquitous, and people know about them. The Toyobaru is rare enough that people don’t recognize it, and so they assume it to be some sort of rare, expensive exotic. Which is cool in a way (I’d rather my car look expensive than cheap), except that when you’re young like me, you often get the impression that everyone is judging you.

So, what other cars imply a much higher sticker price than they actually command?

Milky > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:09

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Used not new, but still.

*to non car people

SaveTheIntegras > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:11

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I think age, or at least how old people think you are, has to do with some of the “wow how can you afford that?!”

MLGCarGuy > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:11

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2015 Audi A3.

Funktheduck > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:26

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Doug’s Ferrari.

Alfalfa Romeo > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:27

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You get it a lot with used cars too though, as a lot of people don’t seem to realize how steep depreciation can be. People driving brand new Camrys gawk at those in vintage muscle cars like they have so much more money.

A Lotus Elise is certainly a big one, though.

haveacarortwoorthree > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:27

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Lotus Evora. People who don’t know cars have no idea what it is and often put it in the “supercar” class.

Wobbles the Mind > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:32

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Looks like a million bucks

haveacarortwoorthree > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:32

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OT, but I love the “Everyone knows Mustangs are cheap sports cars” comment! I get two types of comments on my car — some people think it’s as expensive as a Shelby and other people think it’s simply a cheap, tarted up Mustang. I just tell both types that I love driving it.

CB > haveacarortwoorthree 06/10/2015 at 10:39

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That looks pretty slick. I dig it.

spanfucker retire bitch > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:45

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I think it looks better than vehicles that cost twice as much. An honorable mention also goes to the Ford Fusion.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 10:46

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I think the Mazda6 does it for me. Looks like it should cost way more than it should. You could put an Infiniti badge on it and it would look like it belongs.

Wheelerguy > haveacarortwoorthree 06/10/2015 at 10:49

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No joke.

It looks like a junior 458 (and the 458 is some supercar), but dances so well it can win dancesport medals for 5 years straight. All for just 60k tops.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Wobbles the Mind 06/10/2015 at 11:09

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Doesn’t look like a million bucks, but somehow is.

TylerJ > haveacarortwoorthree 06/10/2015 at 11:29

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Even the new GT Premium is dangerously close to $40k. Not what I’d call a cheap sports car like the Toyobaru twins.

not for canada - australian in disguise > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 11:33

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haveacarortwoorthree > TylerJ 06/10/2015 at 11:39

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Take it up with the author! lol But yeah, when I saw those prices, I was pretty happy with the deal I got on my RS3. Bought last year after the pics of the ‘15 had been circulating so they wanted to move the ‘14s off the lot (although the Shelbys were still being sold at or above sticker). And it was eligible for the Ford rebate, unlike a Shelby.

Alex B > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 11:40

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I agree. My mom thought it was a Ferrari. In her defense it was the color red, but still.

¯\_()_/¯

Shift24 > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 12:05

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the New impalas. High optioned 2LT starts right at the average price for a new car ($32K) and LTZ starts right above $33.7K. Your getting 5 series room for 15k less. A similar optioned Avalon is $39K though your paying for the toyota name

AM > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 06/10/2015 at 12:49

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Looks like something I could find at Home Depot.

AM > MLGCarGuy 06/10/2015 at 12:54

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Maybe to non-car people but whenever I see one the only thing I can think of is “premium Jetta”

I’m dumb I know.

AM > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 12:59

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The Regal GS with 20” wheels. It’s under $50k but it look at least $65-70k.

Stang70Fastback > TylerJ 06/10/2015 at 14:18

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True. Not cheap compared to a Toyobaru, but nobody mistakes it for a super-expensive exotic.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 15:54

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In general, I feel like any old sports car that looks very good for its age gets overvalued by the masses. My peers thought my old BMW was ritzy - it was a sub 5k deathtrap - but it looked/sounded like 15k so that’s what people assumed it cost. Worse though is the story of one of my best friends - he was bullied a lot in high school, in part because he drove a $2000 BMW everyone assumed was very expensive and purchased by his parents. They didn’t even believe him when he told them how much it was.

ranwhenparked > Stang70Fastback 06/10/2015 at 20:36

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I think any sports or sportyish sort of car is going to look expensive to people that only buy minivans and crossovers and aren’t interested in cars at all or keep up with pricing, especially on the sorts of cars they would never buy. I mean, we all know that things like the Miata and Toyobaru are pretty damn affordable, but to someone that’s still driving a beige Saturn Relay they bought at a Memorial Day sales event in 2006, they might seem fairly exotic.

TylerJ > haveacarortwoorthree 06/11/2015 at 09:31

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I was just backing you up in that it wasn’t a cheap Mustang. Roushs are my favorite, Shelby ‘stangs are too overtly changed for me.

My older brother had an ‘01 GT Premium and I grew up loving that body style Mustang. It’s actually still running today and had the first part fail on it last month or so. The clutch for the A/C compressor went out, after 360k miles.

roflcopter > Stang70Fastback 07/26/2015 at 12:42

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My going-on-12-years-old Mazda RX8 still get’s those kinds of reactions from people.

“What is that thing?”

“A Mazda”

“Yeah right, how’d you afford that in college?”