Is it really necessary to have a BMW/Mercedes for business social image?

For many people, buying a car represents something exciting, a coming-of-age of sorts. Of course, the decision process is vastly different from one person to another. Some buy for practical needs, while others, to 'impress' associates or the people around them. Which brings us to the question, is business social image important to you when buying a car?

The prestige factor

When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I remembered one incident where my dad drove his slightly rusty Mazda 323 hatchback to a business meeting (he is a Civil Engineer, for context), while his Mercedes 190E was being used by mum. When he arrived at the meeting, the client called an associate to check if my dad was indeed the appointed person, seeing that he rocked up in a mild rustbucket. He went on to buy another Mercedes W124 260E.

I also once had a conversation with an insurance agent who sought carbuying advice with a budget of RM 250K. I told him, buy the Mk7 Golf GTI, no hesitation. He flat out refused, and bought a F30 BMW 316i instead. Of course, we're no longer friends today (I kid, I kid, we were never friends). Such carbuying instances aren't rare. Begs the question though, why?

Like it or not, badge prestige matters in some industries. Lawyers, insurance agents, and doctors for example, are some of the occupations where badge kudos is important. Why do you think some prestige brands offer fleet discounts to 'professionals' like lawyers and doctors? Business social image is everything, as is the need to look 'successful'. If it's good for their businesses, why not?

Insurance agents probably need that prestigeous car to inspire downlines and clients alike. And let's face it, would you not prefer if your doctor or lawyer ponced around in a Mercedes rather than a Kia? What car these people drive has zero correlation to how good they are at their jobs, but impressions ultimately matter.

Even so, the way car financing works today means most prestige cars are relatively accessible. So, that 'successful' friend of yours driving that Mercedes C200 might just be servicing a 9-year loan for a car he/she can barely afford. Ironically, my dad always tells me, better to drive a cheap car and have money in the bank, I'd sleep better.

Entry-level 'Premium'?

Let me maintain, there is nothing wrong with buying a car for business social factors. Some jobs just gravitate to this factor than most. Even my own father had to adopt this buying template to assure his clients that he wasn't going out of business. It seemed odd to me at that time, but that's the way the world operates.

On top of flexible financing, many premium carmakers also took notice of this market gap and filled it. Current models such as the Mercedes C200 or BMW 320i exist to take full advantage of buyers who just want badge kudos, but don't need the extra bells and whistles of range-topping models. If this means carmakers sell more cars, why wouldn't they go down this route?

Buy what makes you happy

Generally, my carbuying mantra is, buy what makes you happy. The right decision is the one that makes the buyer happy. I can give all the carbuying advice in the world, only for the decision maker to end up purchasing what they liked. Just like my insurance agent friend (sorry, acquaintance).

So, if business social image is important to you, buy a car that will make you look successful and affluent. If you buy a car purely for the way it makes you feel, then more power to you. At the end of the day, you're buying a car to fulfill YOUR needs, and your needs are unique to yourself.

Conclusion

In closing, it's important to remember that there is no one perfect car, just one that will fit your requirements. Business social image or not, there is something for everyone. That's what makes the automotive world such a wonderful place. Perhaps I should call that insurance agent friend (sorry, acquaintance) to apologise.