What is the average Mercedes car price?
Surprisingly, it is quite affordable, that is because Mercedes have
been busy entering markets that they have traditionally not been
competing in. Famed for its luxury brand name, and favoured by the
rich and famous, Mercedes had decided to use their name to sell
smaller more affordable cars.
Mercedes: Just How Low Should It Go?
Back during the 1980s when Mercedes introduced its first "baby"
Mercedes, the car was received with mixed reviews. Motorists loved
the car, now a "C" series model, as it made a Mercedes automobile
affordable for the middle class. On the other hand, critics worried
that the esteemed Mercedes-Benz name would suffer as a car touching
the price level of many ordinary American models would soon become
part of the line up. Today, even smaller Mercedes are planned for
the US market. Will this be a huge mistake for the German automaker
or is Mercedes incorporating smart thinking?
To the surprise of many Americans, the Mercedes brand isn't as
pompous or pretentious in Europe as it is in the U.S. Crafty
Mercedes-Benz marketing over the years has presented an image of
Mercedes as being an ultra-luxury automobile line, a truly superb
benchmark from which all other cars are measured. In some respects
this image is true, but in reality Mercedes goes well beyond such a
narrow definition.
In the European market, Mercedes is known for producing these
same high quality luxury cars, but also for producing vehicles that
are much more attainable for the masses. Even right now Mercedes
sells four models in Europe that are uncharacteristically Mercedes
type vehicles, at least for the American market:
Viano - A minivan of sorts, the vehicle can hold as many as
eight people and is powered by either a pair of inline four
cylinder engines or a 3.5L I6.
Vaneo - A compact van with seating for as many as seven adults.
The Vaneo features a sloping roof that quickly drops off to a rear
hatch. Powered by 1.6L or 1.9L I4 gasoline engines or a 1.7L
diesel.
B Series - Mercedes' answer to the Volkswagen Golf is its own
"B" Series of automobiles. This five door hatchback, which also
looks a lot like a Toyota Matrix, comes with six engine choices:
four gas engines starting with a 1.5L I4 up to a 2.0L turbocharged
four, and two diesels.
A Series - Even smaller than the "B" Series is the "A" Series,
three or five door hatchback models about the size of a Toyota
Echo. That's right, a teeny tiny Mercedes! The same six engines
offered with the "B" Series are offered in the "A" Series plus one
additional diesel for a total of seven engine choices!
Prices for the "A" Series starts around $23,000 when current
British to American currency exchange figures are factored in to
nearly $29,500 for the "B" Series. The Vaneo and Viano would sell
at around $25,550 and $39,800 respectively if today's European
prices were carried over to the U.S.
So, what does Mercedes have in mind? They are hoping to
introduce the "B" Series to the U.S. market by 2007. Is this a wise
decision? In my opinion it has worked well in Europe, however it
would be better for Mercedes to create a new make of cars to
include the "B" Series. Much like Toyota has spun off both Lexus
and Scion, Mercedes would be better served by creating a separate
"down market" brand in order to uphold the Mercedes name.
No, there isn't anything shameful about any of these small
vehicles - in fact, they are a wise idea - however, decades of
marketing in the U.S. can certainly be undone overnight by the
introduction of any vehicle smaller than the "C" Series to the
Mercedes line up. No car as small as the "B" Series would wear a
Lexus nameplate, so why should a car of this type wear the Mercedes
moniker?
As I said, this is just my opinion. What are your thoughts?