Discount Luxury

Chris and I saw a new Mercedes the other day that looked like no other Mercedes we've ever seen. It looked like an economy car with a Mercedes symbol on it. It's the C230 Kompressor model, a new $25k Mercedes. The price is fine, but looking at the car, it resembles a cross between a regular Mercedes and the back end of a Cavalier. Yick.. that is not a good combo. Despite it's decently sporty 192 hp, I still think driving it makes you look like you tried to buy the cheapest Mercedes you could buy just to say you had a BENZ! And the Cadillac Cateras... those are dumb too.. they look nothing like a Cadillac, and in fact you could easily mistaken them for a Subaru or another economy car. Why are luxury car makers cheaping out on looks when it comes to their lower end models? Does it really cost them that much less to build an uglier looking car? Or are they afraid that the people who are crazy enough to pay GOBS of money for their higher end models would get mad to see someone driving around in a Mercedes that looks like theirs but costs a fraction of what they paid? The BMW 318i... remember that? With the trunk that looks like it got chopped off? It totally makes the car look cheap, and to people, it says "I was desperate for a Beamer so I bought the cheapest (and ugliest) one they had, and now I can tell all the people I know that I drive a BMW." If you own one of those... I'm sorry if you're offended, but I'm more mad at the car manufacturers anyway.. They're the ones that have decided to base their pricing on the shape of a car, and they're capitalizing on that. Doesn't that make you feel like a big sucker?