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I saw the Mercedes / Honda analogy falling flat in a very different place. If you sit in a $50,000 Mercedes, and can't instantly tell that it's a more refined

I saw the Mercedes / Honda analogy falling flat in a very different place. If you sit in a $50,000 Mercedes, and can't instantly tell that it's a more refined and luxurious experience than a $20,000 Honda - why the fuck would you buy the Mercedes?

andrewfelix 15y ago
Exactly. The Mercedes is not $30,000 better than the Honda. You're paying for status. Why would you do that unless you were making a statement about your salary, position etc?
- jonknee 15y ago
  I don't think that was the point, I think the point was there is an immediate and obvious difference between Mercedes and Honda. Everyone can notice it, even if they aren't experts on cars or design. > "You either see it or you don’t. If you don’t, that’s cool, enjoy your Nexus. That doesn't happen with a Mercedes and Honda. Not noticing a difference and not wanting to pay for the difference are totally different things.
  - andrewfelix 15y ago
    "Everyone can notice it, even if they aren't experts on cars or design." I'm not so sure about that. I think Siegler's point was that he believes there's a select portion of society that can appreciate the difference between the Mercedes and Honda. That's why Topolsky interprets it(correctly IMO) as a class thing.
    - jonknee 15y ago
      Maybe I'm off, but I think Topolsky interprets it as a class thing because Mercedes are expensive and many people can't afford them. Do you think your average Honda owner would upgrade to a Mercedes if the money was the same? I do.
- officemonkey 15y ago
  Even if it is $30,000 better than the Honda, some people's requirements differ. I drive a 20-year old Volvo 740 that sits in the garage all week. I use it to run errands on the weekend. It cost me $1,200. On the other hand, if I were doing a lot of driving (more than 1,500 mi/week), I'd opt for the nicest car I could afford. You don't need an iPad if all you're going to do is watch Netflix and read eBooks. Buy the Kindle fire and use that $300 for something important, like your kid's braces. I buy the right tool for the right job. I'll try not to be too disappointed about what snobs think.

andrewfelix 15y ago

Exactly. The Mercedes is not $30,000 better than the Honda. You're paying for status. Why would you do that unless you were making a statement about your salary, position etc?

jonknee 15y ago
I don't think that was the point, I think the point was there is an immediate and obvious difference between Mercedes and Honda. Everyone can notice it, even if they aren't experts on cars or design. > "You either see it or you don’t. If you don’t, that’s cool, enjoy your Nexus. That doesn't happen with a Mercedes and Honda. Not noticing a difference and not wanting to pay for the difference are totally different things.
- andrewfelix 15y ago
  "Everyone can notice it, even if they aren't experts on cars or design." I'm not so sure about that. I think Siegler's point was that he believes there's a select portion of society that can appreciate the difference between the Mercedes and Honda. That's why Topolsky interprets it(correctly IMO) as a class thing.
  - jonknee 15y ago
    Maybe I'm off, but I think Topolsky interprets it as a class thing because Mercedes are expensive and many people can't afford them. Do you think your average Honda owner would upgrade to a Mercedes if the money was the same? I do.
officemonkey 15y ago
Even if it is $30,000 better than the Honda, some people's requirements differ. I drive a 20-year old Volvo 740 that sits in the garage all week. I use it to run errands on the weekend. It cost me $1,200. On the other hand, if I were doing a lot of driving (more than 1,500 mi/week), I'd opt for the nicest car I could afford. You don't need an iPad if all you're going to do is watch Netflix and read eBooks. Buy the Kindle fire and use that $300 for something important, like your kid's braces. I buy the right tool for the right job. I'll try not to be too disappointed about what snobs think.