SOUND OFF: What Brands Attract Snobs and Why?

most luxury brands in the BMW Porsche and MB level due to the fact that they have an image.

Snobbery and the perception of superiority can apply to those who own expensive vehicles as well as those who do not . Whether it's the Porsche or Mercedes owner or the person who thinks he's terrific because he DOESN'T own an expensive car it's all the same self imposed grandiosity .
They are examples of individuals who are polar opposites of each other yet share the same mindset.

Merc,BMW,Jag,Audi,Cadillac,HUMMER,Lexus,Lincoln,Maserati,Rolls Royce,Maybach..lol thats what i think

I remember the Audi TV ad showing two neighbors getting in their cars in their driveways; the BMW 3 owner looked in the mirror while combing his hair and primping while the A4 driver just got in his with a self-assured look and simply drove off.
Are BMW owners snobs? I just sold mine for a Lexus IS, but I didn't feel I bought the BMW for snob appeal - it just drove better than the competition in 2000. Now, it still may; but the gap is surely closing.

I can't stand all those snobby Hyundai owners looking down on me in my Kia!

Funny, just keep an eye out for those Daewoo owners and the table will turn.

HAHA, nice

Saab - Something An A$$hole Buys

Ferrari drivers are the biggest snobs, as are West London mothers in any form of estate car or 4x4. In their convertibles they're alright though, they seem happier.

Anyone owning a luxury or upscale sport vehicle - with the exception of BMW owners as they are smart enough to own a truly superior car.

oh no, another BMW nut.

BMW are superior cars but they are definetly the a$$hole's car of choice most have no idea why they are such great cars they are just wannabes who want to be seen. But to the true car fans out there the new M3 is offfffff the hoooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Oprichnik, as it were...

I always ask myself why driving any kind of car aside from a Mclaren F1, or Bugatti Veyron =) gives anyone the right to think they are better than anyone else. I look down at people driving certain cars because I don't like there car but its not about the person.

Def, BMW.

Def, BMW.

Agree with you on the 300,
But you are wrong on the Cooper (They are Bloody Great to Drive and Practical) So it makes perfect sense to drive one.

When it gets right down to it most car owners think they are better than everyone else for one reason or another. The real question is an old question Do you buy your car for performance, reliability , brand loyality, or for the nameplate?

I think the well off buy there cars for the name because a lot of them sure cannot drive well what they bought so I would have to say the snob appeal is high in brands like Ferrari, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi, and to a small degree Lexus.

You don't see a lot of snob appeal in the big 3 or Acura , Nissan, Infinity, Honda, Toyota. If you do nobody is paying attention anyway so the snob appeal is lost at the inside of the window.

The people on this site have a common thread we mostly buy cars for the other reasons performance, reliability, brand loyality (you know who you are), and nameplate.

However most of us buy for all of the above.

RICEMASTER,

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE THE BIGGEST IDIOT TO GRACE THE PLANET. I'M BLOWN AWAY BY YOUR BLATANT IGNORANCE. SHUT IT!!!

Any large SUV driven by a woman with kids. THAT's a snob. The phone conversation she is having is much more important that you in your "little car."

No doubt about it, the biggest badge whores are Mercedes drivers, followed by the yuppies and punks in the BMWs. On the other hand, people driving VWs are the least snobby.

BMW and mercedes buyers are just stupid BADGE WHORES!

2.3 million idiots buy those cars every year worldwide. badge whores!

400,000 smart people buy a lexus each year worldwide. clearly superior human beings.

From my personal experiences..I think Audi has the biggest snob appeal follow by BMW and then MBz.

From what I have noticed... It depends why your buying the car... If you're buying it for the quality I dont think that your going to look down on others, but if your buying it for the looks you will. I.E. My 330i, damn good car but my friends C230 is more flashy looking than my 3-Series and his car gets looked at more than mine, but my car's not the one thats door panels are falling off.... IMO.

I would say that here the most apparent snobs are those who drive BMW 3-series and the Audi A4 and A6. I say apparent because what really is “little man syndrome” is misinterpreted as being as snob. It is generally 25 year old males who have these vehicles that drive about at 8,000 miles per hour in the worst possible way.

Other than that, I really don’t think there is much correlation between certain cars and being a snob. Of course, let’s not confuse “snob” with “aesthete”. There are people in the world who have excellent cognizance of their own tastes. These tastes may be expensive, but that does not make them a snob. The snob is someone of such conceit that they believe all other people should share their tastes.

No, I wasn't booted... I was just in Los Angeles for five days. It was superb.

Snobbiest? BMW... by quite a margin. I have some astronomically wealthy friends, but they don't try to drive extravagant cars everywhere, and certainly don't have "snob" brands. They like to try new, different cars- Maserati Q-Porte, Panoz, Phaeton, etc...

In America, Mercedes-Benz follows closely, then Porsche, and then Lexus. After that, it's not so clear. Could it be Audi? Possibly. Maybe Infiniti... nah. I don't know.

I was wondering. Good to see you back.

Nah, Audis don't turn me on...What do you drive? [Wink]

In not a snob, but happen to only drive BMWs....so I guess Im a BMW snob and proud of it. Big deal.

Hey, I love BMWs. I just hate a lot of the posers who drive them.

You're probably not one of them. On the other hand, there's "amazinBimmer." A prime example of a BMW snob.

In fact, I want the new M3 convertible or 650ci to replace my S4. But I don't feel that those cars will make me different as a person...

Okay, don't believe me. I will be posting articles for every new car I get, with pictures.

The soonest will be my wife's new car, early next year. I will be getting my next winter car later in 2008.

Sadly, it might be time to sell the S4 in the first quarter of 2009. I don't really want to think about that.

A brand snob is no different to a patriot. He is just trying to connect his identity to a larger entity to feel better about himself.

A snob is someone who tells you what car they drive even before you ask.

You can't pinpoint a particular car company because each person reacts different to owning a car. Some may have boosted confidence because they have felt they've made it in life. Some drive a luxury car because they can afford one and not to be snobby. It's really one's personality not the car they drive.

Not all wealthy people are snobs. It's the driver not the car that's driven. Many say a car reflects the person you are but in reality a person makes the car. In this case, people who are already snobby and drive a car it automatically makes that car or brand the car for snobs. Therefore it seems like it attracts snobs but in reality it's just the people not the machines. Machines can never be blamed.

I agree, It's probably more the person than the car company. The company is not going after the "snob" action... The quality is what it's all about.

Porsche drivers(The ones I know). They really think that all other cars are garbage. That's just my opinion.

LOL
Good One

Wow. Next topic should be "What brands attract bitter people".

LOL! true....

Trick question: WHat's common between hemorroids and BMWs?
Trick answer in repeat post below.

Trick Answer: Only assholeshave them.

A friend said this the other day after a BMW cut us off near the Bay bridge on ramp in San Fran.
Funny, but not strictly true.

i think exotic car drivers. they're pretty snobby when they cut you off in your lane and slow down right in front of you even though your doing 80 in the 55, just so they can show off, but when you drop your foot down and smoke them they just try and make up for it by speeding past you.

I’ve been thinking a bit about this subject. I suppose whether or not someone is considered a snob actually is contingent upon what you are talking about. The biggest example I can think of is watches. Usually those who are watch snobs are not vocal about their choices in watch, but do look down on people who purchase the cliché options. Primary among these is Rolex. I have been to parties where some nouveau riche fool is showing off some crappy $25,000.00 flashy Rolex even going so far as to announce the cost. All the while, my friend who was standing next to me I know to have had a $100,000 Patek Philippe on his wrist. The only reason I even know that is that I was with him when he bought it. My friend is a watch snob. He later spoke poorly of the show off. Be that as it may, he is not a snob in any other manner. He incidentally is related somehow to the person whom is quite possibly the snobbiest person in the United States. Yes, the so called “Queen of Mean” billionaire Leona [Rosenthal] Helmsley. For those who don’t know she is famous for saying things such as “We don’t pay taxes. Only little people pay taxes”. It is no surprise therefore that she spent time in jail for tax evasion.
Given all of this my friend is really not a snob. When introducing him to many of my other friends, he told me that if they inquired that I should tell them that he was just very lucky, and to insinuate that he had won the lottery. He has an M3, which replaced his Lotus Esprite, and last I spoke to him he was thinking about adding a SLK. The point anyway, is that he is really not a snob, at least when it comes to most things.
Lastly, Agent 63: I don’t think it is quite that simple. Driving the car I have and being young results in…the passions of others being arisen to put it rather vaguely. I cannot tell you the amount of money spent on fixing that which other people do to my car, it is in the thousands. It is habitually damaged by others. Now it may just be this city, but that isn’t the point. The point is that owning that car has changed rather significantly my view of other human beings. Stuff like that never happened when I had my Volvo. I realize now most humans, given the opportunity, are brutish troglodytes and little more than idiotic human trash. I hate even saying that: I used to believe in man as heroic, but you can only take so much before you reanalyze that assertion. Driving that car has turned me into a snob in a way.

Of course, I would forget to add the pertinent parts: cars are not like watches in many respects. Simply because cars are more overt. Everyone knows of Mercedes or BMW or even Maserati, but not everyone knows a Ulysse Nardin when they see it.

...So you would anticipate less "snobbery" based upon cars simply because there is not that private knowledge that only those of old money maintain, as is the case with watches.

cdoke,

I wouldn't be dissing Rolex owners too much. I am a watch snob - Blancpain, Zenith, Panerai, IWC and obviously Rolex. My watch collection exceeds the cost of my cars. There are Rolex owners who are enthusiasts as well as there are owners who are show-offs. Most of the enthusiasts like myself only wear the "stainless steel models" because they are the 'archetype' of their genres. E.G. The Submariner, GMT Master, Explorer, Sea-Dweller and Daytonas. Almost all diver's watches are derivative of the Submariner design. Same with GMT style watches. You mention Ulysse Nardin but their 24HR watch is derivative of the GMT Master. Like the 911, you have wannabees and some real enthusiasts. Like porsche, Rolex Sports watch transcends generations. A 2008 Submariner has very little difference to a 1954 model. Plus they're a real manufacture. Many of the high end watches from high end brands like IWC uses ETA movements. Thats akin to Ferrari using a Duratec Ford engine because it s widely available. The Rolex 3100 movement is like a boxer engine. They can at least say they're a true manufacture (top-down).

I personally like my Rolexes because they're the most reliable. The last 3 years, I sent 2 panerais, 1 Zenith, 1 Omega to service because they can't take the abuse. I own some restaurants and some times I have to wash the dishes and mop the floors when my employees call in sick. My rolex can take simple abuse like that. I had a $8000 Panerai die within 2 hours in a restaurant kitchen.

Notice my handle is Speedmaster. I am a big chronograph fan (I have 5 Speedy Pros).

Oh I forgot to add. The Bell-n-Ross endorsements on this site cracks me up. I used to buy a bunch of Sinn watches (Sinn used to make Bell-n-Ross)

Bell-n-Ross use to rebadge Sinn watches and sold them at an incredible mark-up. E.G. A $800 Sinn watch in Germany would sell for $3000 here in the USA as a Bell-n-Ross. I should know. My Sinn 156 was $800 and now it is a collectors model. The Bell Ross rebadged it M1 (made by Sinn) sold for almost $2.8K. They broke up their relationship with Sinn and now know one knows where Bell Ross contracts their watches. It is all smoke and mirrors. They all have inferior ETA and Valjoux movements and lousy case craftsmanship.

It is a pure marketing company.

Some woud use the same analogy of Lexus-Toyota. However, at least Lexus differentiates their camry origins with better materials.

They're copying the big-is-better routine. That flash clock on this site is simply catch up to companies like Panerai who are selling 45MM plus sizes. They've S-U-V their collection.

I believe that people in Porsches, MBs, and BMW's are usually snobs. The mid life crisis guys in the Porsches always seem to look down on other drivers. A lot of snobs drive MBs and BMWs. However I think it is fair to say that some people in other luxury brands do the same, but I know that a lot people buy MBs and BMWs because of the nameplate, otherwise they wouldn't sell so many of the low end versions.

If you want to let the world know you have arrived, put the wife in a Range Rover SUV. Definitely upper crust.

speedmaster,

The reason that Rolex bears the brunt of this animosity is simple: it is a very cliché. The first watch that anyone who does not know anything about watches, or who is new to affluence is a Rolex. They are a rather obvious effect. There is something to be said for hidden knowledge and what that says about the family that someone grew up in.

Rolexes are fine, but they really are a mass-produced watch and are by no means at the pinnacle of the watch world. I believe most of those watchmakers that you cite do not make their own movements. Rolex Does but I do not believe IWC nor …you actually mention that, never mind.

I mention Ulysse Nardin simply because I personally have always loved some of their simple faces, and admire the interesting mechanical devices used on said faces. The “bellringer” watch I find to be perfectly brilliant.

As to Patek Philippe, I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that they are the only Geneva watchmaker to receive the Geneva Seal, and before the advent of digital watches, they were the only watch to meet some English time standard: I fail to remember the name of the organization. And of course, they were the first to even make wrist watches. I am also a huge fan of Audemars Piguet : they seem simple and classy for the most part. There are some that are WAY to flashy for me, I admit. I love the fact that someone can ask you what you watch is, can even know it is a Patek Philippe and have absolutely no idea that your simple watch with the face that represents the night sky is a $215,000.00 item. That represents to me what such things are neither purchased to outdo anyone, nor to show off, but instead simply because the person wants it.

It is a truly personal possession. I love that I am such a tacit aesthete when it gets down to it.

In my neighborhood, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Maybach and Ferrari.

When you buy a car in that class, then it’s not about need, it’s all about show. Owners of these cars have the spending power to afford a car that costs more than some houses. And they want the whole world to know it.

In my area, a Bentley doesn't even cut it any more.

Arguably, a Continental GT will draw less stares than an S550. Not because they're bland... but because they're too common.

This area has been described as "the O.C. of Chicago," and I can see why. It's purely image-based, full of happy family façades and $3M homes. It's ridiculous. I'm glad I'm a car guy... or else I'd have given in and buy a black M3 convertible like everyone else. Not to say the M3 is a bad car- it's amazing. It's just so tiresome to see it all day. In black.

and then there are Infiniti and Acura owners who think they are snobs but are just pretending to be.

I would have to say Mercedes. Mercedes has that famous name and the title of the ultimate luxury vehicle. It's always seems to be an "it" car no matter what it looks like. Snobs want to turn heads and show off their money, so they go with Mercedes.

This forum only serves as a huge exersize in stereotyping people.

Who do you invite to your home? Doesn't that make you snobby?

That's "exercise"

All of this watch talk makes me wonder if I shouldn't be using AutoSpies to hunt for VC's for my business.

:)

Josh
wink wink nod nod simple-coffee.com :)

That is a nice website you have there. Nice and well... simple. How apropos. ;)

I appreciate the compliment :) Now if you could find me a few watches(to sell) I might be able to get a national buyer to pickup my product.

Josh

I fail to see how watches and coffee go together. Unless of course you desire to get them on the cheap, sell them and hope to make some capital, or you intend to ...erm grease the wheels of capitalism, as it were.

If your reasoning consists of the erstwhile assumption: I'm pretty sure none of my friends are willing to part with any of their nicer watches. Having said that, there are some interesting things about the costs of some of these watches. A perfect example is the watch I mention above.

This watch:
http://www.patekphilippe.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44352&backgroundId=3&lang=en

I was cited $215,000 for this watch by a jeweler. However, I later saw one in Vegas for $183,000. I don't know why the price differential exists: perhaps they were trying to move them, but the $32,000 difference shocked me. I believe it was new: maybe it wasn't though: I don't know.

The people wearing the watches might be of more use to me and my business :)

Like I said, I am hunting for VC's(Venture Capitalists)

Josh

I know what you meant by VC. I was pretty sure you didn't mean vice-chancellor ;). I'll talk to some of my friends about it. Do you have a prospectus that I could show them? Exactly how much money are we talking about?

I have just called a very good friend of mine, he is owner, President and CEO of an insurance company: he will look at your website probably tonight. I guarantee nothing. I will also make a few more calls either tonight or tomorrow. Well see what happens.

BTW: sometimes you have to be a little more overt with me. Insinuation at times is completely lost.

We can continue this discussion through telephone and email if anything serious develops.

josh g <at> simple - coffee . com <Remove the spacing.

alright.