Relative status of BMW and Porsche

[Zaphod Priest]

Which car brand is higher status? And was it always thus?

 

Back in 1970 Janis Joplin sang "Oh Lord, won't you buy me/a Mercedes Benz?/My friends all drive Porsches/I must make amends" which leads me to think that the Benz was higher status then, which is the opposite of what I'd assumed.

 

Any thoughts?

[Jitar]

Porsche may be considered higher status now, but back in the 50's and 60's, they were a relatively small company, most well known for small, light sports cars like the 356 and sports/racing cars like the 550 etc.  Daimler Benz was a much bigger company, selling bigger and more luxurious Mercedes cars. 

 

Janis wrote the song in 1970.  Maybe she was thinking she would one up her friends with a bigger, more powerful and luxurious Mercedes Benz. 

[Will B Good]

 

Porche...depending on the model to a certain extent, just screams....I've made it.

 

Only ever sat in one once 😞

[ronster]

Would say Porsche then Mercedes and then BMW. Before it was always BMW above Mercedes but last few years Mercedes seems more popular than BMW and regarded as higher up on status level in Thailand.

Think unless you have a X5 or some higher up model of BMW then people don't even care . Mercedes the name and badge seems to override the fact it's a low model at lower price.

[KhunLA]

None now, as dinosaurs of the past 

Don't want to go off topic, as have a thread for that ICE vs EV.

 

As a younger lad, Porsche for performance, but I'm not sliding into any sports car now.   Comfort, then Benz, as always a step ahead.

 

Have to plead ignorance with the Beamers, though the owners are full of themselves, as can't help mentioning they own one.   Though reality, all 3 overpriced POS, needing constant overpriced maintenance ... shh

 

I'm just common folks, too practical, as the choice is, buy a flash car, or a house ...

... hmm, let me think about that, big car note on something that depreciated, or something that appreciates 

[Real Name Hidden]

On 7/23/2025 at 8:39 AM, Zaphod Priest said:

Which car brand is higher status? And was it always thus?

 

Back in 1970 Janis Joplin sang "Oh Lord, won't you buy me/a Mercedes Benz?/My friends all drive Porsches/I must make amends" which leads me to think that the Benz was higher status then, which is the opposite of what I'd assumed.

 

Any thoughts?

Joplin owned a Porsche, and it was pretty easy to identify on Sunset Boulevard. 

 

 

[Patong2021]

The popular Mercedes and BMWs available in Thailand are not particularly prestigious. They are cheap quality disposable vehicles meant to capitalize on the brand image. The common models are indicators of pretentious low class people trying to flash some cash and say look at me, look at me.  The quality Mercedes models are the EQ and E saloons and coupes. Even the nicer S models start at 4 million Baht.  

Same for the  BMWs The better quality  7 series start at 7 million baht. The  nicer 5 series SUVs start at 5 million baht. All out of the reach of most Thais. I have had both Mercedes and BMW and  will never purchase them again. They start falling apart after the warranty expires and servicing is  expensive. A Porsche is for people with more money than brains as there really is nowhere to  drive the vehicle the way it should be driven. The traffic is either too dense or the roads a menace to  suspension and rims. If the dealers couldn't offer financing, there wouldn't be any sales because the vehicles are over priced  for what they offer.

[topt]

35 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

A Porsche is for people with more money than brains as there really is nowhere to  drive the vehicle the way it should be driven. The traffic is either too dense or the roads a menace to  suspension and rims. If the dealers couldn't offer financing, there wouldn't be any sales because the vehicles are over priced  for what they offer.

You include the Porsche Cayenne SUV in that?

[Cameroni]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

None now, as dinosaurs of the past 

Don't want to go off topic, as have a thread for that ICE vs EV.

 

As a younger lad, Porsche for performance, but I'm not sliding into any sports car now.   Comfort, then Benz, as always a step ahead.

 

Have to plead ignorance with the Beamers, though the owners are full of themselves, as can't help mentioning they own one.   Though reality, all 3 overpriced POS, needing constant overpriced maintenance ... shh

 

I'm just common folks, too practical, as the choice is, buy a flash car, or a house ...

... hmm, let me think about that, big car note on something that depreciated, or something that appreciates 

 

That's nonsense of course. Porsche have released what is considered the best EV money can buy currently.

[Cameroni]

41 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

. They are cheap quality disposable vehicles

 

BMW and Mercedes cheap quality disposable vehicles, that's not nonsense anymore, that's borderline mental illness.

[VocalNeal]

19 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

That's nonsense of course. Porsche have released what is considered the best EV money can buy currently.

 

Xiaome YU7?  But yes it does look a bit Porschery

[KhunLA]

43 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

That's nonsense of course. Porsche have released what is considered the best EV money can buy currently.

 

Porsche Taycan price in Thailand start from ฿14,490,000 / €108,867 in Germany  

 

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I'm just common folks, too practical, as the choice is, buy a flash car, or a house ...

... hmm, let me think about that, big car note on something that depreciated, or something that appreciates 

 

Unless you got a spare ฿15M lying around, you'd have to be an idiot to buy the Porsche.  

 

You could buy a Xiaomi SU7

[Kinnock]

Both BMW and Mercedes have damaged their status by launching some suspect models.  The BMW 220 looks like a Toyota Yaris Ativ and the Mercedes GLA looks like a 1980's Vauxhall Astra and it has a Renault engine!

 

Porsche has moved steadily upmarket since their Beetle origins.

 

But my work means visiting farms, so I have 4X4 SUV rather than a 911 .... and cost wasn't a factor at all .... honest!

[Kinnock]

37 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Xiaome YU7?  But yes it does look a bit Porschery

The Ora 07 also has a bit of a Temu Porsche vibe too.

[Patong2021]

40 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

BMW and Mercedes cheap quality disposable vehicles, that's not nonsense anymore, that's borderline mental illness.

As a former owner of a Mercedes coupe, 5 years /14,050 KM and BMW 328 series 4 years  /12,000 KM, the  reliability of parts  after warranty ends, was low

Mercedes: My windshield wiper (the  fad 1 wiper version) had to be replaced every year, the headlight and  tail lights would burn out  every few months, corrosion  started on rear panel in year 4, catalytic converter malfunctioned year 4, brakes  had to be changed year 3, fuel pump defect, seat belt defect, air conditioning failed, side window motor failed.  

BMW: Everything was fine until year 3, and then the recalls started, and then the  electrical wiring defects, the  vented seat stopped working,  automatic transmission computer system went nuts, cheap plastic grill started to discolor. Seats showed dirt and could not be cleaned because the   "pleather"  was of poor quality, plastic  interior finish would rattle, Ceiling panel had a n annoying vibration after year 1, And I hated the run flat tires as do most drivers.

 

 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, topt said:

You include the Porsche Cayenne SUV in that?

Don't they call that model the poor man's Porsche? 

 

[Thingamabob]

Both Porsche and BMWs are less robust than they were 30 or so years ago, but most models of both brands still drive well. On balance Porsche wins on status, partly because the smaller range of BMWs, eg the 3 series, are, in the main but by no means all, driven by idiots.

[ThreeCardMonte]

Porsche (911)  over MB (Jew canoe) any day.

 

Remember the poor man’s Porsche , 914, 944.

 

As reliable as a British MG.

 

 

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

All 3 are unreliable.

 

BMW in particular are being pilloried by mechanics because of their use of plastics in the engine and over complicating the engineering.

 

For example, the alternator bracket that bolts onto the engine also has oil ways in it, so the oil enters the bracket and exits back to another part of the engine.

 

I had a new Porsche Taycan here and only kept it 2 years.  It was trailered back to the official importer twice for air conditioning failures.  I drive a BYD Seal Performance now, it's been 100% reliable so far.

 

I like big comfortable cars and I'm waiting to see what we get from China next, as, bizarrely, Chinese quality is far higher than German.

[Real Name Hidden]

30 years ago I owned a Porsche 944.  It broke down frequently and cost a fortune to fix, but was a lot of fun to drive.  I drove it to California, from the midwest, and once hit 130 mph.

[Bannoi]

Cant beat a Lada for comfort and perfomance.

[Cameroni]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Xiaome YU7?  But yes it does look a bit Porschery

 

The Xiamoi YU7 is a cheap clone of the Porsche Taycan, a blatant rip-off. Like any cheap knock-off it has to make compromises, for instance, the battery of the Xiamoi is much smaller than the Taycan's and range is not as good.

 

The Porsche Taycan is still the best electric car money can buy.

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

The YU7 battery is not significantly smaller than the current Taycan and larger than the previous Taycan.

 

I am worried about Xiaomi’s use of aluminum wiring, I’ve had lots of problems with speaker wiring being aluminum.  That said, I may well order one if we get them here.

 

I think the best EV today is probably the Lucid Air although I like the Yang Wang U7 as the best mass produced EV sports car.

[topt]

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Don't they call that model the poor man's Porsche? 

 

Nope.

Possibly you are thinking of the Boxster or Cayman

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

The Xiamoi YU7 is a cheap clone of the Porsche Taycan, a blatant rip-off. Like any cheap knock-off it has to make compromises, for instance, the battery of the Xiamoi is much smaller than the Taycan's and range is not as good.

 

The Porsche Taycan is still the best electric car money can buy.

 

 

 

The SU7 is the model thats reported similar to the Porsche Taycan...

 

The YU7 is the new SUV from Xiamoi - its somewhat of a 'game changer' in a market the Chinese are taking over and Badge Prestige might be losing out to actual features... 

 

The car is being nicknamed the Electric Ferrari with 22nd Century Tech !!!  - I want one !!!

 

 

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

Porsche had a problem with the Cayman, it was too good so they had to cripple its performance.

[SAFETY FIRST]

38 minutes ago, topt said:

2 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Don't they call that model the poor man's Porsche? 

Nope.

Possibly you are thinking of the Boxster or Cayman

Google says different. 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

2 hours ago, Bannoi said:

Cant beat a Lada for comfort and perfomance.

You forgot to mention reliability 😂

 

[topt]

11 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Google says different. 

Good job I don't use Google then....... (or more pertinently AI.....)

 

In the UK years ago it certainly never was and I think is more expensive certainly than the Boxster and I think the Cayman.

Just did a quick search - using DDG ......

 

https://www.torquenews.com/9900/poor-man-s-porsche-explained

 

Quote

However, in a connotative sense, a “Porsche'' usually seats two people comfortably, sounds great, handles even better and is familiar to drive. The Macan and Cayenne didn’t tick many of those boxes, which is why the Boxster is Porsche’s own “poor man’s Porsche.”

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

10 minutes ago, topt said:

Good job I don't use Google then....... (or more pertinently AI.....)

 

In the UK years ago it certainly never was and I think is more expensive certainly than the Boxster and I think the Cayman.

Just did a quick search - using DDG ......

 

https://www.torquenews.com/9900/poor-man-s-porsche-explained

 

 

I agree regarding the Boxster, Cayman and who can forget the 924 😂

 

I like the V8 Cayenne but too many on the road these days.