Mercedes Benz of Oakland, $150K car destroyed.

[Demovictory9]

looters were a diverse group - see video below.





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[Historic NY]

1. I'm sorry the damge and destruction has nothing to do with George Floyd.

its opportunistic.

[spin]

2. George Floyd became the excuse for some to protest peacefully and others to ...

pillage, destroy and steal.

[Squinch]

13. Looting became the excuse for some to justify ignoring George Floyd's murder.

[Nevilledog]

28. [phone]

[PTWB]

22. Try this...

A lot of people think “the murder of George Floyd was horrible but the looting and rioting has to stop.”

Instead, try this: “the looting and rioting is horrible but the murder of unarmed black men has to stop.”

It’s all a matter of perspective and priorities. How many billions of dollars in damage will it take the powers that be to wake up and allow our pre-purchased representatives to enact some real change? How much is the life of one unarmed black men worth? To me it’s worth bringing the system to its knees.

[R B Garr]

44. Exactly. The looters are not concerned about George Floyd.

We don't have to ignore what we can see happening with our own eyes. There is nonstop coverage of the looting on national and local TV and it's not about the tragic murder of George Floyd.

[Squinch]

3. The existence of a $150k car is rather obscene though.

[onethatcares]

4. agreed.

I wonder what the rest of the pay package looks like.

[MissB]

58. I'm guessing it was a Maybach

Not your standard Mercedes which tend to hover around the equally obscene $60k cost.

[sir pball]

64. It was probably a midrange S Class. Mercedeses are much more $ than you think.

$60k will get you a base-level midrange model (E-Class).

A base-level high-end model (S-Class) is $94,250; $130,150 if you'd like the base-level 2-door version. The performance 2-door starts at $171,400; $224,060 with all the options.

Maybachs start at $173,000; the fully-optioned high end model is $235,180.

[MissB]

67. I've only seen a Maybach on the showroom floor once

When I had my car in for service. Didn’t notice the price; just the six figures.

I buy mine 3 years used for half the cost of new (not Maybach).

[sir pball]

69. Lightly used is smart with luxury brands

Some BMWs deprecate over 50% in the first two years. That's one hell of a bargain on the other end.

Just saying a $150k MB doesn't have to be anything special, you could probably get an E-Class wagon there if you tried.

[MissB]

70. True. So far out of my price range though

My current car is now 5 years old and has all of 20k miles on it. I’m pretty sure a little old lady had my sporty 2 door before me; she only put 5k miles on it in 3 years.

I’ve thought of getting an SUV style but I really don’t see replacing this one at all. I’m probably going to just drive it into the ground.

[sir pball]

66. Now that I actually looked at the pics, it's a an AMG-GT Coupe

https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/amg-gt/coupe#Models

Base model with no options, $115,900.

Top model with all the boxes checked, $193,450.

[MissB]

68. Dang

That’s some serious coin

Nope! I still compare the cost of any vehicle I purchase with the cost of our first house.

[fescuerescue]

5. I bet the children of those autoworkers don't mind

When they eat dinner provided by their union member mom or dad who built it.

I've never minded super expensive things as long as they are built by men and women who use the money from the rich to provide a living.

We could of course close the autoplant, stop selling that car and let the workers and workers children hit the streets though.

[Squinch]

6. Right. Because if they don't make the 5 obscenely expensive mercedes

they sell a year, the company will go out of business.

This car is nothing but a badge that makes sociopaths say, "I need to own this to ratchet up the conspicuous consumption game I play with my billionaire friends which convinces us that we need even more billions."

To get those billions, they will bilk anyone out of anything. And your hypothetical union family pays dearly for that.

And don't look now but the autoplant in the US was probably already closed because the guy who buys a 150k car needs the pension money from your union family to play his money hoarding game with his friends.

[fescuerescue]

61. Take all the issue you want with those vehicles

But they are a good place for the wealthy to redistribute their cash to middle class families.

[uncle ray]

7. many of "the rich" buying those cars are black, and actually, NOT wealthy. n/t

[Squinch]

11. How does a person who is not wealthy by a $150,000 car?

And how does the color of the buyer matter?

[Blue_true]

16. Rent them. A lot of cars like that are rented new.

The person has an option to buy, most don't buy. The price of the car goes down and it is sold for a lower price. Personally, I prefer a nice pickup with a big bed for hauling things.

[Demovictory9]

24. or lease them. or spread payments over 7 years or more

[SideStep]

14. How do they pull that off?

What kind of scam is it you believe non wealthy black people are pulling.

You are looking at a car payment over two thousand five hundred dollars a month.

Do you have any information to back your claim that non-wealthy black people are driving around in $150,000 cars?

[Mosby]

15. I dont know where the AA comment came from

But people lease expensive cars all the time.

[SideStep]

17. With ten thousand down on such a lease....

Lease payments would still be around $2,000/month.

"But people lease expensive cars all the time."

And those people are called wealthy.

[Mosby]

40. Depends

With a high residual value the monthly payment on a 150k car could be as low as 1300mo. That's with 2500 down, interest at 2.9, 48mo.

[SideStep]

41. There is no where near that kind of residual value now...

Or in recent history. One can plug in make believe numbers all they want and get make believe answers. I say that respectfully as we both know that it isn't happen in reality. Truly not even close.

[Mosby]

45. This is with a 50% residual which is reasonable for a high end European car

Estimated Monthly Payment
$1,724/mo
MSRP
$150,000
Interest Rate (APR)
2.9
Money Factor
0.0012
Down Payment
$5,000
Residual Percentage
50

I upped the down to 5000.

Still 48mo term.

65 percent residual:
Estimated Monthly Payment
$1,283/mo
MSRP
$150,000
Interest Rate (APR)
2.9
Money Factor
0.0012
Down Payment
$5,000
Residual Percentage
65
Trade-In Value
$0
Value My Trade-In
Term (Months)

[SideStep]

47. Your first one is getting closer.

Top residual values also aren't for high end cars, at the moment, except for the Corvette. Residuals for high end cars have been declining.

Interestingly enough, high end German cars have been declining in residual values quicker than other cars and trucks. Some select top luxury cars do have a solid residual. Mercedes has flooded the market with less expensive vehicles when demand is not there. Lexus is holding strongest in residuals at the moment, from what I see.

Say your first number is correct. How many non-wealthy black people do you see making such a deal? That was the original point posed.

[Mosby]

53. I have no idea, but I do think that a lot of people drive cars they can't afford.

Not necessarily AAs.

I used to work in a business where I was privy to a lot of personal financial info of my customers.

A lot of very wealthy customers of mine didn't even drive fancy cars. These are people who would use titanium black amex. Others would drive in with expensive euro cars who couldn't scrape together 100 bucks on a cc.

[SideStep]

43. Mercedes is currently offering a lease on a $40,000 SUV...

$3,700 down $419 per month.

It's actually better than I thought it was. It still highlights that no one is paying "high hundreds" per month for a $150,000 car(not your claim but a part of this conversation) and black people who aren't wealthy aren't driving around in them. I found that claim to be very strange.

https://www.mbusa.com/en/special-offers-regional

[Blue_true]

18. People rent cars like that. Blacks and Whites do that here where I live.

A monthly rental can run into the higher hundreds, within reach of some people that find status in cars like that. Mercedes cars ARE well designed, so there is a lot of functionality involved with owning a car like that. My niece either rents one or own one, I never asked which, she is a successful businessperson.

[SideStep]

21. I don't think I understand your post.

When you say "high hundreds" you are talking about daily, correct? You cannot rent a brand new $150,000 car for "high hundreds" per month. Not even a used one in good condition.

https://www.enterprise.com/en/reserve.html#cars

Most of those are not $150,000 cars nor are they new which is where the conversation started.

[Blue_true]

23. High hundreds per month. The rental is directly from dealers. nt

[SideStep]

25. No dealership would rent a new $150,000 car for "high hundreds" per month.

on an extended basis.

[Blue_true]

30. Not here. They do rent such cars to qualified people. nt

[SideStep]

31. By qualified you must mean that the persons $200,000 car is having scheduled maintenance...

Done by said dealership.

One is not qualified to rent a $150,000 car if they are not wealthy.

Link?

[Blue_true]

36. Yes, you are right. "Qualified" means the person can afford to pay for the car

if something goes wrong and they are at fault.

Like you pointed out, the contract comes with a requirement to pay for dealer scheduled maintenance, tax and license fees. But still, a person can get use of a $150,000 car for two-four years and pay less than $50,000 out of pocket if that person choses not to buy at the termination of the lease.

There are cases where renting vehicles make sense. For example, trucks for hauling merchandise are better rented, with dealer servicing agreements, because it is easier to write that off of annual taxes than it is the amortize the cost of owning the truck.

Honestly, I wouldn't waste time owning or leading a luxury vehicle, my life priorities are elsewhere.

[SideStep]

38. One cannot rent a $150,000 for high hundreds per month.

It's why there are no links to back it up. The costs aren't even really close to "high hundreds" per month on a new $150,000 car. Purchased, leased, or rented.

I would love to be proven wrong with a link. I'll be in the marked for one.

"But still, a person can get use of a $150,000 car for two-four years and pay less than $50,000 out of pocket if that person choses not to buy at the termination of the lease."

I'm not sure I understand that sentence. With money down you could come close to that out of pocket amount for two years. Not even close for four years. Buying or not at the end of the lease is insignificant in the cost valuation being discussed.

Again, all it takes is a link showing that dealerships rent new $150,000 cars for the "high hundreds" per month. It doesn't happen.

[Demovictory9]

26. leasing can get you a luxury car for $800 or $900 per month

[Blue_true]

32. Some people that like to drive those cars go the lease route over buying.

Of course they have to be "qualified" which means that if they destroy them and are at risk, they can afford to pay for the car.

Typically people that lease don't lease for more than 4 years, then they roll over to a newer model. Customers that are excellent leasers are allowed to roll over even earlier by dealers.

[SideStep]

33. Not a $150,000 car. Not even close.

Possibly with over $30,000 down. It would really be more than that down. And non-refundable.

The op is talking about a $150,000 car. Not a $70,000 luxury car that you can lease for the numbers you mention with $5,000 to $8,000 down.

[Blue_true]

27. I really don't understand why you posted a rental car company link.

Even a car like a Ford Fusion can run into the hundreds for a weekly rental. The same car rented from a dealer would run $200-$300 per month, at the most. A Mercedes would run hundreds more per month, but still within reach for some people that want to drive that type of car.

Like I wrote. I prefer a normal car and a pickup truck with a big bed. Hauling trucks for business, but that is not a personal use thing. As far as a personal vehicle is concerned, I don't want to come out of the grocery store and shit my pants because someone hit it with a vehicle door - so I stay away from having expensive personal use stuff.

[SideStep]

34. Because you have posted no links.

And the link I provided shows somewhat high end vehicles going for hundreds per day. Even they aren't $150,000. You are the one who brought up rentals. I asked for a link. What you are saying does not happen.

[Blue_true]

37. I pointed out to you that renting a car from a dealer is not

the same as renting one from an auto rental company. Another person that seems familiar with luxury car leases explained to you where the cost typically fall, my understanding is close to that person's. Yet, you ignored that all. I am not defending luxury cars, personally I would use one only if being chauffeured, which would mean money-wise that the price of the car would be as inconsequential to me as me wiping my ass after a dump.

[SideStep]

39. Please provide a link for these dealership rentals of $150,000 cars for....

"high hundreds" per month. It doesn't happen.

[Blue_true]

46. Mbusa.com

The car in the photo that was burning was a 2020 Mercedes AMG C Coupe, it is valued at $150,900. A qualified person can lease one for 36 months for $1,659 per month - way less than the "thousands" that you have been harping on. Leasers with excellent lease histories get perks beyond what other leases get, so they pay even less. Even at $1,659 per month, a person gets to drive Mercedes' top of the line vehicle for less than $75,000 over the term of the lease, and there are screwball tax write-off tricks that they can pull that a person that owns can't.

A really nice Mercedes S-Class sedan can be rented for $949 per month. Their sticker run around $104,000.

[gollygee]

35. Every single person buying that car is wealthy. Stop with the bullshit

Really?

[uncle ray]

48. like others have also said, no they are not all wealthy.

you can kindly shove your "bullshit" callout.

a person does not need to be wealthy to buy an expensive car, it simply has to be a priority to them. many people make a fancy car a priority over other things. i've seen some very expensive cars parked in front of apartments and mobile homes, or in parent's garages.

i am middle class, even i could swing the payments on a 150k car if i wanted. my finances are in order. i owe nothing to anyone aside from my mortgage payment, which is quite modest. no, it would not be the smartest financial decision for me, but then again, neither is the money that i DO spend on building vintage cars, which is where my interest is, and where my disposable income goes.

the real bullshit is that some people think exactly who can afford an expensive car is a topic worth arguing over here and now. it's a distraction from the core issues at hand.

i'll not respond to the topic further.

.

[Squinch]

51. Yes, you are correct. Despite whatever it is that these posters are trying to prove,

yes, even a person who leases that car, which they are saying is how all these regular joes do it (and for some reason they seem to think it is important for them to note that some of these regular joes are black ) has to have about $2000 or more extra money lying around each month and have so little need for that $2000 that they blow it on a car.

So yes, they need to be wealthy.

[Doremus]

57. Most gonzo comment I've read in some time.

Please tell us how poor people can buy a $150k car. I've got my eyes on a pink Lambo.

[sir pball]

65. If you think a Lambo is $150k, you're in for a surprise

Quick Google: "From $242,474, 2019 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4"

Their top-end model is almost $670,000.

Six hundred seventy thousand dollars.

[Dial H For Hero]

9. So what should be the upper limit on the cost of a brand new car?

[Squinch]

10. Less than three times the amount that the average middle class family takes home in a year.

[Celerity]

12. 150K USD is far under that limit then, so no problems nt

[Blue_true]

20. Who are you to tell people how to spend THEIR money.

Honestly, I would rather see them buy a decent car and give the rest to a charity, but a lot of people don't agree with that approach. It is their money.

[Squinch]

49. Do you support raising taxes on billionaires? If the answer is yes, than

who are YOU to tell people how to spend their money.

Do you support raising taxes on the average citizen to pay for Medicare for All? If so, who are YOU to tell people how to spend their money.

Oh, and by the way, I am not telling anyone how to spend their money. I am giving my opinion that if someone spends $150000 on a car, they are obscene. And I stand by that opinion.

[Blue_true]

50. I support taxing high earning people to use the money to

improve all of society.

You are popping off a specious analogy. Fair taxation of high earners is not the same as preventing some bozo that has more money than brains from wasting it on meaningless shit.

[Squinch]

52. Of course it isn't. It's totally OK for YOU to tell people how to spend their money.

If you think they should be spending it on more important things. As defined by you.

And yet you have a problem with me voicing an opinion about the fact that a $150000 car is obscene.

[Blue_true]

54. Look, I think that a $150,000 car is obscene too.

But if a bozo pays fair taxes then want to waste some of what's left on trivial shit, I say let them knock themselves out - hopefully one day they will discover how meaningless such stuff is.

[Squinch]

55. That's nice dear. You are expressing an opinion. You should probably

not demand that others tell you who they think they are when they do the same.

[Blue_true]

56. Good enough. I see your point. nt

[Dial H For Hero]

59. Is spending $100,000 on a car also obscene? If not, why not? What about $50,000?

[Squinch]

60. Oh, don't stop. This is SUCH a great hill to plant your flag on. Name some more numbers!

And enjoy your stay.

[Initech]

42. Just don't freak out when you see Bugatti prices.

[Initech]

8. Damn, we really are living the end of Joker.

[aikoaiko]

19. "...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought,...

“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

[Initech]

29. Oh yeah that is definitely true.

Trump and the MAGAs want to do just that, and it seems they are getting their wish. Alfred was so right!

[Skittles]

62. anyone excusing arson makes me sick

[JCMach1]

63. Straight up question everything related to looting and fires

There are thousands of businesses hurting with shady owners with more insurance than morals

[Demovictory9]

71. I hadnt considered that