Ways to convince my dad that my 2011 prius will be greater than his Mercedes C200 kompressor

Mercedes used to be the gold standard. That all ended in about 2000 or 2001. Wait until your dad's first venture to the dealer.

 

Here's one you probably never thought about...

Check how much brake dust is on the front wheels of any Mercedes. Or BMW for that matter. If the car hasn't been washed in the past few days, the wheels will be dirty with brake dust.

Now check out any Prius. The wheels will be much cleaner. If the wheels are dirty at all, it will only be as much as the rest of the car.

Mercedes get washed when the wheels are dirty. Prius get washed when the whole car is dirty.

The regenerative braking on Prius means that the disc brakes are not used as much as on cars without regenerative braking. Since the brakes aren't used as much, the wheels stay clean longer. And the brakes last much longer between servicing.

 

Yea . . . I'd have your dad read what Consumer Reports has to say (and other reads). They're not sponsored by the auto industry, so they're less inclined to be pandering to one manufacturer or the other. That said, I'd have to agree with the following article ... as a prior 300E owner:

New Mercedes C could be in a class by itself - USATODAY.com

Their stuff IS getting better though.
Good luck w/ your decision.

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i drive about 11,000 miles per year


1 trip to Toyota for maintenance each year.


how many times does your father have to see "Rolf the rip-off" in a year?

 

There are Mercedes in my extended family. I know how much time they spend on a flatbed and how much it costs to get them running again. I would only recommend one to someone I hate. It follows that your dad will figure it out for himself after you have given him the third or fourth lift home in your Prius. Let's be charitable and call it October.

 

You guys are going about this the wrong way. Y'all talking dollars and being responsible and crap like that.

Flip down the back seat, bring home a friend or two, and when the windows fog up, he'll come around.

 

That used to be true but Mercedes have improved their quality significantly since they divorced from Chrysler. I'd say they're almost back to how they were.

Also, in Greece you'll find that there appears to be a significant number of people of a certain age who swear by Mercedes and that owning one just shows you're a success. At least that was my impression.

Perhaps the younger population no longer sees that prestige and are more influenced by more technical designs such as the Prius? I also understand that Athens has significant diesel pollution issues which might also influence a younger persons purchasing decisions.

 

My Dad is 86 and suggested the Prius. His friend 86 also has one that he rode in. Those rides convinced him that they were powerful and roomy! Take your Dad for a ride. Make sure you floor it and blow the doors off an unsuspecting Benz at a stop light! Have a nice Prius day!

 

I think there is a lot of truth to this. When I was still young'n'up'n'coming Mercedes was one of (if not the) top prestige brand that many aspired to. I hardly hear about it anymore. I hear a lot of "Lexus" and "Infinity" from the younger crowd. There's simply a lot more luxury brands to choose from today that have proven to be a lot more reliable.