When looking at cars to buy, some may think owning a “luxury” vehicle is better than owning a non-luxury car.
Featured Video
However, as many internet users have noted, there are plenty of drawbacks that come with owning a higher-end car. Luxury car owners have lamented things like the high cost of fuel and inflated maintenance costs. All for a product that may be substantially lower quality than one might expect.
Now, a TikToker is advising others to reconsider their luxury car purchase. She switched from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle to a Mazda.
What’s wrong with Mercedes-Benz?
In a video with over 32,000 views, TikTok user Rosie (@rosies.journeyy) explains why she’s happy she traded in her Mercedes-Benz in favor of a Mazda.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you do not need a luxury vehicle. And here is why I believe that as somebody who loved my Mercedes,” she begins.
To start her list, she says luxury cars come with numerous expenses. This is despite whether you have already paid off your car.
“If you need to replace something, it’s going to cost so much more than if you have just like a normal car brand, and it’s just gonna be more difficult,” she says, citing her own experience with trying to get her oil changed anywhere that wasn’t a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
Next, Rosie says the average car has increased so much in terms of offerings and quality that the experience is pretty comparable to a luxury vehicle.
“You can get so many more features in another car brand than what you’re going to pay for the same price as your, like, base-level Mercedes,” she explains, noting that she had a better dealership experience with Mazda than she did with Mercedes-Benz.
Following that, she says luxury cars command a lot of attention, which she says can feel unwelcome. Not only that, but it can pose safety concerns. Rosie says she was worried about parking her car on the street.
To conclude, she reminds viewers that the idealized life they see on social media isn’t always ideal for everyone.
“On this app, you open it and you see all the influencers getting super luxury vehicles,” she concludes. “This is just more of, like, a normal person, down-to-earth perspective.”
Are luxury cars more expensive to maintain?
While some of Rosie’s claims simply regard how luxury cars feel and are perceived, she also alleges that it’s more expensive to service luxury cars than non-luxury cars. But is this true?
In March 2025, Consumer Reports published an article detailing the 5 and 10-year repair costs of a variety of auto manufacturers. Their results found that luxury cars were, in fact, more expensive to maintain than non-luxury vehicles. And often by a considerable margin.
“Several European luxury marques are clustered as the most expensive brands, namely Audi, BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volvo,” writes author Jeff S. Bartlett.
For example, the 6- to 10-year repair cost for a car made by Toyota was $5,300; for Mercedes-Benz, that number was $13,100.
@rosies.journeyy influencers showing off their luxury cars won’t remind you of this so i will!!! just things to keep in mind when car shopping 😽 #newcar #luxurycars #mercedes #mazda #deinfluencing #mazdacx5 #cx5 #carvana #carshopping #carpayment ♬ original sound – rosie ♡
Viewers largely agree
In the comments section, users summarized their feelings on luxury vehicles.
“Luxury vehicles = luxury maintenance,” a user wrote.
“Your Mazda is a much more reliable vehicle than your Mercedes. Other luxury brands like Lexus or Acura are easy to work on and not as expensive as Mercedes,” offered another.
“We had a benz for a few years and it was such a responsibility, liability, and a gamble lmao…loved her but it was a lot,” detailed a third. “Have a prius now and we love it.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, and Rosie via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
