I’ve met several car mechanics and made great friends along the way in the car industry, and I’ve also observed to the brand and kind of vehicles they drive. And, maybe it’s just me, I noticed mechanics often drive pretty basic vehicles which leaves me to wonder: Do they avoid expensive vehicles like a plague?
I do not know a single mechanic who owns a Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover , Cadillac, Tesla, Porsche, etc. From what I’ve observed, they usually drive a basic Honda, Toyota, and if they choose to drive something exotic, it’s always some classic cars made in the 70s upward.
While mechanics can make decent money, they usually don’t make the kind of money to own a Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover or Caddy. Most mechanics also have a large debt to pay to Snap-on or one of the other tool manufacturers.
Like with most anybody buying a vehicle, it is all in what they can budget and or just what their preference is…
I know mechanics that drive Hellcats and some that drive the cheapest fixer upper they can find…
It is all about priority’s, Some spend big money on tools, others racecars and even nice tow rigs for the racecars… I’ve known many mechanics that work on Euro vehicles and only drive BMW’s and MB’s… Some are broke from parting every night after working hard all day…
I (or I should say my wife) have a Cadillac. I used to have a Lincoln. Last shop I worked at one of the techs drove a Range Rover, another had a Mercedes as a weekend car, and one had a BMW in his rotation as a daily driver. When I had my own shop one of my employees drove a Mercedes.
I think the opposite is true. Those of us who can repair and maintain our own cars often drive cars that you think are expensive because we can significantly lower the cost of ownership, making them affordable to drive.
Back in 1961 when I was buying a car, a mechanic friend that I had known from junior high school and worked for him mowing the grass around his house and shop advised me to stick with either Chevrolet or Ford. The parts were more readily available and since I was leaving the area to go to graduate school, the Fords and Chevrolets were well known to mechanics. I bought a 1955 Pontiac that was a disaster. I didn’t realize back then that each division of GM had its own engine. I looked at a 1956 Mercury. The engine was also used in the Fords of that period and been a better bet.
I think if my mechanic friend was alive today, his advice would be to go for the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.
I was under the impression mechanics know the full truth about automobile and therefore avoid these pricier and nicer vehicles that most uninformed buyers buy, and not necessarily because they can’t afford them.
I have utmost respect for mechanics and I would take their advice when it comes to car shopping. This why I wonder why I don’t see any driving a fancier vehicle than what I see them drive.
Mechanics are probably more hesitant than the average car-buyer to purchase a car with unnecessary/unwanted functions. There’s no need to risk the downside of having something else to repair when you don’t want that function anyway. Tech-engineers tend to shy away from complicated cars, presumably for the same reason. But its more than made -up in the same company’s marketing department.
Where did you learn that? Been a tech engineer, we love that stuff if we see the value in it and will buy it. Who do you think invents these things the carmakers sell? We do and we want those things in our cars.
My brother asked his mechanic about buying a particular gen Mercedes E-class wagon and the shop owner walked him outside to talk about his personal wagon with over 200K on the odo and the upkeep required on average which was surprisingly little.
People have different priorities. I recall reading an article by the long-time car reviewer at USA Today. He tested dozens of cars each year and understood how much it cost to maintain and repair them. That plus testing was his job. He said that the one vehicle he wanted to own was the Range Rover Sport, if only he could afford it. He also said that the reliability of the truck was not nearly as important to him as the comfort, handling and speed of the Range Rover Sport. Maybe he did eventually buy one. If I could afford it here’s a list of a few cars I’d love to own.
2019 Corvette Gran Sport
2020 Lotus Evora GT
Dodge Viper: there’s a hot pink Viper on the side of US40 near me with a for sale sign in it. It looks terrific! But no, I just bought a car and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in the woods.
Growing up, I was always enamored with expensive luxury vehicles.
Then I spent several years fixing them in a new car dealership where I learned to view them all as hunks of metal. Some more expensive than others, but they all get you to your destination.
The people working in the sales department drive all of those plus a few others. Mechanics prefer trucks and sports cars. Several have trucks that sold for $50,000 to $80,000.
Technicians with families to support generally drive something practical, however some of my coworkers owned Cadillac and Mercedes, low priced used cars.
The mechanic who always worked on my car at the Subaru dealership was a former student of mine. Naturally, most of his cars have been Subarus, but he recently bought a Lotus Evora because his boss also owns a Lotus dealership.
Most of the established mechanics I know tend to drive newish (3-5 year old) pickup trucks. Mid-trim level or better. More than half of them own boats as well. The older ones will additionally have a classic car of some kind. The younger guys tend to have Tacos or an older unexciting Japanese compact sedan.
I guess I’m not a regular car buyer because I HATE sunroofs. Had one on my 98 Pathfinder which I only opened ONCE while I owned it which was right after I purchased it to see if it actually worked. It stayed shut the rest of the time.
. . . ?! 
