Which brand is yours? Here’s a little story about Mercedes vs. BMW and which brand is “mine”.

Growing up in a middle class family, one of my mom’s dreams was to some day drive a Mercedes. She was the first one in her family to graduate from college and working toward that goal was a priority. In 1977 her dream came true, sort of…my parents house sat for (wealthy – very wealthy) friends for one year. That couple owned a Mercedes and as luck would have it, the car needed to be driven on a regular basis. Aw shucks… mom was devastated. (Just kidding, this was the cherry on top of the ultimate sundae!)

So for an entire year, she had the ability to drive that giant boat of a car to the store, parties and on Sunday outings around the “country” – and it was the country at that time, not too much different from the area where I live now, former farms turned into massive sprawling developments with a corn field in between for that continuity of a “wide open space” feel.

Later, after my youngest sibling graduated from high school and she no longer needed to haul around sporting and band equipment, my mom bought the Mercedes ML350 – back then they called it a Sport Activity Vehicle – they were trying be clarify that it wasn’t a Sport Utility Vehicle, rather it was an “SAV”.

Who, driving a Mercedes, would need to use it for something dirty or practical like going to Home Depot on weekends? It was a marketing strategy that I thought was valid even if they haven’t maintained that abbreviation.

My mom wasn’t going to the lawn and garden center with a luxury car, even if it was capable of pulling heavy-duty loads. Instead, it had room for 3 grandchildren in car seats no less. That was perfect for her and she had really accomplished her goal.

Now, for me. I am more of a BMW girl. Not only do I love that little round emblem, I drool over the X5 (with 3 kids, you need the space). Some day, I may own one – when I have my own “grands”. I can wait, I am in no rush, it is a goal and I know precisely the brand I’d like to own.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl