One driver is issuing a PSA after switching from a Mercedes to a Mazda.
“I traded in my Mercedes for a Mazda,” Page Manry (@pagemanry) says at the top of a viral TikTok.
She posted her video describing the pitfalls of owning a luxury car. According to her, trading in her Benz, which was quickly depreciating in value, was the right move. Furthermore, the cost of maintenance on the car was killing her.
To her surprise, after test driving several vehicles, she was shocked at how the brand new Mazda stacked up against the Benz.
At the top of the video, she mentions how much she loved her 2021 used Mercedes GLB 250. On top of purchasing the car, she also got a maintenance package. That’s because luxury cars, like Benzes, cost a pretty penny to care for, Manry explains.
@pagemanry Replying to @Mare Traded my 2021 Mercedes GLB250 for a 2025 Mazda CX-5 & I have absolutely no regrets!🫶🏼 #mazda #mercedes #mazdacx5 #mercedesbenz #mercedesglb #glb #cx5 #newcar @Mazda USA ♬ original sound – page🍒🌸🫶🏼🪩🎀
Throughout the duration of her maintenance plan, Manry says that her services were “free.” Around four times each year, she’d bring her car in, and techs would make sure everything was running well. Because of her driving schedule, the TikToker says her car racked up a high mileage count: around 55k in two years.
The terms of her maintenance package stated that tech work was covered for 3 years or 30k miles. Whenever one of those milestones were hit meant that Manry was going to be on the hook financially.
How much does Mercedes maintenance cost?
Manry says that every single time she took her Benz in to get serviced cost her around $400-$800. Furthermore, she adds that the services being performed weren’t involved procedures, just tire rotations and oil changes.
“On maintenance alone I was spending a couple thousand a year,” she says. She also adds that replacing her run flat tires on her Mercedes cost her an arm and a leg as well.
One Mercedes GLA forum poster echoed this sentiment. According to them, the tires for their car cost $277 each, or $327 if installed by the dealer. Then, there was this Redditor who said that they were quoted $3,000 for their run flats.
According to Manry, the dealership wanted to charge her up to $2,000 for a set of tires. Her other gripes with her Benz, she concedes, weren’t necessarily the fault of the car or the manufacturer. She just had a lot of “bad luck” with it, which included rim and tire damage and a cracked windshield.
That, too, cost a premium to fix because it’s a Benz. Just one rim and tire cost her $1,400 to replace, the TikToker said.
Mercedes depreciation
“These luxury cars lose value so quickly,” Manry states.
She was shocked at how much money she lost on the car, especially since she put a bunch of miles on it. “The more miles you put on…luxury vehicles like Mercedes, Audi, BMW. Whatever it may be, you’re losing value the closer you get to 100,000 miles or even 80,000 miles,” she says.
Ultimately, Manry says the reason she swapped out her Mercedes for a Mazda was fear of hitting a higher mileage point. She knew that her car was going to significantly drop in value.
“So, I decided to trade it in,” she says. “I looked at a couple of used luxury vehicles. And I couldn’t find any that were in a good price range that made sense. All of them had about the same amount of miles as my car that I was going to trade in.”
Instead of just being stuck with the same headaches, she decided to stop focusing on brand recognition. Manry focused on the features and functionality that she was interested in, and not perception.
“I started looking into Mazda,” she says. “One of my cousins actually had [a] Mazda so I talked to her about it. And she loves them, swears by them. So I went and looked and actually ended up falling in love with the car I have now.”
A much better deal
Manry says that after swapping out her Benz, she ended up paying the same amount for a “2025 car with no miles.” As opposed to what she would be getting with “a used luxury vehicle with 60,000 miles on it.”
This ultimately makes more sense, Manry says. Plus, there’s the added benefit of not having to pay for “premium gas.” Also, with her Mazda, oil changes are going to cost significantly less; Manry says she’s only paying $100 for an oil change with her Mazda vehicle as opposed to $400-$800 with the Benz.
Moreover, Manry said that in terms of build quality and ride feel, her Mazda pleasantly surprised her. According to her, other vehicles from non Luxury brands felt like she was trading down. However, this wasn’t the case with her Mazda. “It’s the first car that I felt that same luxury feeling that I had with my Mercedes. No regrets.”
TikTokers agree
One commenter criticized the idea of being brand-obsessed. “These people have no idea about cars they see the badge and think it equals a good car,” they wrote. “A fully loaded CX5 is light years ahead of a GLB.”
Another person said that Mazda has carved out a great niche for themselves in the car space. “Honestly you traded luxury for luxury,” they argued. “I test drove a Mazda and drive a Toyota. I’d put Mazda as its own step between Toyota/Honda and their respective luxury brands. Same options, lower price.”
Mazda USA even responded to Manry’s video: “We’re so happy that you’re happy. Thanks for sharing your experience!”
How to own a luxury car
Other commenters said there are “hacks” for owning a luxury car long term.
Basically, it boils down to finding a local mechanic you trust to work on the car. “3 generations of mercedes E and GLE. once warranty is over. You take it to your own local mechanics. No major issue and each car lasts over 15 years before trading them in,” one user wrote.
Someone else said, “You do not have to go to a Mercedes dealership to keep your warranty good just FYI. Just want to find a good certified Mercedes tech outside of a dealer. Then it’s about $100 for service A and $200B.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mazda, Mercedes, and Manry via email for further comment.
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