The wealthiest people in town may not be the ones driving the eye-catching expensive cars. Those drivers may be positioning themselves to look richer than they actually are. A new study released by TrueCar.com found that the Prius driver at a stoplight may be richer than the owner of the Benz E-class behind him.
In the top 10 list of vehicles popular among affluent buyers, half are non-luxury models. Among the expected Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus models are the more humble VW Jetta, Honda CRV and Accord and Toyota Prius and Camry.
"Luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus are the top choice for the well-off, but with wealth often comes freedom of choice. For affluent buyers who live in places where environmental concerns reign supreme, the Toyota Prius is the ultimate status symbol in eco-luxury," said Kristen Andersson, a senior analyst at TrueCar.com.
No matter what car a person drives, a vehicle will only run its best by drivers keeping up with auto maintenance and tire rotation checkups.