A Mercedes-Benz dealership worker based out of Ontario, California shared what her coworkers pay monthly for their vehicles. The responses are raising eyebrows and inspiring applause across the web. Elizabeth Flores (@lizz.mercedesbenz) posted a viral TikTok that highlighted the monthly car notes dealer workers said that they paid. “Asking my coworkers at Mercedes what they drive,” she writes in a text overlay. The first Mercedes-Benz employee says his current vehicle is a 2026 Mercedes-Benz E53 and his monthly payments are $1,500. “A 2010 C300,” the second worker says. “And how much do you pay?” she asks. “Zero dollars,” he replies. Asked how much the car is worth, he says, “$8,000.” She pans to his watch and asks if it cost more than the car. He responds in the affirmative. OWNERSHIP STORIES Viral stories from across the web Our team of experts tracks what owners are saying about car-shopping, repairs, the daily driving experience and more on social media. Next her co-worker Joseph dances into the frame. “What do you drive?” she asks. Joseph says that he’s cruising around in a 2024 EQE AMG SUV. Asked how much he pays per month, he demurs, instead vaguely saying that it’s way too much for an electric vehicle. The next worker is the first who doesn’t drive a Mercedes. He drives a C8 Corvette, for which he says he pays $1,500 monthly. Then a man named J.R. says he drives an E-Class that runs him $1,100 per month. Joseph drives a Toyota Supra and BMW M3, at a cumulative cost of $1,500 monthly; Jason tells Flores he rocks a 450 Coupe that’s about $1,000 a month. Yet another coworker Flores quizzes drives a Toyota Tacoma and pays a mere $330/month. The last coworker she asks, Louis, has multiple cars: an SLS, a CLS, and an Alfa Romeo. Altogether, his monthly payments are $4,000. He’s also in the process of buying a G Wagon, and says it’ll probably run him about a grand per month. Flores is impressed. She responds, “$1,000? Oh that’s cheap.” Gallery: 40 years of Mercedes-Benz G Class Are the Mercedes Workers Overpaying? According to a recent piece in NerdWallet, the average monthly car payment is $750 for a new car; $529 for a used vehicle. Flores coworkers are largely paying much more than that for their vehicles. However, the average payment is for loans of roughly $42,000 and $27,000, respectively. Several of Flores’ coworkers drive vehicles that likely cost much more. The 2025 G-Class, commonly called the G Wagon, for example, starts at $150,000. Meanwhile, the 2024 EQE AMG SUV starts at prices north of $110,000. Still, many people who replied to Flores’s video thought that the car payments were exorbitant. “Paying 1k for a car is insane, lol,” one wrote. Another wrote: “$0 payment is the smartest.” Others echoed this line of thinking: “Tacoma $330 perfect,” one remarked. Another chimed in, “C300 and Tacoma guys are the smartest.” Financial analysts would agree. In a CNBC story about buying a car, self-made millionaire and best-selling author David Bach offered this advice: “Nothing you will do in your lifetime, realistically, will waste more money than buying a new car.” He notes that new vehicles tend to lose 30% of their value the second you drive off the lot. That’s why Bach recommends buying cars that are two to three years old. At this age, they’re still more than likely covered under the original manufacturer’s warranty. This also gives time to work out the kinks and make it more likely that any important safety issues or recalls have been addressed. Still, there’s no denying that for some enthusiasts, the feeling of climbing into a brand new car is worth every penny. Motor1 has contacted Flores via Instagram direct message for further comment. We’ll update this if she responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
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