I once had a coworker who had owned a Mercedes SLK for many years, it was in and out of the dealership, dozens of times for non-warranty work, so she decided it was time to move on to a more reliable small SUV.
I asked her "How important is STATUS when selecting a vehicle?" She replied "not at all important" so I recommended a CX5.
Two weeks later she announced that she bought a used 2010 Mercedes GLC.
Sometimes, despite what people admit, STATUS is more important than anything.
Car & Driver often compared the 2019 CX5 to Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. They ask "Why spend $10,000 more for the same level of interior, quietness, and handling, but with far less reliability? The answer is simple: STATUS rules minds.
I agree with you on this...status still matter to some folks. I have experienced owning a prem/luxe vehicle in the past and what I can tell you is that after some time the novelty, prestige and status “wears out” and the vehicle just becomes, well just another vehicle! Then it really starts to sink in when the expensive bills on maintenance and repairs start to pile up then your outlook changes. That’s when I became more practical and eventually traded in my “prestige” vehicle for a mainstream brand. You still get the bells & whistles and nice interior/exterior just paid $12K lower vs going premium again with a much lower cost of ownership and maintenance...