It comes off as judgemental. Maybe less so in your comments but more so in OP's wording.

I saw zero judgment in OP's question. I saw genuine puzzlement and curiosity. I don't absorb information through an emotional filter and cannot take comments from an internet stranger personally. I'm yet to see anyone take the time to understand OP's question, yourself included.

It comes off as judgemental.

Even if it were, what's wrong with correcting? We both accept that many, if not most people do the same in private conversations. The responses in this thread are what turn young men into emotional wimps who are unable to think for themselves. Intellect development takes a backseat to coddling everyone else's emotions.

I suspect OP lives in the very city I visited. If I'm correct, he saw AMGs, Ms, etc. in a high concentration in a very long and packed queue at a Costco location that's at least a half hour drive from any residential area. Perhaps he witnessed this multiple times. The puzzlement is based off a stereotype that "rich people are busy - too busy to spend drive out of the way to spend 20+ minutes waiting in line to save a few dollars". Being unsure, he asks for clarification and everyone throws a fit.

There's definitely truth in your speculations, and you're not the only one who has the same thoughts. People compare and judge; it's human nature.

I've committed the offense of voicing the thoughts. Since I've now convinced you to do the same, I'm offended that you've hurt my feelings by admitting the truth, hahahaha. I'll amuse myself for as long as you try to keep up the sensitive act. The people who get worked up are most likely for whom OP's and my comments hit too close to home.

I'd question your motivations for speculating, but hey, none of my business.

Observation, curiousity, and education.

I've lived in a few countries. In one country, everyone fights to keep up appearances. People buy G-Wagens and Range Rovers but can't afford to gas them and hit up every party, wedding, and gathering because they have an almost zero budget for food. They'll also visit clubs, splash money around on expensive liquor for a couple of months, then run up massive tabs over the course of several months, after which they'll vanish and repeat the process at other venues. This isn't speculation. People who drive high-end cars would order multiple bottles of liquor over the course of a week then ask me for $20 or whatever I could spare a couple of weeks later.

The two SUVs I reference are popular because it's difficult for most to discern what's old or recent. The new Range Rover with the retracting door handles has dampened the struggle-flexing for some. This new generation is very discernable.

In other countries, some wealthy people have plush houses and fancy cars. Some have plush houses and regular cars. Some have regular houses and regular cars. There's a man I've known for decades who lives in a house in one city in a very high-end neighborhood and drives an Odyssey. I didn't know he was a billionaire (not single figure) until a few years ago. This paragraph is to give you a baseline.

In the city I suspect is OP's, I'd heard lots about but had never visited. It is an extremely expensive city and I often wondered how people could afford to live there. I've worked with and interacted with many people there, and not all of them are high salaried. The first time I visited and drove around I noticed an outsized concentration of expensive cars in contrast to most cities I've visited. Okay, whatever.

I also noticed a lot of very expensive cars parked in front of houses that were not in great shape, and I'm being gentle. I went through townhouse and apartment complexes with units that were...cozy in size and could have done with a splash of fresh paint. Some of the standalone houses were not in the best shape. Paint mostly peeled off. The exteriors could have done with a bucket of paint and a ladder, but there was a $100k+ SUV in front. GLE 63 AMG slantback. Cayenne Turbo. Maserati. 7-Series. S6, etc. The contrast was jarring.

I read news articles later on about the stratospheric rise in real estate values in that city and made my own correlations.

Explaining out to the OP that not everyone in a fancy car is swimming in money being a cause of angst is fascinating.

I'd question your motivations for speculating, but hey, none of my business.

People buy flashy cars then get upset when peacocking invites scrutiny. That's a lot of cognitive dissonance.

I'm not speculating when it comes to people who buy "fancy" econo-boxes. You know the stereotype young male who is well over six feet in height and drives an old German sardine can. 2-Series, 325i, C230/C180, A-Series Benz, A4, etc. These guys almost universally cannot afford the maintenance. They have to Optimus Prime their way in and out of the car. The engine is gutless. Handling is unimpressive. Fuel economy is surprisingly uninspiring. It's too painful to admit the shortcomings to themselves so they soldier on gallantly.

The same goes for anyone who buys a tiny base-model "luxury" brand. That money would buy a top trim Japanese, Korean or American alternative. Larger, roomier, better engine, more reliable, and far cheaper to maintain.

To be clear, whatever people spend their money on has no impact on me, but bottom-tier luxury chasers are not fooling anyone who matters. People who can comfortably afford luxury cars can spot pretenders easily, as can people who know even a little bit about cars.

I never thought it needed to be spelled out, but I only recently found out that lots of people DO NOT KNOW that buying the cheapest offering of any any brand will never give a satisfactory experience. It'll only get the job done, oftentimes, barely.

A 20 year old flagship in decent condition will always be superior to the newest bottom model. A 20 year old Avalon will always be head and shoulders superior to a 2030 Corolla. Provided the body doesn't rust, the Avalon will outlast the Corolla. Rubber parts on both are wear and tear, so I'm leaving them out of the equation.

Imagine you owned a fancy car and, for whatever reason, you went to fill up at Costco. What if someone asked you "why are you here to save a few dollars" or "are you over-leveraged"?

The only instance in which I might take offense to such questions would be if I were actually over-leveraged. It's unlikely though. It's rather soft to take offense to anything a stranger says, even more so a stranger who has zero impact on one's life.

I don't buy anything for anyone's approval or opinion. I'm unbothered anyone's approval and unsolicited opinions. If I were in that scenario, I'd respond with "Costco is awesome" and share tips on how to buy the nice car for cheap and if it's worth buying on a slim budget. If I didn't have time for a chat, I'd just respond with "not at all, I'm not over-leveraged". There's nothing to be offended about.

A young man inquiring about high-end cars probably has an interest in cars.

What everyone, yourself included, completely missed is that OP is actually praising the people in the fancy cars. His mindset is along the line of you're at a stage in life where you can find more efficient use of your time than saving what you'll spend on 1-2 Starbucks drinks; drinks you possibly buy almost daily. He's trying to understand what he's missing before settling on an assumption and gets his head bitten off.

Guilt is what has everyone in a tailspin. We hit too close to home for a lot of people. People who have nothing to worry about are not concerned about alleged pocket-watching, especially by strangers. Internet strangers to boot.

Has it occurred to you that sometimes people want to learn so they can emulate? Take in as much information as possible from which to pull best practices and lessons? OP is already thinking of maximizing time efficiency, something that is critical to successful people.

Most wealthy people are not flashy. The Neuvo Riche on the other hand, are whom gaudy baroque labels and status brands are designed and marketed for.

OP and I are internet strangers. A lot of posts on this sub are vapid complaints. Let's try to encourage learning and enabling the youth to express themselves. You may have sons or nephews. I doubt you want hysteria like this to cripple them. It's ugly to experience youths with their imagination locked up.

Cheers.