₹80 lakh cars on ₹2 lakh salaries? Advisor says India's middle class is losing the plot
That’s before rent, groceries, insurance, fuel, or maintenance — not to mention the 15 percent depreciation the moment the car leaves the showroom.
- Oct 31, 2025,
- Updated Oct 31, 2025 9:28 AM IST
What do you call it when someone earning ₹2 lakh a month signs up for a ₹1.2 lakh EMI? According to a LinkedIn post, it might be India’s most expensive flex — and a growing financial trend that’s raising eyebrows.
Dime founder Chandralekha MR highlighted how some high-earning salaried professionals are spending as much as 60 percent of their monthly income to finance luxury cars.
Citing a Reddit post from a car showroom employee, she shared that buyers with ₹2 lakh monthly salaries are putting down ₹7 to ₹9 lakh to drive home ₹70 to ₹80 lakh Mercedes vehicles.
The rest is financed over seven years, resulting in an EMI of roughly ₹1.2 lakh at 9 percent interest.
That’s before rent, groceries, insurance, fuel, or maintenance — not to mention the 15 percent depreciation the moment the car leaves the showroom.
“Our feeds overflow with people flexing vehicles they may or may not truly afford,” Chandralekha wrote. “Instagram tells us luxury cars equal success. But does your bank account agree?”
She acknowledged that some buyers may have family wealth or other sources of income. Still, for most salaried professionals, the numbers don’t add up. “If you earn ₹24 lakh a year, a ₹12 lakh car makes sense. Not ₹80 lakh,” she said.
Chandralekha added that owning a car can absolutely be a smart investment in cities like Bangalore, where daily cab commutes can be both time-consuming and expensive. But the question, she wrote, isn’t about ownership — it’s about intent.
“Are you buying it because you need it, or because you want people to think you’ve made it?” she asked. “True wealth isn’t a car in the driveway. It’s freedom, peace of mind, and assets that grow while you sleep.”
What do you call it when someone earning ₹2 lakh a month signs up for a ₹1.2 lakh EMI? According to a LinkedIn post, it might be India’s most expensive flex — and a growing financial trend that’s raising eyebrows.
Dime founder Chandralekha MR highlighted how some high-earning salaried professionals are spending as much as 60 percent of their monthly income to finance luxury cars.
Citing a Reddit post from a car showroom employee, she shared that buyers with ₹2 lakh monthly salaries are putting down ₹7 to ₹9 lakh to drive home ₹70 to ₹80 lakh Mercedes vehicles.
The rest is financed over seven years, resulting in an EMI of roughly ₹1.2 lakh at 9 percent interest.
That’s before rent, groceries, insurance, fuel, or maintenance — not to mention the 15 percent depreciation the moment the car leaves the showroom.
“Our feeds overflow with people flexing vehicles they may or may not truly afford,” Chandralekha wrote. “Instagram tells us luxury cars equal success. But does your bank account agree?”
She acknowledged that some buyers may have family wealth or other sources of income. Still, for most salaried professionals, the numbers don’t add up. “If you earn ₹24 lakh a year, a ₹12 lakh car makes sense. Not ₹80 lakh,” she said.
Chandralekha added that owning a car can absolutely be a smart investment in cities like Bangalore, where daily cab commutes can be both time-consuming and expensive. But the question, she wrote, isn’t about ownership — it’s about intent.
“Are you buying it because you need it, or because you want people to think you’ve made it?” she asked. “True wealth isn’t a car in the driveway. It’s freedom, peace of mind, and assets that grow while you sleep.”