How is the Mercedes personified in the novel, The Wangs Vs The World?

While it may seem strange to think of a car as a character, in Chang's novel, the car has its own chapters and its own personality. Loyal to May Lee, it dislikes "the Barbara," who it sees as an interloper. Pampered and polished its entire existence (much like the Wang children), the car is ill-suited for a cross-country trek at this point.

The car registers its losses as it goes, underlining the difficulty of the journey and the true state of the family's situation. It finally gives out and gives up somewhere in North Carolina, in part because it sees Charles flirting with Barbara. It remembers that Grace is in the backseat, too late, and flings the family off the road, leaving them without a car or a way to continue.