"more like a shotgun wedding...little if any choice of lovers , except for color-style variations, which are based on bankroll...most of us are in cars for the same reason we used to be on horses, or walk, or take public transit...that's what's available, no more no less...though some certainly like to clean the car, paint it, or soup it up, but that is no more love than showering before going to work implies a love affair with markets..."
...except that it is definitely a status object as well. There are some that will give up a lot for that shiny new car. I live in the Bay area, therefore must have a car, but I'm a firm believer in old, used cars -- and I'm definitely the odd one out on the road.
Joanna