This Is NOT My New Car

"What's it going to take to get you into this car today?"

Cars are a societal barometer for success and I can’t figure out why. Driving around lately I’ve been paying close attention to the people behind the wheel of cars. What do they do? How does SHE afford THAT? Why did that woman feel it necessary to have a license plate that says “PEGS BMW” on it? I’ve yet to see someone with a plate that says “BOBS CHVY.”

Incredibly superficial judgments. And, that’s my point. The car you drive should have nothing to do with the level of success you’ve achieved. But, it does. And, why is that?

Sam Walton drove an old red pickup. Most of us have read that and, of course, he died a billionaire. On the other hand, I also read once that more than 70 percent of all Lexus cars (I don’t know how to write the plural of Lexus. Lexee? Lexi?) are leased. For the life of me, I can’t find a source but I ran across it in a trade journal a few years ago. My point on that is that a lot of us could probably afford a $399 per month Lexus lease that would allow us to drive a nice status symbol and announce to the world that “Hey, I’m successful. I’m driving a Lexus.”

It seems our cars have become mobile billboards for how well we’re doing, yet it’s horribly inaccurate in light of most statistical information on the economy. “Look at me, I’m driving a Lexus!” someone shouts. And, in a whisper, the same person should be saying “I’m also leveraged to the eyeballs and my mortgage is about to reset!”

We drive a 12-year-old Honda Civic with 199,000 miles. My goal for the last several years has been to get that thing to 200K and it looks like we’re going to make it. I’ve been anal retentive with the maintenance, have an incredible mechanic who has no problem telling me “you don’t need that fixed quite yet” and I’ve treated the car well, hence its long life.

Our other car is a six-year-old Nissan Pathfinder with only 55,000 miles on it. It’s a gas-guzzling SUV that was purchased when fuel was at least $1.50 cheaper than it is now. It’s functional for the size and activity level of our family. It’s paid for. We use it for travel, not for running errands down the street, and I make no apologies for it. We knew what we were getting into when we bought it and we plan to drive it into the ground.

Why is it, then, that I feel so much “better” sometimes, when I drive around in the Nissan than the Honda? I don’t feel like someone is looking at the rust spots thinking “nice beater.” I feel like, yeah, my dress shirt and power tie match the PF a little better than the Civic. But, then, there are days when I like the mixed message that I’m sending. “Hey, I’m gainfully employed, yet I’m still driving this ‘beater.’”

It’s crazy, I guess. Another one of those things about our society that I just don’t understand.