I'm amazed at how many people treat (or maybe obsess) over their personal vehicles. They pamper them and treat them like their "favorite child". I take care of them, perform routine maintenance to keep up on them; but for me, they are simply a mode of transportation to get me from point A to point B. Nothing more.

I'm not one who trades his vehicle in, or feels he has to, every 2-3 years. I guess I should be glad that there are a lot out there doing it, since I work for a car manufacturer (Honda); but I sometimes wonder "Who in the heck is buying all of these cars!!!"

My wife and I bought our first new car back in '87, about 5 years after we got married. It was a Mercury Sable. I drove that car for 13 years. In the last few years of it's life I "inherited" it as my work car as we'd buy a new vehicle (usually a mini-van) for the wife and kids. And that has been the "pattern" in this household, so to speak - Once the car has possibly out lived it's usefulness, give it to Dad as a work car.And I don't mind it, because again, I just don't put that much into vehicles.

We just bought a brand new Honda van this past summer. Again, for the wife and kids. Dad is driving an 12 year old Sable (a different one). I've taken care of it, and it's still in pretty good shape. But I two teens starting to drive this spring. They'll be driving the Sable, and Dad is thinking of buying him a new Civic.

Question: How many own a nice, new, loaded pickup truck that has never had anything hauled in the bed. You wouldn't want to scratch it.