I understand what you're saying. It's just when you say "Face it, the reason we buy the cars we do is mostly for the "coolness"", that's a blanket statement that would include me, which it doesn't apply to.

I do think that coolness factor is a reason why many people buy cars, I just don't think it's a good one. Finances weren't the reason I got a minivan. My family isn't all that bad off, and we probably could have gotten an SUV (that's why my father and I were test driving them). I was maintaining that the single reason I got a minivan over an SUV is that it was of more use to me. I weighed every option, and to me, the image I portrayed to a bunch of people who didn't know me did not justify the obscene amount of money that allowed me the privilege.