[quote=werewolf34]Generally speaking people fall into one of two camps

1) Buy the best car you can afford. Sometimes for image, sometimes for performance but the car is a statement about you in some shape or form

2) Buy the cheapest car you can tolerate. The car is an appliance.[/quote]

Or my camp,
3) Buy the car with decent reliability and that you enjoy driving (I ended up with a Mazdaspeed3.) Goes fast, corners well, and I can fit plenty in the hatchback. If only premium gas weren’t so expensive…

People overly concerned about brand image and impressing people end up with friends as vapid as they deserve.