I bought my 14' Malibu LTZ new, sticker was about $31K if I remember, paid it off in 4 years. Every time I'm tempted to trade it in, I just remember that the $1000-1500 or so I put into it in yearly maintenance would basically equate to a month of driving a new truck/suv. I'm going to drive it until the wheels fall off.

I do appreciate quality automobiles and beautiful design, but to me a car is a car, a depreciating asset. Point A to point B, nothing more nor less.