They love their cars, but they're not slaves to them. Paul and Phoenix. Families in more compact regions, among them Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, New York and Honolulu, pay significantly less. All this is most serious for the poorest fifth of U.S. families. Thirty-six percent of their average income goes for cars and trucks.
Cars diminish wealth, homes add.
While homes gained 3.2 percent a year in value in the '90s, cars depreciated at 8 percent a year. No matter how you figure, it's time to stop throwing a blizzard of dollars at our auto masters.