Yeah, that is actually sometimes a hallmark of the white upper middle and upper class — they buy cars based on other criterion than price — if money is not critical, you evaluate your purchases on other factors. Sometimes it’s appearance, speed, durability, maintainability, etc.

When my parents evaluated a car, they looked at price and cargo space, versatility, etc. I tend to look at price, cargo space, fuel efficiency and age (used) — but I live in a very expensive area, so a low six figure salary still has me living mostly paycheck to paycheck.

I am not a typical middle class car buyer, I know that. Most white people of my age and income in my area buy new every few years.