Cars. Mattresses. Cynicism. OH MY!

In the posts that I've done about the automotive industry, I've asked a lot more questions than anything else. I feel like this is because it is such a strange industry to nail down. Cars serve many different purposes, obviously. They have a functional purpose, they are status symbols, and there is a rich history of the automotive business in the growth (and recent demise) of the American economy.

I was watching TV the other day (a rarity, I assure you except for Mariners games) and one of those fun commercials for "The Mattress Ranch" came on. You know, the one where the guy in the Spongebob Squarepants tie is dancing around with money in his hands and telling you that you can "save more bucks at the Mattress Ranch." I got to thinking, "how do mattress companies even make money? Nobody regularly buys a mattress." Really, it's not just one of things you go out and get. Once you buy a mattress, you've got it for a while. The mattress companies recommend that you buy a new mattress every 5-7 years because in that time, mattresses go flat and are no longer usable, at least with a reasonable amount of comfort. This thought also got me thinking about the auto industry. It certainly doesn't seem like they'd be making a lot of money, considering that cars do in fact last a long time. I'm rollin' in a 1997 Mazda Protege... Just saying. Digging a little deeper, I found out that the average person changes cars every 5-7 years as well. But obviously this isn't because of loss of functionality (unless of course you drive a Pinto).

So what is it about cars that cause such a frequent turnover? Why is it that, even though we don't NEED a new car, is the average ownership of a vehicle 5-7 years? OK, I get that the life cycle of a car, if taken good care of, is probably longer than a mattress and is overall an issue of milage. So sure, that accounts for the similar ownership turnover. I'm questioning the necessity here. I really think that there is a lot of social pressure on Americans to have the best car available. They are symbols of wealth, power, and prestige. All of which I personally think are BS (this comment is not endorsed by the Dream Team as a whole). In a lot of ways I believe that a car is like a mattress; you don't need a new one all too often, and they are wonderful if you have one that fits your preferences. With that said, America seems to disagree with me.

When a person parts ways with a mattress, it's usually because it no longer can serve it's functional purpose. When a person parts ways with a car, in far less time (and at a far greater expense), it has to be for some other reason(s). Why is that we are willing to commit huge sums of money (and quite frequently according to the statistics) on something that we don't necessarily need to? I know we live in the land of overindulgence, but I don't really get this one. But then again, I often equate myself to a cynical old man... Help me understand, folks.

Enjoy some Ted Sadler!