[bkettle]

I think you're probably right that eventually, most people will own a car. But I think the time in your life where you decide to buy one matters substantially, and is modulated quite a lot by city design.

I'm pretty young now, and I could afford a car. I expect that I will probably buy one at some point in the future. But I can easily live my life without one for now, so I have decided to save that money instead. If I lived in Houston, I don't think that would be the case.

None of my friends that I know in NYC own cars. All of my friends that live in my hometown own cars.

[taeric]

I went for over a decade without a car in Atlanta. More, I think financing the first car I got was among the worst decisions I have ever made in my life. It was shocking how bad that monthly payment screwed up my financial planning.

All of which is to say, it amuses me to find myself defending that people will buy cars. I am not trying to push it as the correct answer. I personally think people should understand the expense of owning a car far better than it seems most people do. I just also can't deny that a car is far more convenient than not, if you can afford one.