For generations, buying a first new car has been a rite of passage in the US, the clearest sign of a young person responsibly striking out on their own.
Fucking no it hasn't...
Idiots buying brand new cars did it because they thought it impressed people, and some idiots were impressed
But a bunch of people never cared.
Like, the article talks about people buying a decade old car like it's some huge statement and not a practical decision large parts of society has always made.
New cars have been poverty traps for generations, nothings changed.