High Costs Have Ended America's Love Affair With Cars

I think of myself not so much as a car reviewer as an intimacy coordinator. Four out of five American households depend on an automobile to get to work, to get the kids to school, to go wherever. The typical driver spends about an hour a day in the car, says the AAA—more face time than many of us spend with our families. A good relationship starts with a good match.
Lately, though, Americans have been losing that car-loving feeling. Actually, they're at the dish-throwing stage. Light-vehicle sales have fallen by about 1.7 million a year since 2016, reflecting the number of younger consumers declining the pleasures of ownership. Millions more remained trapped in toxic relationships with abusive elders. The average age of passenger cars on the road is currently 14.5 years, according to S&P Global's data.

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