Hummer

What really pisses me off is that the H2 isn't even a Hummer anymore. In order for the car to be sellable to the general public, General Motors had to take away pretty much everything that made it a HumVee. They completely revised the chasis, so that it will now shatter when taken over too bumpy a road. In order to make the car comfortable, they added hundreds of pounds of junk to the top and passenger compartment, which severely altered the vehicle's center of gravity. That means that it's about as likely to tip over on a rocky mountain path as a tour bus. The axles are no longer made of the same high-grade metal. The engine is a watered down, anemic piss-pail compared to what the actual Hummers have. The H2 has a lower clearance and wider stance than the original, making it even more difficult to drive over rough terrain.

So all these soccer moms are buying is a bunch of useless metal. Even if they WANTED to take it off-road, it would be no better than your average SUV, if not, worse.

And sports cars are only a slightly less extreme version of the same disturbing trend; they're no more use than a geo metro, or a dodge neon. Paul, do you actually race your WRX? The only practical use I can think of for a fast car is in passing on the freeway: a fast car minimizes your time spent in the oncoming traffic lane. But you're still bound by the same driving laws that everyone else has to abide by, unless you take your unnecessary machine out to the Nevada flats or something.

Buying a comfortable, practical car is the best option. You don't need 250 horsepower, or a turbocharged V6. You need 4 wheels, seats, and an engine to move them places.