"You are what you drive"

People often comment on how wealthy Switzerland is - true, but we've been struck at how simply people live, compared to the glam-oriented materialism of Southern California; a world of personal trainers, pick-up restaurant meals, platinum/elite cards, home delivery-and-removal Christmas trees, and inflated real estate.
One example. Most Swiss drive simple little cars; almost none of the high-end luxury models that dot the freeways of the Conejo Valley back home. I recall being struck - after moving down from Tacoma - at how many luxury cars existed in SoCal. There is some statistic that more BMWs per capita in the world are sold in LA. Granted, people spend more time in their vehicles, but the respectable position that, say, an Accord occupied elsewhere was, in some LA suburbs, held by a BMW or Lexus. I struck a compromise and got an Acura TL (basically, a souped-up Accord with branding to satisfy label-conscious Americans - the European version retains the Honda name) to replace my 1984 Honda Civic.

I also recall being at a car rental counter, overhearing one fellow congratulate another, saying, "Nice...out here, you are what you drive."