I can afford a nice car, but I’m reluctant to buy one. Driving around where I live is fine, but I also travel to the inner city, often have to park on the street, etc...
A friend of mine with a Sarah Palin bumper sticker got his car windows smashed “downtown” and have heard many similar stories.
I stay with my 12 year-old toyota rust bucket, as it isn’t causing me any major problems, repair outlays are low, and it offers good “urban camouflage.”
I avoid urban areas as much as possible.
Downtown Columbia isn’t that great but it could be way worse.