A long long time ago, before a lot of people had ever heard of Toyota, we bought one, figuring we’d keep it a couple of years. A couple of years turned to 10. Then 15. The dang thing lasted 20 years.
The author’s ruminations mean nothing to people who have had this sort of experience.
My Lexus is going on 10 years and drives and looks as good as the day I bought it. Zero repair costs. I put on 150 miles a day plus 2 cross-country drives each year. It gets great mileage. I expect the car will easily outlive me. I look back on the crappy Ford and GM cars I owned before the Lexus and wonder why I ever bought those.