In reply to Dogwatch:
I'm with you. It is really what you want to spend your money on, I can afford a much better car than I drive.
I drive a middle aged Polo that has a back seat and boot littered with outdoors gear , and tools. The paint is faded, and it has more dings and scratches than you could count, and the engine sounds like a tank. ( it runs well though and is reliable, and economical)
If you hit me, you would need to make a really good job of it before I would notice , or care less.
I use it for travelling to work, and it is handy for shopping, and outdoor pursuits)
I can park it anywhere I like with no worries of kids with bikes, shopping trolleys , quad bikes, tractors , or whatever .
I watch people at work walk long distances ( usually in the rain) having driven past closer parking spaces, so they can park their pride and joy with other like minded people at the far end if the car park.
I park in the first closest spot , and never think about it again, certainly not worrying that it might get a ding.
(Our other car , that my wife uses) is much smarter, but still fundamentally functional)