> Some people obviously have a genuine need for a larger vehicle. Those people usually don't spring for the blingmobiles.
Eh, I've seen people in construction/trades buying "utility blingmobiles". They need a big truck, but what they buy is bigger and nicer than what they really need. It's the equivalent of buying a $10,000 workstation to do web development (you can, surprisingly, run slack on a lesser machine).
To a lot of people, their cars and or other material belongings are outwardly visible extensions of their (imagined) personality, and signifiers of wealth to their peers. It's just a different set of values.
Personally I absolutely love cars. Not for any status or macho identity, but for the mechanical intricacies and neat design ideas. I am much more interested in a 1970s Opel Kadett than a big new Mercedes or something. I enjoy the act of driving, not the idea that "I am driving something expensive that other people desire".
Have you considered cycling instead of walking? It's cheap and there are so many opportunities to geek out over neat ideas.