In some countries the car you own is not just a vehicle but a matter of the owner's social status.
So, some people in attempt to impress others will go out of their way to buy a car that they can't really afford themselves.

What's the Americans opinions?

Are the cars people own just vehicles to serve for practical purposes and be well maintained to get from point A to point B?
Or is the car that person owns is a matter of status, ambitions, something like that for some people ?

See a translation

It’s different for different people. The associated social status that the car represents may be a factor in someone’s decision to purchase a certain type of car. Usually there are other factors at the play that are more important: cost, the experience of driving the car, safety, mileage, type of car (sedan, van, truck, etc). Definitely there are people (particularly those that are wealthy enough to afford fashionable cars) that heavily weigh the social factor of the car, but I would bet that most people weigh these other factors more heavily.