Do Cars Make Good Christmas Gifts?

By now I'm sure you've seen the commercials around the holidays where a well-to-do husband presents his wife with an expensive automobile with a convenient bow affixed to its hood.

She gasps in excitement.

Is she thrilled she received the gift of an expensive Lexus or is she more grasping for breath with the mere thought that he just gave an expensive "gift" they both will most likely have to pay for the next 5-10 years. After all, they do call it their "December to Remember" event. Is it memorable only because they'll both be sending payments for the gifts for the next 5-10 Decembers?

Think about it. Unless he has an extra $50,000 or more extra laying around of his own money (that could take some explaining, eh?), how is a car, at any price, a good gift for your spouse?

For the 2007 holiday season, as expected, several auto commericials follow this pattern. In the most memomerable one, a Lexus ad, a husband calls his wife to alert her that he won't be able to pick up little Billy from hockey practice.

"But you promised," she more or less retorts.

"I know, I love you" he more or less mumbles.

She hangs up digusted before he utters "I love you."

She walks out to her car to pick up little Billy, as he and Billy are standing next to a sleek Lexus with the convenient bow affixed to it.

Now the question remains:

In our current world of $3.20/gallon gas and $3.50/gallon milk, does a car, or any expensive, life-style changing purchase (one you'll most likely have to share) constitute a smart gift? Is something both parties will have to finance a "gift" in the first place?

The auto makers, and there are many of them, (and DeBeers) make it seem as if giving the gift of mutual financial burden is en vogue. Sure, a car. Who wouldn't want a car. If it was free. Minus taxes.

Then again, if we all followed what we saw in commercials, we'd all be cutting the brake lines to the gifted wheels of none other than the Burger King.

And that's just wrong.

What do you think?