That basic maintenance worked for my Dad, he got home from work at 3:00 pm and also had whole weekends for car/house/lawn/garage/hobbies.
I work further from home, with a higher paying job, and get home typically around 6:30 pm. Weekends are spent cramming in other household maintenance, recreational activities for the family, etc. So if having that new car (and spending $80 at the dealer every 3 - 4 months for basic maintenance) means having more free time to spend with my family, I feel it is a really good tradeoff.
I work further from home, with a higher paying job, and get home typically around 6:30 pm. Weekends are spent cramming in other household maintenance, recreational activities for the family, etc. So if having that new car (and spending $80 at the dealer every 3 - 4 months for basic maintenance) means having more free time to spend with my family, I feel it is a really good tradeoff.