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The happiness literature has largely omitted the topic of consumption so far. While some studies investigate the most expensive consumption item, housing, there are no studies about the second most expensive item, the car. We use 2011 wave of American Panel Study of Income Dynamics to investigate the relationship between car consumption and happiness. Car consumption is defined in two ways, as luxury cars (expensive cars, [$35k) and frugal cars (inexpensive cars). We find that luxury car ownership does not make people happier than frugal car ownership. We discuss the practical implications of our findings and directions for future research. This study is limited to the USA, and results may differ elsewhere.

Okulicz-Kozaryn’s article “Natural Sprawl” analyzes the link between happiness and place. This research suggests that suburbanites are happier than city dwellers and that there is an independent effect of sprawl/density on well-being/health. He concludes that people in lower density (suburbs) are healthier. I argue that residential happiness does not depend on place but is based on individual-level factors such as lifestyle, worldview, preference, economics, and opportunity. In addition, the idea of “natural sprawl” is not new but resembles Howard’s Garden City model. Regional planning is a path toward creating diverse housing opportunities within an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable framework.

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