The mentality of "push the envelope" ...

from CNN ...

Car buyers are going deeper into debt and for longer periods of time as they reach to buy more expensive new cars.

The average car loan last month stretched out for 69.3 months, or nearly six years, according to Edmunds.com.

Cars buyers end up owing money on about a third of cars that are traded in at dealerships, Caldwell said. That debt then usually gets wrapped up in the new car loan, making for bigger monthly payments and a cycle of expanding debt.

Americans are going deeper into debt to buy cars