Sure, we can argue the semantics of it being the wrong word, but I would argue that a car can be an investment. A necessary way to get to and from work. Even if it's ultimately a money pit that devalues the second you drive it off the lot, it's a required part of living in a lot of North America. Don't blame me for 100 years of suburban sprawl and steady dismantling of any decent mass transit.

So no, it's not that I don't know what the word means, it's maybe that we have a different understanding of the value of a car as an integral part of mobility based on our different geographies. If I want to do anything, I have to get on the highway. I'm sure if you want to do something you can walk down a few blocks to the high street.