Well, up until two years ago, when the US economy (and my retirement investments) slowly went in the toilet, I wouldn't mind spending the extra bucks for a new bike even though buying a used one always made more sense, I agree.

They really do keep improving the design and I like new things. I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the dynamo for my front light is built into the front wheel roller brakes and offers no additional drag. My front light comes on automatically and there's no extra drag or noise. I think that's fantastic.

This is not a plug for the brand of bike I mentioned in this thread. In the Netherlands there are two national brands that keep improving their designs every year. The Netherlands is a big consumer of commuter bikes and we probably have more to choose from here than anywhere else. After a few years, I might trade in my current bike for another just for the hell of it. There are few pleasures in life and I plan on dying broke ... therefore I spend for those little things that make life more fun.