In Houston, owning a car is pretty simple. I pay a registration and insurance online and I am done. Car has problems? There are a hundred car shops around that fix it in a day or two for a fraction of the cost a dealer asks. Gas price is fine. No problem with break in or theft either in the ten years I was in Houston.
And maybe because it is Houston, but there is no problem being LGBTQ here or having progressive ideals. The local government is left leaning but the state is right leaning so they kind of balance out imo. I actually saw true diversity and freedom of expression in Houston compared to the SF's version of it where there are certain types of topic everyone has to tiptoe around. In Houston, even truly controversial opinions are still allowed because for better or worse, there are some people in power who share that opinion, no matter if it is far left or right. IMO, that is better but I understand this can be subjective.