Regarding the bulb life factor, I honestly can only remember changing a rear bulb on my car (which has front and rear running lights on all of the time) once. And it is a 1996. And the filament of the bulb that was burnt out was the brake one, and not the regular taillight filament (it has one of those dual bulbs).
And although my console and gauge lights are on all of the time (can't notice them during the day though), all of my exterior lights are on. So I'm not one of those guys that Ironhorse hates.
