My boyfriend, who's 35, referred to me as a "dependable car." I'm 30, by the way.

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I were having a conversation about women in general, and specifically about me. He mentioned something about me being pretty or looking nice. We had just been talking about women who are popular on social media, and I pointed out that I don’t identify with that scene. My boyfriend enjoys following various women on Instagram, while I consider myself more of a plain Jane. He then made an analogy comparing women to cars. He said that the women on Instagram are like fancy cars that you take for a "short ride," which is all you really want. In contrast, he described me as a "reliable car" that will get you from point A to point B—comfortable, fuel-efficient, and dependable. Although I know he didn't mean it as an insult, I can't help but wonder if his comment implies that you might be drawn to the attractive women for brief encounters, but then settle for the "average" ones for a relationship. Does that suggest that he prefers the excitement of the fancy car but ultimately opts for the reliable one out of convenience? As the "reliable car," I worry about whether I’m good enough just because I lack the glitz and glamour. I think he intended to convey that being reliable is valuable, but it feels like his words had the opposite effect. I don't want to feel like someone is settling for me. Do you think there's an element of settling when you stop pursuing the most attractive person in the room? In short, my boyfriend compared me to a reliable car versus a fancy one, implying that while you might sleep with attractive women, you end up with someone you don’t view in the same light. Does that seem like settling for stability, potentially leading to unhappiness in the long run?