You sure work hard on the equipment. Can you tell whether it's actually necessary, or does it just make the owner feel better for having done it?
You won't notice any difference the first time you do it. But when the car is 10 years old and all your friends are trading in their cars because the door hinges are stuck/rusted/squeaking and yours operates like a new car, you'll be thankful. As I said, I drive a 2002 Honda CRV...and although the mileage is very low (76,000), you won't find another one at this age that feels as much like a new car as mine does. If you want to do it every two years, that's fine. If you wait until they squeak, it's too late...that means they are already either rusting or are worn.
So why lubricate all of those hinges & latches every year? Why not two years, or five, or 6.237, or just wait until they start making noise?
See above
Another case in point: "washing" a car. I haven't washed a car since our daughter was tall enough to reach the roof on her own. Our cars get washed once a year: on Mother's Day and Father's Day. When she graduates from college, I suspect that's going to stop. I think our 2006 Prius has been waxed once in four years. It's seen more surf wax on its roof than car wax.
As for washing, I have a few comments. 1) Whether you have rust without waxing will depend heavily on what the weather is like where you live, whether you park outside, and so on. 2) It's not just about rust, it's also about grime that will "scratch" your paint when anyone rubs against it, sit on it, or even wash it (it's best to first thoroughly gently rinse a car before washing it to get all the large loose pieces of debris off that could scratch it when you finally take a rag to it). 3) Fading/scratched/dull paint will decrease the value of the car when you sell it. I do agree it's lots of work, and if you don't think the payback is there for you...then you shouldn't do it...to each his/her own. I'll have to see if I can get photos of the scratches on my Honda door handle areas before I do the buffing I'm planning soon. 
Yet I haven't had anything rust out on me since my first car, a 1981 Mazda GLC, started getting roof rot in the 1990s. (Ironically that car got washed a lot.) Today's car coatings seem pretty advanced, and I can't tell that washing & waxing make a difference. Let alone Family Handyman advising having a special car soap and a separate rinse bucket for the wash mitt.
I agree that the special soaps/buckets are more for the serious car show guys like two of my cars. Family Handyman has to sell magazines, and do so by taking things to the nth degree sometimes.
I can see the wisdom of hosing off road salt or clumps of dirt/tar. But even there I'm skeptical that it needs doing as frequently as advised.
See above
I'm encouraged by the trend toward 10,000-15,000-mile oil changes. I like the idea of 30,000-mile air filters, 100,000-mile spark plugs, 100,000-mile radiator coolant, and brake pads that only need inspecting every 100,000 miles.
Me too! I've yet to see brake pads last that long, but they have gotten better. Of course it depends on how you drive. If you live 1 block from the highway in Boston, and work 1 block from the highway in San Diego...you could drive a lot of miles before needing brakes.
If you want to have a showroom-ready car, that's a passion. To keep a car alive if it was built before the 1990s, it's probably a necessity. But before I do most of this maintenance on a modern vehicle, I'd want to know how it improves the performance of the car or prolongs its life. I bet most of the time the difference is insignificant.
Everyone here can judge for themselves....I'll have to see if I can post some photos of my Honda. For me it's worth it, although admittedly I don't use a separate rinse bucket and claybar for my Honda.
