Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkTrigger
I can't believe I'm hearing all this talk. Buying a car IS a smarter decision if you plan on keeping it any more than 5 years. Anyone with a little background in finance will tell you that!
Seems like people who are leasing are trying to justify. Leasing is almost ALWAYS worse, unless you run your own business.
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I don't think the argument is lease vs buying. From a pure financials perspective, buying probably wins out every time. I think the point the poster is trying to make is that buying NEW is "stupid" when compared with buying USED. The most economical way to acquire cars is to buy a 3 yr old used car (when depreciation hits hardest) and then drive that thing to its death, into the ground, sputtering, crawling all the way to the car's grave - then repeat cycle.
However this explanation doesn't account for lifestyle, culture, happiness, what people want to do - its just a pure numbers game. If it makes you happy to have new cars, or lease and drive new cars every 3 years - more power to you if you have the financial means. People have the right to spend their $$ however they want to achieve happiness. Plus, the guy arguing against leasing cars surely has other areas in his lifestyle where there is waste/excess - so its all relative and in the end not really that "stupid."