I am not really much of a car guy. I like nice things but my car does not need to tell the world anything other than ‘I am practical’. I have owned some nice cars in my life. Like the Volvo S80 I drove a few years back, which is still by far my nicest.

If your commute requires you to put a lot of miles on your car, in this economy, get a commuter like a Honda Civic with an extended warranty. If not, I suggest a lease. For often nothing down (depending on how ruthless a negotiator you are) you can drive just about anything you want, within reason, for a few hundred dollars a month. I appreciate driving a new car every few years, and not having to worry about maintenance or depreciation. I think ‘fixed cost’ and feel justified.

When it comes to lease vs buy I suppose that I have a somewhat unique opinion. To me, they are the same. Only the financing is different. What it means to own vs lease a thing is purely emotional. So, let me ask you, in a very real sense, do we really own anything in the way people who take pride in owning things think about owning those things? I don’t think so. Not to get too dark, but in the end, us, you and me, and all our stuff, is just on lease.