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Buying a new car is the single worst investment you can make.
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I was thinking about this and it occurred to me that buying a new car might actually be one of the better "investments" you can make when compared to other consumer retail goods. Sure you lose 15% the day you drive it off the lot but what is the depreciation on a big screen TV? My guess is it's a lot more then 15%. It seems like most electronics, excluding that fancy little fruit logo'd brand, lose 50% the minute you roll through that exit. What about a couch? A used couch, even for a day, has lost much more value then a vehicle. How about jeans? When was the last time got value back from a pair of jeans? I'll admit a pair of pants is becoming closer to a need then a want but they certainly don't need to have an Italian guys name on them. Finally, sporting goods, I can't believe ANYONE would buy sporting goods new. I mean a mountain bike is worth 50% the day it rolls out the store. Go ahead and look at any bike classified and see bikes that have no more then a few hours of riding on them going for 1/2 what the owner paid. In reality I think a new car hold it's value pretty damn good...
Then theres the "investment" thing. Why does everything in life have to be an investment or financial decision? What's wrong with an investment in happiness? New cars have lots of merits and those merits justify a premium to some. I'm sure Cable TV has merits to others but I can't understand how anyone could spend $100/month to watch TV. I mean if you want to talk about a poor investment...