There are arguments both ways.
If you don't put on a ton of miles, why not finance for 2-3 years, but put on a big down payment so your monthly costs are less? Then after 3 years it is paid off and your cash flow is improved.
But the other argument is why tie up so much money into something that is worthless after a few years, so lease instead. That way you can avoid the depreciation hit, service related problems, etc, etc. Of course you are also stuck paying monthly lease payments for the rest of your life.
Really depends where you are at with your life. To me cash flow is king and should matter quite a bit with how you setup your budget and what you buy or invest in. Balance that with a true cost outlook and you should know exactly where you are at.
A lot of people simply don't know how to properly manage cash flow. Just because you CAN make the monthly payments on a $80k SUV, doesn't mean it is a wise decision.
That is why the budget is important as you can structure your entire cash flow.
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