So I was in the market after the aforementioned accident took out my old car. I'd have gone with used easy if not for the the fact that the market is terrible. Post-Sandy prices are through the roof. So then it became a question of buy vs lease. If you can find a great deal on a new car, and the financing is doable, by all means buy a new car. But often if you crunch the numbers you'll see that your total cost of ownership, even over a 5-10 year period, will be lower leasing, for the simple reason that the deals are better leasing. I'm not talking about your final monthly payment alone.
Personally, I know that the type of car (utility-wise) that I'm looking for now is likely not the same type I'll need in 2-3 years. That makes it a much easier decision to go for a lease. Of course you can buy a car and sell it when you need to change types, but that's a big hassle, as well as a risk (in terms of the market for that car down the road).
