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Spending Skills
Enjoy lifeDebt Friction Drag· part of your Margin Score

Car decisions: lease vs buy, new vs used, replace or drive long

Car choices affect both your Enjoy life pillar (planning big purchases with sinking funds) and your Debt Friction Drag (payments pull your Margin Score down). Compare lease vs buy, new vs used, and replacing every 5 years vs driving one car 10+ years. Run your numbers below—then see your Margin Score and sinking funds.

1. Lease vs buy: total out of pocket

Same car, two paths. Buy: you pay a loan and own it; then you can sell. Lease: you pay to drive it, then hand it back. We compare net cost: buy (then sell) vs lease (return car).

$

Buy

$
Net cost (after selling)
$35,963

Lease

$
Total out of pocket
$22,556
Lease is better: $13,407 ahead.

2. New car vs used car: the real cost

A new car loses a big chunk of value in the first few years. Buying used often means a smaller loan, lower payment, and more margin.

$
$
New car total paid
$46,018
Used car total paid
$28,761
You save with used
$17,257

3. Replace every 5 years vs drive one car 10 years

Replacing every 3–5 years keeps you in a cycle of payments. Driving a car 10+ years spreads the cost and frees margin.

$
$
Replace every 5 yr (2 cars in 10 yr)
$81,284
One car, drive 10 years
$40,642
You save by driving one car 10 years
$40,642

Insurance, maintenance, and mileage overages (lease) are not included in these calcs. Plan big purchases with your sinking funds. Compare payoff strategies with the debt payoff calculator. See how your debt and margin look: Margin Score.