And anything more than a basic car that gets you from point A to point B is a bad financial decision, new or used.
I'm not the one trying to claim that new cars offer objective superiority here. We all pay for subjective qualities. Some of us (me) admit it. Others (you) attempt to mask it by making absurd claims about used cars being the "luck of the draw" and saying ridiculous things like, "chances are you're buying someone else's problem".
You think you've made a better financial decision when buying a used M3 for $40K compared to someone paying $75K for a new one?
Actually, I think
I've made a better financial decision when buying a used Volvo for $8k compared to the person who bought it for $45k new and also compared to the person who's spending $15,000 on a basic new Kia. Lower cost to insure, less money up front, and I get to drive a car that's more comfy, faster, and has more room for my friends than the guy who bought the Kia.
I don't pretend that I've made a better financial decision than the guy who spent $5,000 on a used Kia, of course, but it's not an all-or-nothing game.
Finally, yes, the person who wants an M3 anyway absolutely does make a better financial decision to buy the 2-year-old example for $40k than he would if he bought a new example for $75k. Even you must realize that, if you're going to make the purchase anyway, it's better to save $35,000 than not. The idea that "the rich" can somehow afford to just throw money away is childish naivety.
Wrong. If you were that concerned with finances, you shouldn't even be thinking of a BMW in the first place.
Or, you know, one has realized that the functional difference between a new car and a 2-year-old car is nil and would rather have the $35,000 in his 401(k) instead of in a depreciating asset while still getting 100% of the enjoyment from the car. You're making the classic beginner's mistake of assuming that it's an all-or-nothing scenario and that's just plain wrong.
Even if the person can afford to spend $200,000 on a car, it's
still better to buy the used car for $40,000 than the new one for $75,000. Just because a person
can afford to pay more doesn't magically make it a good idea to do so.
When I see someone buying a 5 year old Mercedes for $20K, it just screams, "I really can't afford a new Mercedes," so I'll take someone's hand me downs so I can pretend I'm cool.
You seem rather obsessed with not having "hand-me-downs". Sociologically, that's interesting.
ZV