conversation: User (customerservicevoice): "What are the pros and cons of leasing and buying? Personal experiences welcome.\n\nEDITED FOR DERAILING"
  Self: "Sounds like you need a junker SUV.  Any car used to haul around tools on job sites will be trashed anyway."
  User (customerservicevoice): "Not for us. We have everything compartmentalized and we keep our cars very clean. No reason you can't have a working vehicle and have it look good!"
  Self: "Have you been to a job site?  Even if you did keep the cleanest SUV in town, why does he need a new SUV to haul around tools?"
  User (customerservicevoice): "I have. THey don't drive to the job site. They drive to a meeting point just outside (a good walk, lol) and the work truck goes to the site. He keeps personal tools in his car in case he had to drive solo to a different site during the day for some reason.\n\nWhat are the pros and cons of leasing and buying? THat's all I'm asking. "
  Self: "No, you are presenting two options of leasing a new car or financing a new car, and I haven't heard a reason yet why you need a new car or can afford one."
  User (customerservicevoice): "Because my current car is 10 years old and is requiring yearly maintenance in the thousands and I'm over it. I'd rather funnel that into something shiny and new.  The work required isn't "serious" no trans or engine issues, but I'm tired of this little thing falling off or this little thing not working.\n\nWe can afford it. I've just never leased before and am considering it. My last finance If I want to pull monies from my savings and have an ample down payment I can. I just don't want to.\n\nThe car will be new. The question is lease or finance?"
  Self: "There are other choices between new car and ten year old car.  If you don’t even want to put down a down payment, sounds like you can’t afford a new car."
  User (customerservicevoice): "Ok, based on that. Isn't leasing better for people who "can't" afford a down payment? Would that be a pro or a con? can you lease a model a year or two old?"
  Self: "You can't lease a used car, assuming you are in the US."
  User (customerservicevoice): "Good to know. A quick Google tells me I can trade a financed (100%) car and use its equity to lease which allows me to not need a down payment at all.\n\n\nHow common is leasing where you are? I wonder if it's stigma is a location thing. I've genuinely wondered how I see people (23 and under lol) I know don't make a lot of money driving around in nice cars, lol. This must be how."
  Self: "I am in the US, and yes, a dealership will be happy to take your equity (money) for you to rent a new car (lease).  You can even prepay the lease if you want."
  