Is it better to buy a new car, buy a used car, or lease a new car? If you ask personal finance writers, gurus, and bloggers, the answer is always to buy a used car without question — and without debt, if possible. Here is the problem with one-size-fits-all, mass-audience advice. In most cases, this advice would be correct, but there are special situations that could change the recommendation. This is often ignored by people whose job is to communicate with a broad audience.
Which commercial is the worst in America? Take a look at these poll results from the Consumerist, or just view Staples’ annoying “Wow! That’s a low price!” ad here:
Finally, there’s a new aggregator of personal finance blogs. Take a look at Money Index for the latest stories from a number of websites that focus on a variety of money-related topics.
Updated February 6, 2012 and originally published October 2, 2010. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve always thought it was ironic to talk about what we perceive to be the worst commercials. Sure, they may seem horrible to us, but not only did we *notice* them but we also continue to spread them…nowadays virally over the internet…by continuing to TALK about them. That’s an advertising agency’s dream.
Technically, I think the worst commercials are the ones that get forgotten right after they air.
I’ve heard you should either buy a used car and keep it for 5 years or buy new car and keep it for 10. I can’t remember where I heard that, but it sounds reasonable. I’m a used car guy, so I try to keep them for at least 5 years.
Flexo, I strongly believe it’s up to your personal preference. You can find plenty of a good and bad deals for both new and used cars.
BTW- A strange analomy occurred this summer. Some used cars are actually sold for more money than the same make and model of a new car. This is mainly because “slighty used” cars are in such high demand (because people think they are deals) raising the price and some new cars are being offered at steep discounts. While this is only for a few cases, it proves your point that generalizing used or new cars as the “best” is not a good idea.