<prompt> Human: I know its a bread butter question around these parts, but this time I have a spin.I own my current vehicle outright but its approaching the 80k miles mark. Before its worth drops through the floor im considering a trade in. However, in speaking with the dealer - they would give me trade amount towards a lease. That being the down payment and enough monthly payments to cover the lease until a certain point. Im a nimble negotiator so id shop this around and get the best bang so theyre not screwing me on trade or lease terms - but ive yet to see this type of situation or question posed.My vehicle is worth around 18k trade in, even at 80k miles its a luxury auto and im fancying an EV to try out i3 or Tesla. Im HYPER concerned about battery issues with these things so buying seems to be a big commitment for a rather untested type of car. What are your thoughts on this? Is buying ALWAYS better?  <response>: Well, Im not sure that selling a vehicle to a dealer is your best way to get the best value for it, nimbleness notwithstanding. Youd do better to sell it yourself, probably by thousands of dollars.FWIW, 80K cars have already depreciated more than they are going to depreciate in the future, so thats not the best reason to change cars. You might want to change for other reasons. But it wouldnt be the best decision financially.Of course, if you are concerned about cost of ownership, you dont get a Tesla, either. The depreciation on a Tesla would be tens of thousands of dollars per year typically. 