<prompt> Human: Recently I moved from NYC to FL, and I need a car for the first time in 10 years. I have a good salary, decent savings, and no debt. Additionally, as my wife and I just had a baby, were staying with the mother-in-law for a few months; so probably six months rent free.Im a cautious spender, and not looking for anything fancy. Id like something comfortable and reliable.Although I can afford a new car, Im tentative about taking on a big car payment, because... well Ive had good situations go bad before, and now Im afraid of financial commitments and debt. Ive compared a lot of options as far as new, used, and leasing goes, and Im in an analysis paralysis. Thoughts?FYI: without a test drive, the car that looks most attractive to me is the Mazda3 wagon.Assistant: Financially the best decision is to buy a low-moderate mileage used car and drive it until the wheels fall off. Leasing only makes sense in a few cases and is generally your worst option, financially speaking. Buying new gets you a car you know the history of and a long warranty but youll take an immediate hit in depreciation. Your best bet is to find a car you love, then try to find a low-mile used version of it. Let some other guy pay the depreciation and if you value a warranty then buy certified pre-owned.Human: This was my thinking going in. Although leasing is clearly the worst long term financial solution, its also the lowest monthly payment. Since my biggest concern is monthly commitment, it seemed like it might still make sense. But as you said, slightly used seems to be the conventional wisdom.  <response>: The problem with leasing is its basically a long term rental. It seems attractive at the beginning because of the lower monthly payments but at the end of 3 years you dont have a car and youre back to square one. If you keep leasing youll always have a monthly payment. And if youre driving lots of miles leasing is definitely not for you.If you buy a good used car after 3-5 years theres no more payment but you have a car at the end of it, unlike a lease. You can drive payment free for another 5 or so years and save up to buy your next car in cash. 