<prompt> Human: Im sure this will be downvoted...In February 2013 my 70 year-old mother bought a used Mini Cooper for 15,750. With financing the total payments were 17,500. At the time, she had 100,000 in the bank and 1,800month in social security income.I thought this was a horribly bad decision. She rarely drove and didnt need an expensive car 17.5 of her net worth. I urged her to use uber when she needed transport, but if she insisted on buying a car, to purchase a less expensive model with cash and invest the rest. She declined.Five years later: She drove the car 5,000 miles in 5 years. I just resold it for 5,900 so her net cost was 11,600. During that same time frame, the DJIA is up roughly 100. Had she bought a 7,500 used car and invested the extra 10,000 it might be worth 20,000 now. Thats a 30,000 difference between the two scenarios 11K loss and 20K gain.  <response>: someone got a steal on that used car dealtitle should read For some, new cars are a waste of money. 