as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
system
pay down the student loan, or buy the car with cash?
user
here's another way to look at this that might make the decision easier: looking at it this way you can turn this into a financial arbitrage opportunity, returning 2.5% compared to paying cash for the vehicle and carrying the student loan.  of course you need to take other factors into account as well, such as your need for liquidity and credit. i hope this helps!
assistant