I solved the car lust problem by buying a car I intend to keep until the day I die. Before you laugh when you consider this, I bought a used '96 Porsche 911 cabriolet which has probably taken all the depreciation it is going to as long as I maintain it and keep the mileage down. I'm probably only a few years away from the car becoming an appreciating asset. Porsche will never make a car like this again, as it is the last generation with the air-cooled engine. The older the car gets the rarer and cooler it gets. Since I bought it I have not ever felt the desire to upgrade, and can seriously see being happy with this car forever. I might add I typically bike to work, and don't need to drive that much. If I was interested in a high-mileage car I would seriously be in the market for a few-year old VW diesel. They last forever and get great gas mileage, and pencil out even with diesel 10-15c/gallon more than gas. For the greenies out there that would criticise the pollution factor, the reality is modern diesels aren't nearly as dirty as they used to be, and in certain pollutants they are actually cleaner than a gas engine. For many people, myself included, a car purchase is so much more emotion than pure finances. Don't EVER think of a car as an investment no matter what the car guys say. It's an expense, albeit a necessary one. It all comes down to if you are a car-person or not. If you are, and want a shiny new toy every 2 years, the lease might make sense, but only in that case.
