171·21 hours ago- cheap housing is far from work
- they see local mass transit and cycling as impractical or socially unacceptable
- so they need a car to work
- they don’t have the capital to pay cash for it
- the social status value of a new car is seen as desirable
61·17 hours ago- they have mobility needs that are incompatible with local transit and/or make typical cars more expensive.
- they have family/other needs that mean they need a safer, more reliable car.
- they will lose their job if they are ever late, so need to prioritize reliability.
- they work multiple jobs, and/or have other requirements (child care, elder care, etc) that are incompatible with transit in their area and/or cannot be out off while a car is getting repaired.
- they are unable to DIY repair older used cars, cannot accommodate potentially extreme repair bills, and can’t assess if an older car is reliable to buy in the first place.
- the financing company will not give them a loan for something that doesn’t have enough value to avoid depreciating past the point of recouping losses over the life of the lease.
- the insurance company will not insure older cars at a rate that is doable for the driver.
- they don’t have the lump sum savings to buy a car outright, and loans are the only way to go to be able to continue to live and meet their life demands.