Why would you finance a new car because gas is costing too much?

Question

Ok hear me out: gas is costing my mother in law $75 a tank for her mini van. She said when she first got it a few months ago it was costing her $60 to fill. She says it's unaffordable now. She is going to finance a Toyota Prius. The monthly payments will be at least $350 a month (probably a lot more, she has awful credit w/ reposession). That brings her montly car costs up to $350 plus the cost of gasoline. So it would be over $600 a month for her to drive, versus the $300 plus a month in gas. I read you'd have to own your car for atleast three years in order to break even on the money you save on gas & the monthly payments on the new car. She has yet to keep a car more than a few months due to accidents and repos! So why buy a new car when you can't afford it?

Answer 1

i dont.

Answer 2

Interesting conclusion you came to. I agree that type of reaction is short sided and quite frankly dumb.