Owning a car in Singapore can be a real financial commitment, but we made the decision to have one for a mix of reasons. There's definitely a part of it that fulfills our *(my wife and i)* desire for convenience and mobility. However, a significant portion of this decision is out of necessity, primarily driven by my grandmother's wheelchair-bound condition. 

Providing her with the ability to get out and about is crucial for her well-being, and having our own mode of transport is the most comfortable and dignified way to do that. While public transportation is an option, we understand that it might not be the best choice for her, as she prefers a more private and less spotlighted experience. In the end, it's a choice that combines our wants and her needs, ensuring her comfort and independence.

My wife and I went and saw that movie last weekend. I agree, the run time was so long, but you didn't even realize it because it was so compelling. The story behind it is pretty awesome. I read that ahead of time so that made it even more interesting.  If I could buy the car I want it would probably be an Audi, but I will likely never be able to afford that.  I am just happy with something that gets me from point a to point b!

Car are not an investment they are liability. I hate seeing people over leveraging themselves on cars and houses. 

> Money isn't everything, but a great deal of the money we have is spent on what doesn't improve our lives.

What I have experienced is that more money you have more it is being used to keep some threat elements  away from you. But that is just my experience. Money makes us live among more mentally safe locale than the time when you hustle and be opening towards any type of people. Have you experienced like this or it's just me?

It was so painful watching my car of 14 years get hauled away last July. We had been through so much together. 2 marriages, 40 US states, too many cross country road trips to count, and even a few excursions to Canada and Niagara Falls. I got tremendous value for my Ellie the (Honda) Element. An original 2003 model, bought for $8K cash in 2009 with 40K miles, two days after purchase I packed it up with our stuff in Manhattan and drove it down to Austin, TX. I spent 10 amazing years in Austin, then Denver, then Phoenix, before returning home to NYC.

I can't even bring myself to think about another car. Luckily, since I'm in a major metropolis with extensive public transport, a car is not needed -- it is a luxury. In fact, if I had a proper place to keep my car, I likely would not have ever sold it. But the sad truth is that there was nowhere to keep it and I wasn't paying for the mandatory monthly insurance because I had no need to drive it much at all. While there are some days that I wish I still had the utility of a car of my own, it is a moot point since I cannot legally drive in New York state (too many tickets). For now, I will wait for an electric car maybe when I leave NYC, but in the short term it is just a subway card for me!

Very thankful to both of my ex wives and our lwayer-free divorces that I got to keep the car without any hassle or remuneration on their part. I even spend the better part of 2 years in btwn Denver and Pheonix living out of Ellie the Element as a camper van. I miss those minimalist free-wheeling days. Such a fun time of my life!

It's all a matter of possibility... 
My brother, who lives in Scotland, bought a new car at the beginning of the year (he signed a leasing contract with an agency), he decided on a luxury Lexus SUV, I don't know exactly which model, but the car is beautiful. 
When I asked him why he buys such an expensive car, he told me: "I look around the streets, the same model is mostly driven by older people, women and men, grandmothers and grandfathers. They probably fulfill all other obligations at that age, pay off the house, go to school and move the children away, so they can afford something they like and love. I want it while I'm young and I still have the will to drive because I drive such a nice and comfortable car. I won't wait until I'm old to drive a Lexus. And I don't have a problem with income". I couldn't give a different answer to such a comment, other than: "Enjoy, be happy and drive well...". 
I watched a show of a futuristic thinking about the CaaS (Car as a Service) project. How crowded are the cities, and how expensive are the cars, and with the fact that, unless we are taxi drivers or if we do our work by car, we use them 3 to 5% of the time a year, it is by no means profitable to own one... With CaaS, with a smart car, without a driver (classic Taxi), costs are drastically reduced. You pay only as much as the vehicle is used. No costs for parking, vehicle maintenance. The only question is when this can go live...

>Cars are such a terrible purchase.

 I guess still better than a plane... 

>A bad decision they made was to trade in a very nice and comfortable sedan, and buy a luxury SUV partially financed. 

I wonder how much hive your friend could have bought had he kept the sedan. I imagine that he would become orca in a single day...

I think it depends on where you are. In the US, I don't like the public transportation and driving is way better. So it was worth the cost for me and I don't want to pay extra for something like Uber or Lyft. In a way, it depends but financing luxury goods is always a bad thing. It's better to go with something more reasonable according to your own budget.

This reminds me of a common saying: "Once a new car leaves a dealership, it already depreciates almost half of its value". Of course this is exaggerated, some say it is only 10 percent as soon as it leaves, and about 20 percent per year. But at the end of the day, cars are not a good investment, and just lose you money most of the time. If you are in a place with good public transportation [Japan/Singapore], cars are not necessary. Although if you have a family, there are arguments on getting a car. But getting a luxury SUV is usually not ideal.

I hope your friend gets everything worked out. 

Everyone wants to have cars and the ones who have been using have gotten used to it to the point of not wanting to use public transportation. 
Truth be told, cars are expensive and even fueling your car, servicing it or spending money on it is also expensive. Car is a liability aside from the fact that you are earning from it 
Your friend should just buy one that is not really expensive and that will not cost too much money when it needs a repair

I completely agree with you. Purchasing a new expensive car is probably one of the worst financial decisions as it loses its value considerably right after you leave the dealer shop. I am also a pretty frugal person with many of my purchasing decisions but sometimes, when I talk to friends who prefer to enjoy their life spending what they earn it makes me reflect. 

It is a bad or a good decision to enjoy your life spending most of your money on weekends, vacations, or even daily activities leaving almost nothing to invest is it better to keep your wealth to have a better life after retirement?

I guess it all depends on how one is, how comfortable is with his own life, and probably how many experiences have had purchasing expensive stuff which at the end of the day does the same job as a regular one.

I also think that purchasing a car might not be a right investment today. Even if it stands in the garage or somewhere near the house, it also costs considerably high amount in recent years. The first reasons of this  situation are the high gas and insurance prices.