In a nutshell, when you lease a car you are paying for peace of mind. Sure, if you buy a used car you might end up ahead as far as dollars and cents, but you don’t get that peace of mind.
Peace of mind is worth money, and it’s something that you pay for more often than you may think. If you buy any type of insurance policy (auto, life, homeowner’s, etc.) you’re also just paying for peace of mind.