The 5 Best (And Worst) Cars You Could Ever Buy (Financially Speaking, Of Course)

Your Money Guide on the Side

Tyler Gardner

Business, Education, Entrepreneurship, Investing, How To

4.9 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2026

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: ⁠⁠Wispr Flow: → wisprflow.ai/tyler for one free month of Wispr Flow Pro free! (And to make your life immensely more efficient.) ⁠⁠Copilot Money⁠: → ⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months and find out why my entire finance-friend group chat uses Copilot Money daily. ⁠Bilt⁠: → joinbilt.com/tyler to see which credit card is right for you and to start getting rewarded for your biggest annual expense: your rent or mortgage!⁠ ⁠Fabric⁠: → ⁠meetfabric.com/tyler⁠ because if ANYONE depends on your income, getting term life needs to be moved to the top of your priority list today. And on to the show notes! The average American spends roughly $12,000 per year on their car. For many people, that’s more than they invest. In this episode, Tyler breaks down the real cost of car ownership — not just the sticker price, but the hidden financial drag of depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, and maintenance. Because most people buy cars emotionally… and only look at the math afterward. In this episode, Tyler covers: Why the monthly payment is the least important number in a car purchase The true long-term cost of luxury cars, trucks, and financed EVs Why used Toyotas and Hondas dominate on total cost of ownership The financial trap of buying older German luxury cars out of warranty Why a financed Tesla can be far more expensive than people realize The surprising math behind the Toyota Prius and Corolla Why “boring” cars quietly create wealth over time The difference between a vehicle as a tool vs. a lifestyle purchase Tyler also explains why he believes people should stop optimizing every dollar purely for efficiency. Because personal finance isn’t about removing joy from your life. It’s about being intentional enough to know which things are genuinely worth spending on — and cutting ruthlessly everywhere else. The episode ends with Tyler revealing the one category where he knowingly ignores his own financial advice: A brand-new GMC Sierra Denali. Not because it’s the best financial decision. Because it’s the thing he genuinely loves. The core idea: Don’t spend blindly. But don’t optimize the humanity out of your life either. Know your “no’s.” Then spend unapologetically on your “yes.” If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Don't ever find yourself optimizing for its own sake.
0:03.9	Don't make frugality your identity.
0:07.2	Build a life where you know exactly what you value, then ruthlessly eliminate everything
0:12.0	else, and spend what remains without guilt and without apology.
0:18.3	Identify your nose, then find your yes, and drive it home.
0:24.5	Hello, friends, this is Tyler Gardner welcoming you to another episode of your money guide on the
0:30.3	side, where it is my job to simplify what seems complex, add nuance to what seems simple,
0:36.2	and learn from and alongside some of the brightest minds
0:39.4	in money, finance, and investing. So let's get started and get you one step closer to where you
0:45.7	need to be. Quick note before we get into it. May's pre-order incentive for my book, Real Wealth
0:54.1	is now live. When you pre-order incentive for my book Real Wealth is now live.
0:55.2	When you pre-order this month, I'm sending you two chapters that didn't make the final cut.
0:59.6	Chapters I genuinely love and wish I could have kept, delivered digitally in early June.
1:04.9	Pre-ordering also locks you in for every monthly incentive between now and the December 1st release.
1:10.4	Go to Tyler Gardardner.com
1:11.9	slash book, click the button that says claim my bonuses, upload your receipt, takes two minutes,
1:17.1	and you're in. Now, on with the show. I want to talk today about the second most expensive thing
1:24.0	you will ever buy. Not your house, not your retirement. The thing's sitting in your driveway
1:30.9	right now, quietly losing value at a rate that would make a financial advisor physically ill
1:36.5	if you applied the same logic to your portfolio. Your car. The average American spends roughly
1:43.1	$12,000 per year on vehicle ownership, when you add
1:46.8	up the payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, and depreciation. $12,000 per year. For most people,
	...

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