i've done both. When it got too expensive to fix my old van, I rented a van for three years. I got in during a special and it was MUCH cheaper than buying, and the maintenance was covered. It actually worked out pretty well for my situation. When the lease was up, I bought a great used vehicle & got many years of service, then gave it to my son. I'm buying another used vehicle now, I don't like how high my payments are, but I like my car.