Dave Ramsey Says If You Want To Know What Driving A New Car Really Costs, 'Open Your Car Window Once A Week And Toss Out A $100 Bill'

You may want that new car. The smell, the shine, the 0% financing—what's not to love?

But Dave Ramsey just reminded everyone why that shiny $72,000 BMW might actually be torching your financial future. In a viral Facebook post, he dropped a meme featuring Adam Sandler green-screened into a car dealership, shaking his head, saying "No, no, no, don't say that," before punching a wall in frustration. The caption?

"When you're trading in your $72K BMW and the dealer offers you $17K but you still owe $49K on it."

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And Ramsey didn't stop there. He followed it up with a caption that hits harder than a monthly payment:

"That $72,000 BMW isn't just costing you a car payment. It's costing you your future."

He's not exaggerating. According to Experian, the average new car loan now clocks in at $40,927, with monthly payments pushing $734 for 68.4 months. Meanwhile, car values plummet the second you drive off the lot. 

"Let me break it down: Open your car window on the way to work once a week and toss out a $100 bill. That's what driving a new car really costs you."

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He's not just talking about luxury vehicles, either. Even a "reasonable" $28,000 new car will lose around $17,000 in value over four years. That's about $100 a week in pure depreciation—money that vanishes whether you're financing at 7% or zero.

Ramsey's take on 0% interest? Not impressed."Even 0% interest isn't a deal. It's a distraction from the $17K you just lost in depreciation. You didn't get a car. You got taken."

Here's his rule: "No, you can't afford a new car unless you are a millionaire and can, therefore, afford to lose thousands of dollars, all in the name of the neat new-car smell."

He's not saying you'll never own a new car. But if dropping tens of thousands without blinking isn't an option, you're not ready for that kind of luxury. 

"Until you have so much money you can lose big bucks and not notice, you can't afford the luxury."

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Want to know what most millionaires drive? It's not a brand-new German badge with 48 payments attached.

"Most millionaires drive two-year-old used cars with no payments—not because they're too cheap to buy new, but because they know how money works."

And that's the real lesson. You might think you're buying freedom, style, status—but if you're not careful, you're buying debt, depreciation, and regret.

So before you fall for the 0% APR pitch, remember what Ramsey said. You didn't get a deal. You got taken.

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