Money Guy Show — The BEST and WORST Cars (And Which Brands We Avoid)

Hosts: Brian Preston & Bo Hanson
Episode Date: March 18, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Brian and Bo tackle one of the most fraught spending categories for aspiring wealth builders: cars. They explore not only how to buy a car the financially smart way, but also which brands are the best (and worst) choices for your wallet and long-term financial health. The hosts play a fun “Cruise or Snooze” game, weigh in on depreciation, reliability, and luxury cars, and answer listeners’ burning questions about vehicles and broader money topics. If you’ve ever wondered which car brands savvy millionaires actually buy—or avoid—this episode is a must-listen.

Key Themes & Concepts

• Car purchases are major financial decisions: For most people, cars are among the biggest lifetime expenses — and making the right choice pays off.
• The “23/8 Rule” for car buying: Their favorite formula—put down at least 20%, finance for no longer than 3 years, and keep payments under 8% of gross income.
• Car buying mistakes, luxury cars, and “financial napalm”: Not all cars (or buying approaches) are created equal when it comes to protecting your wealth.
• Brand-by-brand opinions and surprising takes: Brian and Bo hold nothing back on BMW, Jeep, Tesla, Land Rover, and more.
• Depreciation and reliability: Which brands lose value fastest? Which are hidden gems (especially used)? The data-driven (and anecdotal) answer may surprise you.

Detailed Discussion & Memorable Quotes

Why Car Choices Matter (01:04–04:55)

• Bo Hanson: “Automobiles can be financial napalm. They can blow up your financial life.” [01:09]
• A startling stat: 1 in 5 car buyers now have $1,000+ monthly payments. Brian & Bo stress that over-spending or under-spending (the $1,000 beater) both carry hidden costs.
• Brian Preston: “To afford a $1,000 car payment with the 23/8 rule, you have to make over $150,000—double the median household income. It’s just not happening.” [03:01]
• Insights from millionaire clients:
  • 60% paid cash for their current car, 40% financed;
  • 72% financed their first car—so financing, done wisely, is normal on the way up.

The 23/8 Rule Refresher (03:01–04:12)

• 20% down
• No longer than 3-year financing
• Don’t let payments exceed 8% of gross income
  “That’s going to keep you conservative.” [Brian, 03:01]

Luxury Cars—Yay or Nay? (04:12–04:55)

• The hosts clarify: They’re NOT blanket anti-luxury, but timing is everything. Don’t buy a luxury car too soon in your wealth-building journey.
• Bo: “We’re not anti-luxury car. We just want you to do it at the right time.”

“Cruise or Snooze” — Brand-by-Brand Car Takes (05:55–16:47)

Ribe moderates a game where Brian and Bo vote “Cruise” (thumbs up) or “Snooze” (thumbs down) on car brands, sharing quick, candid takes.
Memorable moments and highlights below.

BMW (06:32–07:21)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• Bo: “Every single repair is so unbelievably expensive. You take it in and you’re one comma in every time.” [06:50]
• Brian: “If you drive a black BMW X5 in my neighborhood, you might as well be driving a Honda Accord. There’s at least 26 of them.” [07:02]

Jeep (07:22–08:46)

• Used Jeeps: CRUISE (Brian); New/Families: SNOOZE (Bo)
• Brian: “I would never, ever, ever buy a new Jeep, but I love used Jeeps. If only my family liked the hair blown…” [07:41, 07:49]
• Bo: “Impractical for a family vehicle—a Jeep is an extra, recreational ride.” [07:59]

Tesla (08:46–09:35)

• Both: CRUISE
• Brian: “You know I love me some Tesla.” [08:50]
• Bo: “Teslas are wonderful for the right person, at the right stage.” [09:02]

Land Rover (09:35–10:11)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• Bo: “They’re so cool looking, but my financial mutant mind says snooze.” [09:50]
• Brian: “No way I would want to own something that costs this much to maintain.” [10:02]

Kia (10:21–10:59)

• Mixed (More Neutral/Skeptical)
• Bo: “The Telluride was nice, but not quite big enough for my family.” [10:37]

Nissan (10:59–11:57)

• Leaning SNOOZE due to reliability
• “There are just some other brands that beat it out.” [Bo, 11:23]
• “They struggle with reliability.” [Brian, 11:14]

Rivian (12:00–12:44)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• Bo: “If you’re going expensive electric, why go Rivian over Tesla?” [12:17]
• Brian: “Tesla’s got the advantage—especially with self-driving.” [12:22]

Volkswagen (13:01–13:37)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• Bo: “High cost maintenance—aren’t Volkswagens hard to work on?” [13:15]
• Brian: “Germans are known for over-engineering everything.” [13:34]

Mercedes (13:59–14:28)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• Brian: “Always struggled with reliability. Not super into them.” [14:06]
• Bo: “If you’re going to make that bad luxury decision, I’d do it with other brands, not Mercedes.” [14:28]

Volvo (14:54–15:55)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• Bo: “Never owned a Volvo, I feel like I’ve heard they’re reliable, super safe, but are they still expensive?” [15:12]
• Brian: “They were doing weird things for efficiency. Maybe they’re reliable, but I’m jaded—the old Volvo wagon stigma.” [15:22]

Winnebago (15:55–17:22)

• Consensus: SNOOZE
• “RVs aren’t my thing… everything’s made of plywood, and I break everything. I felt like Shrek.” [Brian, 16:52]
• “We’re too big for RVs!” [Bo, 17:10]

Car Depreciation & Value: The Superlatives (17:50–21:59)

Fastest Depreciators (per US News & World Report)

• Winner: Tesla
• Brian: “This is a glass half empty/glass half full. Go buy a used Tesla, and research hardware for self-driving. Massive opportunities.” [18:23]

Best Value Holders (per Kelley Blue Book)

• Winner: Toyota
• Bo: “Currently a Toyota owner. It’s true—one of the best long-term holders of value.” [19:07]

Safest & Most Reliable

• Winner: Subaru for certain climates/regions (esp. where AWD matters) [19:11–20:16]

Best Used Car Brand (per Consumer Reports)

• Winner: Lexus
• Bo: “If you’re going to go luxury but don’t want the BMW/Mercedes headache, Lexus is fantastic—but buy it used to avoid front-end depreciation.” [20:16–20:52]

Underrated: Honda

• The hosts express surprise Honda wasn't on the “best of” lists; both think highly of their reliability.

Major Takeaways & Actionable Advice (21:35–22:21)

• Car-buying is not just about math, but also brand/reliability choice: Don't just buy “right” (low payment, big down payment, etc)—buy the right car.

“The better decision you can make, the more impact it’s going to have in your financial life over the long term.”
— Bo Hanson [21:59]

Listener Q&A Highlights

Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Early or Invest? (26:46–31:03)

• 34-year-old couple, just bought a $500k house, wife wants to pay it off early.
• Brian: “Are you ahead of the curve or behind? What’s your number? Don’t sacrifice building your army of dollar bills early for debt freedom.” [27:11]
• Bo: “Find out the why of wanting to be debt-free. Is it just for security, or something else? Sometimes you can be debt-free faster by investing efficiently first.” [28:06]
• Brian: “Paying extra only reduces risk if the mortgage is fully gone—and that takes years. Liquid assets > mortgage prepayment for flexibility.” [29:34]

Index Funds or Individual Stocks? (32:44–35:21)

• Rule: Stick with index funds until you hit “Step 8” of the Financial Order of Operations (FOO).
• Bo: “With index funds, you only have to answer one question—how much can I invest? Stock picking is for play-money, not your main wealth.” [34:00]
• Brian: “Like our friend Charles says, do this with your vacation money, not your eating money.” [35:21]

Teaching Teenagers About Money (36:01–39:26)

• Brian: “Teach the wealth multiplier—time is the magic. Every dollar at 17 can become $119 by retirement. $71/month makes you a millionaire.” [39:26]

Pros & Cons of Tax Filing Extensions (41:16–44:51)

• Bo: “There’s no secret arbitrage—your taxes are still due April 15th. Only advantage is more time for complex returns or business retirement plan funding.” [43:01]
• Brian: “Simplify when possible! Only file extensions out of necessity.” [41:42]

Rapid Fire Q&A Segment (47:05–55:33)

Hosts answer quick questions in 30 seconds or less—for the highlights:

• First, Current, and Favorite Cars:

  • Bo: ’95 Isuzu Rodeo, currently a 2019 Tundra Platinum, favorite is the Tundra.
  • Brian: ’84 Chevy Cavalier, currently a Tesla Model X Plaid, favorite is actually the Tesla Model 3 (“most transformative, unique moment in time”). [55:56]

• Should retirees spend a % of net worth on a car?

  • Focus on cash flow & liquidity, not net worth.

• Young listener earning $60k flipping couches: major in accounting or pursue business?

  • Both: Get the accounting degree—it enables future entrepreneurship but is hard to get later.

• Double leveraged ETFs for young investors?

  • Steer clear for wealth building—time decay and volatility make them riskier than you think.

• Morning or Afternoon Workouts?

  • Brian: Afternoon. Bo: Early morning (“If I don’t get it done then, it won’t happen.”)

Notable Quotes

• “Automobiles can be financial napalm. They can blow up your financial life.” —Bo [01:09]
• “To afford a $1,000 car payment with the 23/8 rule, you have to make over $150,000—double the median household. It’s just not happening.” —Brian [03:01]
• “We’re not anti-luxury car… you just have to do it at the right stage, at the right time.” —Bo [04:12]
• “If you’re going to make that bad luxury decision, I’d do it with other brands, not Mercedes.” —Bo [14:28]
• “The better decision you can make, the more impact it’s going to have in your financial life over the long term.” —Bo [21:59]
• “Do this with your vacation money, not your eating money.” —Brian [35:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:04 — Cars: The Best & Worst for Financial Mutants
• 03:01 — The Math Behind Car Payments & The 23/8 Rule
• 05:55 — “Cruise or Snooze” Car Brand Hot Takes
• 17:50 — Superlatives: Depreciation & Value by Brand
• 26:46 — Mortgage Pay-Off vs. Investing Listener Q&A
• 32:44 — Index Funds vs. Individual Stocks Discussion
• 36:01 — How to Teach Teenagers About Money
• 41:24 — Tax Extension: Pros & Cons
• 47:05 — Rapid Fire Q&A
• 55:56 — Brian’s Favorite Car (Tesla Model 3 Story)

Final Thoughts

Car buying is both an emotional and financial decision. Understanding the numbers (down payments, payment percentage, depreciation) and the brand reputations will help steer you clear of “financial napalm” and keep you accelerating toward your wealth goals. Whether you’re looking for reliability, value retention, or just some affirmation on your dream car, Brian and Bo’s blend of data, experience, and fun makes this episode an essential tune-in for anyone thinking about their next set of wheels.