It might be 0% finance charges but it can still end up costing you quite a bit more than paying cash.
I've saved at least a vehicle in insurance costs over the years by just having good medical coverage and no comprehensive for the vehicles - which is pretty much required when the bank has the title, no?
I believe the savings/cost you are referring to depends on state but I am not completely sure.
And yeah- If you're paying cash for a vehicle and not getting some type of cash discount then you're getting ripped off and should be financing it but if it's MSRP at 0% APR or MSRP using cash they cancel eachother out.
But paying cash is Not always the best decision especially with a favorable interest rate like 0%. Dropping 30K one time takes a big chunk out of your account value for "rainy day" reasons if you will vs borrowing that 30k for 72 months with no interest wont have the same affect. Instead, it increases your monthly budget. When it comes to 0%- paying cash for a car almost does not make sense, financially. However- if you're doing a higher interest rate then yeah cash makes more sense- if you have it and it financially makes sense.
It's all a game few people really understand. When I buy a car I'm most worried about my APR, then how much I'll be paying for the duration of the loan (including interest) and then finally my monthly payment.
I'm looking for a new truck as we speak and I got some quotes with the industry standard of 4.9% APR where I would have paid more TOTAL (including 7 years of interest) for the truck than what MSRP is.