[atombath]

I guess I'll respond everywhere you tried to make this point. A $40k car will likely come with a 5yr loan that's cheaper than student loans. That'd actually be $8k/yr+interest... which is not 40% of your salary. Find something else to judge the guy for.

[hapless]

Even if it's 0% interest across 5 years, it's still forty thousand dollars. Whether you pay it all at once, or in dribs and drabs each month, you are paying more than you can reasonably afford.

(To say nothing of the prudence in financing a depreciating asset)