A friend of mine concluded his 2010 Mercedes w221 lease a little early and leased a 2013 w221. A monthly lease payment $300 less than the 2010 and a projected $700 less than a new comparably-equipped w222 was a factor, but another equally important factor was his wish to not lease such an early version of the w222.

If you were new car shopping today, would you prefer to buy/lease a well-established but slightly obsolete model, or to be the first on the block with a car of cutting-edge, but somewhat unproven design?