Leasing/rental payments look cheap to consumers because consumers allocate/spend their available capital in short-term increments -- as in, how much do I have to pay THIS MONTH to get what I want to have this month? On the other hand, corporate owners ask what is the LIFETIME value of this customer to the company? This isn't a conflict; it's a societal marriage of convenience and self-interest. Perhaps, we'd be better off if Government required a long-term statement of the cost of any product sold on a monthly basis.