New Car Needs 60% Down, Used Needs Only 40% — Does That Make Sense?

Since May 2026, the Central Bank capped vehicle financing at 40% for brand-new or under-a-year-old vehicles, so you need 60% cash upfront. Registered vehicles over a year old can still be financed up to 60%, meaning only 40% down. In effect it's now financially easier to lease a five-year-old reconditioned car than a brand-new one straight from the showroom. One side says this is sound policy — vehicle-backed lending had climbed to nearly a quarter of all financial sector credit, and new vehicles depreciate fastest, so capping exposure there protects banks and finance companies from another bad-debt pile-up. The other side says it punishes exactly the buyers who wanted something reliable and under warranty, and quietly pushes first-time buyers toward older used stock with no service history, just because the down payment is smaller. If you've leased recently, which side of this did you land on — paid 60% down for new, or went used because that's what you could actually afford upfront? Numbers on what you put down and for what year vehicle would help others gauge this. අලුත් කාරයක් ගන්න 60%ක් දෙන්න ඕන, පරණ එකක් ගන්න 40%ක් විතරයි - මේක හරිද?