# UPSC Educator Rejects Car as Depreciating Asset

> UPSC educator says cars save 250-700 hours yearly and should be bought by those earning over ₹1L/month.
- Title: UPSC Educator Rejects Car as Depreciating Asset · mint
- Summary: UPSC educator says cars save 250-700 hours yearly and should be bought by those earning over ₹1L/month. UPSC educator Amit Kilhor advises people earning more…
- Keywords: upsc, amit kilhor, car, depreciation, commute, income, time saving, ₹1l, 730 hours, financial advice, news, india
- Source: mint — https://livemint.com/money/personal-finance/upsc-educator-rejects-depreciating-asset-tag-for-cars-advises-buying-at-over-1l-month-income-to-save-up-to-730-hours-11792776464752.html
- Author: Garvit Bhirani
- Published: 2026-10-23T18:32:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: upsc, amit kilhor, car, depreciation, commute, income, time saving, ₹1l, 730 hours, financial advice, news, india
## UPSC Educator's View
UPSC educator Amit Kilhor rejects cars as depreciating assets, advising buyers earning over ₹1 lakh monthly to purchase vehicles.

> Car is a deprecating asset is the stupidest sentence in finance
## Time Savings Claim
Kilhor states a car saves 250 to 700 hours annually by reducing commute time for daily use.
## Income Threshold
Kilhor advises people earning more than ₹1 lakh per month to buy cars as a practical investment.
## Comparison to Daily Items
Kilhor compares cars to everyday purchases like phones and clothes that also depreciate but serve practical purposes.
## Financial Benchmark
Kilhor suggests using half of annual income as a guideline for car purchase price to avoid overstretching budgets.
## Vehicle Examples
For ₹12 lakh earners, Kilhor recommends Maruti Suzuki Baleno over Mahindra Scorpio; for ₹30 lakh, Toyota over Audi.
## Interest Cost Example
Kilhor cites ₹80,000 interest over five years for a ₹10 lakh car as reasonable given time savings.
## Depreciation Analysis
Kilhor notes ₹1 lakh annual depreciation for a ₹10 lakh car after five years but emphasizes practical utility over resale value.
## Key takeaway

UPSC educator Amit Kilhor advises people earning more than ₹1 lakh monthly to buy cars, claiming they save 250-700 hours annually by reducing commute time.