As I've discussed in another thread, I lease my car; it's only a Ford Fiesta Titanium but it's a lovely car to drive and I've got piece of mind from it being brand new that it's not falling apart inside. If you're going for a new car, you'd be a fool to spend full whack IMO - it's not like a house, it depreciates in value as soon as you drive it away and it's much more likely to be severely damaged.
Might as well get a just-add-fuel type lease, pay a set fee per month, and while you don't get to keep the car at the end of the lease, everything you get included (literally everything apart from petrol and minor repairs) is normally worth the price of the lease on its own, and you're also not financially invested in the car. If you've just paid a huge lump sum out for a car and then you go and crash it, you'll have a hard time trying to get your insurers to pay out anywhere near the actual amount that the car is worth, whereas with these type of leases if the car is written off or stolen you'll get a brand new replacement. I pay 200 a month all-in for my Fiesta Titanium - it's brand new, all the gadgets, insurance, tax, MOT, breakdown cover, new tyres when necessary, annual servicing, major repairs, the lot. I'm happy with what I'm getting for my money, whereas there's no way in hell I'd go and buy one and then still spend quite a lot insuring it, keeping it taxed and MOTd and maintained, and by the time the car has depreciated in value per year of having it if it was new, I'd be losing out on more money that I'm paying out for the lease alone.
I'm never one to live beyond my means, I don't do catalogues and loans and stuff, don't need to because I've been wise with my money and have savings should I get into a pinch... but leasing > buying is an absolute no brainer for me, lease all the way unless you're going for an older car that you might need to put some TLC into.