Hey, banks have to make a buck too;-)
And from who else than the strapped household who buys on payment , payment , payment!
Nothing new here really. It's how car salepeople have made their living for decades. Sell the payment, not the car!
But in the end, it's the consumer who is responsible. When they walk in with a payment number in mind, they are done.
Saleman finds that out and he takes them for what he can.
Buyer beware kinda comes into play here.
If people would simply take a few minutes to THINK! Do the numbers; see what it will save them to negotiate harder, it would be a lot less difficult to make ends meet down the road.