People call me stupid for buying my GTI instead of buying a 1 bedroom condo with parking when they were about $400k back then. I had the following reasons and I stand by them:

• I needed a car to commute to work. I live at home with my family and worked in York Region. Taking YRT was possible but not desirable. I also need a car to get around and do dating activities. No I'm not going to move. Reddit is stupid for suggesting that all the time.
• Without the bank of mom supporting me, there was no way I was going to be approved for a sufficient mortgage. My mom was more than happy to give me a down payment at the expense of making it almost impossible for her to retire (our family finances went to shit thanks to my dad) but it is unfair to her so that's why to this day, I refuse to take her money.
• I could have bought a used Honda Civic or Mazda 3 but my mom didn't want me to buy used. Nor would I have enjoyed those cars nearly as much as I enjoy my GTI. With the GTI, I got into a world that I never thought I'd join: High performance driving. It's an expensive hobby but it makes me happy. YOLO.
• The GTI was also a bit of a compromise anyways. if I have a family and kids later on, I can take my kids family around safely. I wouldn't have been able to do that in a Toyota GT86.
• My GTI was a 0.99% financing for 5 years so while the car itself is expensive, it's not like I was paying a lot in interest. Plus I planned to drive the car for at least 10 years, meaning no new car till 2028. With COVID and work from home, I can probably drive it till 2030 or later with minimal unforseen repairs required. So far, the GTI has been pretty solid despite the abuse its been through with my high performance driving.
• I only have to pay for gas, car payments, and all maintenance associated. Insurance is paid for by my mom. Even if I have to pay insurance myself, it's not expensive as I take advantage of all the discounts available and have a clean driving record.