1. Peace of mind. It's always under warranty with road side assistance. I know you can get road side without being new. The lower lease payment helps make up for it.
2. Comfort. A brand new car is always more comfortable than a car with 100,000 miles on it.
I really couldn't care less about my image.
Yes, it's more expensive than buying. But not nearly as much as people on this thread are making it out to be.