Just to clarify that $28,000 figure is based on the payment amount multiplied by the payment term which is why I made my comment about not knowing anything about his financing details.
For all we know he could have a 400 credit score and he is dealing with one of those "we can get financing for anyone" type dealerships that charge 20+% interest as a requisite to obtain such financing.
Every single car deal I've ever done is unique and exclusive to the unique and exclusive circumstances, at the time of the deal, pertaining to that unique customer that I'm dealing with. If you just want to look at the price and the payments and try to deduce a conclusion from that alone, you are excluding at least 50% of the variables that reveal the reality of this unique and exclusive circumstance of a deal that exists at this time for this one customer.