Exchanging a leased auto for a manual?
 

So I've had a 2017 auto 86 leased for just under 6 months now with less than 5k miles on it and after recently learning manual and driving my friends frs I feel like I personally had and would have a ton more fun with the manual. I was planning on going into the dealership to see what I could do to possibly pay a relatively small early termination fee (from what I've read they tend to be $200-400?) and rollover my current lease payments to a manual 86. I was wondering if anyone has done this before or has heard of this being done before and could share some tips/advice as to how to make this happen, should it be possible.

Before anyone replies with a comment bashing on me for being stupid or whatever it may be, please just keep that to yourself. Regardless of whether or not this can happen, I absolutely love driving my auto 86 regardless of what people say about it. I have nothing to lose in just trying, especially since I want my payments to go towards a car I can potentially buy out and keep after the next 3 years. Thank you all for taking the time to read this and help me out.

dont know how much it may cost but im sure some amount of money can get you in the configuration you desire. id be surprised if dealer lets a deal go for 400 bux tho.

Welcome. In general I think it's hard to get out of a lease. There are lease takeover sites where someone else will take over the remainder of your lease term. I've never personally done this, so can't comment on how legitimate they are.

If you have a relationship with your salesperson, definitely go in and explain your situation. You love the car and want to continue doing business with them, but just realized that you'd like the manual version more. (And congrats on learning.) Hopefully they will work with you. Best of luck.

Thank you very much I appreciate the response

Financially leasing isn't the best choice to start with if you think you may want to keep the car. It may be better to terminate the lease, pay the fee (maybe the dealership might make things more easy to terminate if you buy a car from them). I've leased cars before and you end up paying more without a doubt. I bought my car with very little down and I financed the rest, since then I refinanced with different banks as the amount I owe shrinks, in the end you will save good money vs leasing. Also good call on the manual. Best of luck whatever you try.

since this is a new lease it will be quite difficult to convince a dealer to roll it over onto a new contract. it isn't out of the question but even if you are able to get a dealer to consider the deal, it will be a lot of negative equity onto your new contract...and legally transferring the lease to someone else is also a pretty rough process as it can take a couple months for them to evaluate and in many, if not most, cases it gets denied anyways.

add up all the remaining payments, check the residual & current payoff amount and find out the current used market price, this is the only way you're gonna estimate how much of a hit you might take taking the different paths. if you want the dealer to just terminate the lease, keep in mind on top of the termination fee + remaining payments, you're going to be subject to the normal return policy, so you could also be charged for any items they consider outside of normal usage/wear.

OP i can sympathize, i once bought a barely used honda prelude (only auto ive owned of 7) so my now exwife could drive it at the time, of which she never did because 'i sit too low'. 9 months later traded up back into a stick. took a financial hit but dog gonnit, i wanted it.

As far as leases are concerned, you can do anything you want with it (in terms of trading for a new/different car).

You just have to accept the financial terms that make sense for the dealer. You have little to no negotiating room with them on these things.

My last two lease cars were rolled over into another car or terminated early with the dealer I got it from, I just had to pay the difference so the dealer would say yes.

-alex

$$ vs desire. Anything is possible for the right amount of money.

Hit the nail right on the head. Go to the dealer and see what that number is.


Good luck.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I spoke with the sales associate who set me up with the current car and he said he could make it happen after we discuss the extra bit of money that needs to go in. It's a good thing the manual without any additions is significantly less than my auto with some additional features.

Just do it!!!