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I think a lot of people here have hit it on the head- leasing is a big waste of money- but no one has proven it.
Here's some basic figures to think about.
Let's take a standard 3 year lease. 12k miles a year max, with insane overage charges (which btw, the vast majority of people go over on, and make these calculations even crazier)
let's say it's a fairly standard $250 a month, as with most cheap sporty cars.
OK, 250 a month for 36 months, without going over 12k miles a year. And we're talking base model car, because they don't lease fully optioned models without jacking up the price a ton. (and they don't give incentives or deals on those either).
Let's take a fairly standard $2300 downpayment on the lease.
$2300 downpayment (10%, average)
$9000 in payments over three years
$11,300 total. for 3 years. You just paid around 3800 a year just to have the ability to drive this car less than the national average (15k a year). Say the base model FR-S was 23 grand out the door. You just paid 11 grand to drive it for 3 years, and you give it back, and now you have nothing to show for it, and the car is still worth 18 grand or so (because it's low miles and unmodified).
OK, now let's do the math on financing the same exact car.
23 grand base price
same $2300 downpayment
let's say a 3.9% interest rate. You would be financing 20,700 and your payments would be:
$380 a month.
(I did not factor in tax- it varies by state)
So after 3 years, you've paid off 13,680 dollars on the car, plus your $2300 downpayment, and you owe $8,766.36 on the car. It has as many miles as you want on it, it's yours, and you can mod it.
The difference: With the purchase, you had an extra $130 a month in payments over 3 years, a total of $4,680. But you own the car, you only owe $8,800 on it, and you can sell it at that time for let's say 17 grand (less than what the lease buyout would be worth by far). you'd walk away with 3-5 grand MORE than the lease option, even after you subtract the extra 4700 you paid over the 3 years.
SO- the math on the lease doesn't make sense. Unless you are willing to walk away from a car that you invested 11 grand in after three years, and have nothing to show for it- and you can afford that. (and again, I did not factor in all of the fees they charge you when you return the lease. on average, over a thousand dollars for regular wear and tear, and mileage overages).
Please read and learn, and don't waste your money. The only reason dealerships offer leases, is because they make a lot of money on them.
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