Lease Questions - Ask Here

ryoken

Yes. The actual residual dollar amount is listed on your lease contract. For the rest of the buyout fees, contact your dealer and ask. They'll give you the total amount and break it down for you. There's taxes and stuff to go with those "minor" fees, though.

white6

My salesman told me that the residuals and money factors are the same for the 325Ci and the 330Ci. Car_man quoted money factor of .00225. Residuals are 65% for 10,000 miles and 62% for 15,000 miles. I don't have the 12,000 mile residuals... probably 64% (just a guess). These numbers are only good until the end of April (officially) but probably won't change much, if any, after that. My salesman told me that once you order and BMW Financial confirms your qualification, that your rates are "locked in." There is also a $525 fee and, of course, tax and title work fees. A great little tool is this calculator (which you have to have the numbers to plug in, of course) that I found on LeaseWizard's website:
http://www.leasewizard.com/calculator/calcie.cfm?id=252&CFID=- 418920&CFTOKEN=42605224

brandloyal1

Carman, Thanks for the quick and concise info on honda leases. I have one more question for you though.
Can you tell me what Honda Finance is charging for a bank fee on their leases. I remember paying $450 for this acquisition fee 3 years ago but the dealer (in Mass.) is telling me its now $550.
Do you know?
Thanks!

max63

Carman, could you help me with an A4 3.0.
Need 48 month, 10k and 12k miles per year + Res.
Thanks! Also what is the bank fee for this car.
Southwest area!

ebard

I am going to lease (on Monday) a 2003 525it with 6600 miles. It has sports, premium, cold weather, xenon & park distance. Sales price of $40250, 36 month lease, 15000 mils, with $2000 total down (includes first months payment and all other fees) money factor of 1 and a payment of $438. Residual value 58% ($27500)MSRP of $48000. Please let me know if this is good or a bad deal & if the residual value is correct. How is the residual value calculated and is that negotiable as I may want to buy the car at lease end. If I am trading in a car, should I still be paying tax on the lease. Thank you.

sanah

Hi. I am in the Washington D.C area and I am going to lease a 325CI in June. Options: Steptronic, sports package, and xenon lights with 3 yrs/36,000 miles. The car I have now is valued at $7500 (KBB), but I owe almost $11,000. What advice do you have on the best way to make the transition into the new car as smooth as possible? If I use it as a trade-in, what should I expect to pay? And what should I expect to pay with no trade-in and $0 down? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

dsinsocal

I'm looking for lease info on the GMC Sierra / Chevy Silverado. I'm not sure if the residual and money factor figures are different between the two.

I'm looking for a 36-month lease with 10,000 miles per year.

Figures for both regular and extended cab models would be appreciated.

Also, I want to verify that the current $3000 cash-back program being offered by GM can be used in conjunction with a lease... Does this rebate effect the lease numbers in any way?

Thanks. David

bgtees

Hello Car Man,

Thanks for answering my questions about the $5/day Ford Mustang lease. Based on your recommendation I am now close to leasing a Civic LX Sedan.

I was hoping you could provide the residual and money factor for the special lease Honda is offerning on the Civic right now. 48-month lease, $159/month, $999 down + TTL.

I was also wondering how negotiable dealerships are on a special lease like this. I was going to try and negotiate the price down a bit and/or get some addiditional options included (alarm/keyless entry).

This is for Houston, TX

Thanks

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi everyone. Happy holidays, whichever one you celebrate . I apologize for the delay in answering some of your lease questions. I am a little behind because I was at the press days for the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday and Thursday. As usual, it was a blast. It is amazing how much product knowledge one can absorb in such a short period of time. I promise to answer all of your questions as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

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squirreljam

Carman - earlier this month you had not seen the April Infiniti programs. Do you have that info now, and if not, what's your recommendation as to the best way to get these #s? Can I just call a different dealer to have a benchmark?

Info I would like: mf, rv and acquisition fee for G35 Sedan, manual trans for 36 & 39 months at 15k miles per, in St Louis MO.

Thanks a ton,
Squirrel

knr5

I am Raj, and I am a stick-shift junkie ... !:)
[Sorry folks, it seems to me that, more and more, those of us who appreciate manual transmissions are marginalized -- and may need support organizations like the AA!)

I currently drive a 1998 Nissan Maxima SE (with ALL the options EXCEPT auto transmission). Other than FSTB and K&N air filter, there are no mods. I only have about 48k on the odometer. I love my car for its balance, quickness, comfort, and relatively compact size with a really sharp turning circle (about 35'). However, I am finding it extremely difficult to find a replacement -- the new Maxima has become more of a touring car. The Saab 9-3 and the Passat come closest to the original spirit of the Maxima. Hence my query.

I am thinking of leasing my next car -- while I have bought about a dozen new cars in the last 15 years or so (for self and spouse), I have never leased a car before. I would much appreciate your input/advice/help in this regard!:) Thanks.

I see from Edmunds that the 9-3 Arc (MT) is available for 349/m, app with 2,600 down (including SD/AF and first month payment). The lease is for 36 months, 10k miles per year. I can live with that, though 12k miles would be better. My local VW dealer offered a Passat GLX (MT) for 400/m, 2,000 down + SD/AF + first month payment. The lease is for 36 months, 12k miles per year. I am aware that Saab has 3,000 cash or 0% financing for 60 months; VW has 1.9% financing for 60 months.

Are either of these good deals? If both are good, which is the better deal in your opinion?
Again, I thank you for your input.
Raj
 
p.s.: While I was at the VW dealership, a 2003 W8 sedan was on the lot as a lease special. 399/m with 2000 down (+ 550 SC + first month). This is for a 60 month lease, 12k miles per year. Instinctively, I feel it is a great deal -- but I do not want an auto transmission!:(
I test drove it and came away very impressed with the seamless power delivery, but mildly concerned with the apparent fuel economy. However, I was tempted to sample a real luxury car, instead of a near luxury car!

The dealer is willing to get me a 6-speed W8 Wagon (sedan loses too much trunk space to the AWD mechanicals) for 550/m -- 36 month lease, 12k miles per year, similar down payment, SD etc. I feel I can do better. Should I ask for $500/m? I would like your comments on this issue also. Thanks.

casams

Car Man
Have you gotten any info on the new sienna yet?

chile96

Hi all - let me preface this thread by saying that I am just starting to understand the basics behind leasing but want to learn if it's right for me.

Currently I own, i.e. no liens, a 99 Yukon w/ 67K. I am out of my extended warranty from GM and refuse to buy a 3rd party warranty/insurance. I am in the middle of my residency(3 yrs left) and thinking about a new SUV. Naturally I really like the X5 but on a resident's salary? yeah right! Maybe a new tahoe is more like it w/ the $10K off the sticker. Anyway, it seems logical that leasing may be up my alley for the next 3 yrs as my payments will be low to match my low salary and then, after I "graduate", I can move up to the big boys' toys.

My girlfriend, soon to be fiancee if I can save up the $$$ for the karats(a whole other issue!), thinks I should drive the Yukon for another year or 2 but I am fearful of unexpected repairs(have spent ~ $500 last 2 mos and am about to buy a new alternator tomorrow).

Thanks in advance for any guidance/advice.

FO

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Chris. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2003 BMW 330i through BMW FS this month for 3 years with 10,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00150 and 62%, respectively. I would be more than happy to calculate a sample lease payment on a 330i for you, but first I am going to need you to tell me the full MSRP and selling price of the model that you are interested in.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Greetings Xmonger. Let's compare the lease programs for these two models. First, if you were to lease a 2003 BMW 325i through BMW FS this month for 3 years with 10,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00150 and 62%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical lease of a 325xi should interestingly enough be exactly the same.

If your friend were to lease a 2003 Audi A4 1.8T Sedan 2WD through Audi Financial Services this month for 3 years with 10,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00115 and 58%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical lease of this car with quattro should be .00115 and 60%.

As far as lease acquisition fees go, BMW FS' base fee is currently $525 and AFS fee is currently $575.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello fsufan. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2003 Saab 9-3 Arc Sedan through Saab Financial Services Corp. for 36 months with 12,000 miles per year, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00022 and 51%, respectively. Next, if you were to lease a 2003 Volvo S60 2.4T through Volvo Finance this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be an incredible .00002 and 56%, respectively. Lastly, if you were to lease a 2003 Jaguar X-Type 2.5 manual through Jaguar Credit this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00118 and 51%, respectively. Jaguar is also providing dealer cash on this model that may be used in conjunction with the special lease money factors. Specifically, Jaguar has $2,000 dealer cash on the 2003 X-Type with manual transmission.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You are right, rokum17. For some reason Saab is not currently offering any sort of lease cash on the 2003 9-3 Arc. I suppose that this may be because this model was introduced later than the Linear. Saab always has tons of incentives. It is almost a foregone conclusion that it will introduce lease cash on the Arc eventually, but it is difficult to say exactly when this will happen.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hey tuneful. Those $5 per day leases are actually not as great as they initially appear. First, they are on fairly basic models. They also require consumers to put 10% down. That is a lot of money to put down on a leased vehicle. They also are for 48 months, rather than the more attractive 36 month term. In reality, Ford's lease programs on the Ranger and Mustang aren't really all that different than they were last month. They are just playing with the numbers to make the payments for these models look more attractive.

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CarMan@Edmunds

No problem, nale. Good luck with your shopping.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello namja007. I would be more than happy to help you out. If you were to lease a 2004 BMW 330Ci through BMW Financial Services prior to April 30th for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00225 and 62%, respectively. the 12,000 miles per year residual value for this car would be 2% higher. There is a good chance that BMW's lease program for this model will be different when you actually take delivery of your ordered car.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi mxpro738. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2003 BMW 330i through BMW FS this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00150 and 59%, respectively. The 12,000 miles per year residual values for this car would be 2% higher than the 15k residuals and the 10,000 miles per year residual values would be 3% higher.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You've definitely got the idea of how lease-end purchases work, mxpro738. One little thing that I would add to your description through is that occasionally, some banks are willing to negotiate lower lease-end purchase prices for vehicles than were originally calculated using their residual values. Of course, this is certainly the exception rather than the rule, but it doesn't hurt to ask if they would be willing to work with you if you are thinking about purchasing a leased vehicle.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi madmanager. BMW's current lease program is only scheduled to run through the end of April. I have no way of knowing what its May lease program will look like until they publish it. Most dealers probably do not even know what May's lease program will be like at this point. I suspect that I will be able to fill you in on the details of May's program a few days into the month. Please feel free to check back with me then.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, brandloyal1. American Honda Finance Corp.'s current lease acquisition fee, or bank fee, is currently $550. Many banks have increased their acquisition fees over the past couple of years.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Greetings max63. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2003 Audi A4 3.0L Sedan without quattro through Audi Financial Services this month for 4 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00080 and 46%, respectively. The 10,000 miles per year residual value for a 4 year lease of this car would be 47%. The last that I heard, Audi Financial Services' base lease acquisition fee was $575.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi ebard. If by a lease money factor of 1, you mean .00100, then your dealer is being very straight forward with you. I just calculated a sample lease payment on this car for you, and using the prices that you provided in your post, I come up with a $0 down, pre-tax monthly lease payment for this car of right around $400. The selling price for the car that you are interested in looks fine to me and as long as the payment that you mentioned in your post includes tax, it looks reasonable too.

In answer to your second question, vehicles' residual values are usually based upon a percentage of their full MSRPs. This number is what it will cost you to purchase this car if you choose to purchase it at the end of your lease term. Certain banks have been known to negotiate lease-end purchase prices with consumers, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Still, one has nothing to lose by asking if their bank will work with them on their purchase price.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello sanah. Consumers can usually maximize the value of their used vehicles by selling them on their own. Of course doing so is often a hassle that many people do not want to deal with. Plus, if your state, or district in your case, only charges tax on the difference in price between your new vehicle and your trade selling on your own loses a little luster. Still, private sales are usually the best way for consumers to minimize how upside down they are. If you decide not to go this route, you can always trade your current vehicle in when you purchase your next one and pay the amount that you are upside down out of your own pocket. Some banks will allow consumer to roll a certain amount of negative equity into their new vehicle's loan or lease. If you do not have the cash to pay the difference in your vehicle's trade in allowance and the amount of money that you still owe on it this may be an option.

I would be more than happy to calculate a sample lease payment on a new 325Ci for you. However, BMW's June lease program will likely be different than it is right now. You may be better off checking back with me then. I could calculate a sample payment based on this car's current program for you to give you an idea of approximately what it will cost you to do this deal, but I am first going to need you to tell me this car's full MSRP and selling price.

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mxpro738

Thank you Car_man!

kyfdx

mf and residuals on 36mo/45K please.
auto, sport pkg if that matters.
thanks,

kyfdx

zednick

Hello Car Man,

If you get a chance, could you answer my previous question. The dealer is calling me and I want to get all my facts correct. Thanks in advance.

rphil

Just got into a tiff with a dealer over the acquisition fee on a lease on a new 2003 540iA. He told me that BMW's standard acquisition fee on the current 5 series program was $725. I asked him to show it to me in writing, which he was unable to do. He cut it to $595, which is what Chase charges per the rate sheet shown to me. Overall, I think my deal is ok, what do you think Carman. Drive-off of $1765 incl. lic, tax, acq, 1st. (southern California). Payment of $691 + tax=$748. 36 months, 12k mi/yr. MSRP on car is $59,370. Money factor of .0012, residual at 61%.

sanah

Thank-you for your advice, car_man. I will check back with you in June for lease programs. You said to give me a sample of what my payments would be now you needed the MSRP (which is $33,870) and the selling price. Problem is, I don't know what "selling price" is or how I find it. Can you please advise? Thank-you.

rivertown

"selling price" is the price you negotiate with the dealer. Most cars sell for less than MSRP and for more than the invoice price. Same with a car that you lease.
(If these terms don't make sense to you, you might need to check the site for some basic articles on buying and leasing new cars.)

namja007

Car_man,

Thanks for the reply......2004 330ci 36 month/ 15,000 miles

I will be taking delivery in may.. and was wondering if the money factor and residual is better will I get the better rate. When I ordered in March the mf was .00225 and residual 62% as you stated for the april numbers. So I assume it stayed exactly the same. The dealer told me if the number gets better I will get the better rate. Will you post the may numbers when they come out or do I have to repost. Thank you for your time.

CarMan@Edmunds

Hello David. As one might expect the lease programs for the GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado are basically the same. GMAC's 3 year lease rate for both of these pickups is currently 6.5%. You can convert this lease interest rate into an approximate money factor for the purpose of calculating a sample lease payment by dividing it by 2400. GMAC's 3 year 12,000 miles per residual value for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Regular Cab is currently 48% and for the Extended Cab should be 50%. I don't know if GMAC leases vehicles with only 10,000 miles per year, but if it does the residual values for these models would probably be around 1% higher than the ones that I just posted.

General Motors $3,000 consumer cash can not be used in conjunction with GMAC's lease program for these trucks. GM is offering special lease cash that may be used in conjunction with leases in two of its regions. If you let me know where you live I can tell you if this cash is available in your area.

These lease programs really aren't very good. Personally, if I was in the market for one of these trucks, I would finance it at 0.0% for 60 months rather than lease it.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, bgtees. Good choice. Honda has an excellent lease program on the Civic right now. According to the latest informaiton that I have seen, if you were to lease a 2003 Honda Civic LX Sedan through American Honda Finance Corp. for 4 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00078 and 51%, respectively. I don't know how negotiable the advertised lease payment that you cited in your post is because I have not seen the MSRP and capitalized cost associated with it. However, I can tell you that manufacturers' advertised lease payments almost always leave at least a little room for negotiation. You may not be able to get them to lower this car's price, and in turn monthly payment, much but it definitely is worth a shot.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Sorry, Squirrel, haven't seen IFS' April lease program yet. They apparently have changed their method of disseminating their lease program this month, making it much more difficult to come by. If I was in the market to lease a new Infiniti, I would get quotes, including lease money factors and residual values, from several dealerships and compare them. By doing so at several places you should be able to discern what IFS' program should be like. Sorry that I couldn't be of more help.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Yes, casams, I have seen the new lease program for the 2004 Toyota Sienna. If you let me know how long you plan on leasing one for, how many miles per year you need to be able to drive without having to pay an excess mileage penalty, and the exact model that you are interested in, I would be more than happy to tell you what the program is like. Talk to you soon.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, mxpro738.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi kyfdx. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2003 Saab 9-3 SE Convertible through Saab Financial Services Corp. this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00019 and 44%, respectively. In addition to this special lease money factor, Saab is providing $4,000 lease cash on this model that may be used to lower its capitalized cost.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello zednick. Let's take a look at the deal that you have been quoted. Jaguar has different lease money factors for the 2.5L and 3.0L X-Type. You never mentioned in your post which one the quote that you posted is for. That will make a big difference in my evaluation of this deal. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say that this quote is on a 2003 Jaguar X-Type 3.0L. If that is the case, then it appears as though the dealership that you are working with is trying to mark up Jaguar Credit's base lease money factor for this model. Jag Credit's 4 year base money factor for an '03 X-Type 3.0 is currently .00129. Using the prices that you were quoted, MSRP: $35,815 and Capitalized Cost: $33,865, I come up with a 4 year 15,000 miles per, zero down, pre-tax monthly lease payment of $441 using Jaguar Credit's base lease program. So unless the payment that you were quoted includes tax it appears to be a little on the high side. Also, if you are getting a X-Type Non-Sport with a manual transmission or Jaguar X-Type Sport with any transmission, Jaguar currently has $2,000 consumer cash that may be used to negotiate a lower lease capitalized cost. Keep that in mind if you are getting one of those two trim levels.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi rphil. I hate to say this, but it sounds like your dealer is lying to you. BMW Financial Services charges a base lease acquisition fee of $525 on every model. I believe that individual dealerships have the authority to mark-up this acquisition fee to add additional profit to deals though. This is probably what is happening in your case. The only way that I can see BMW FS' acquisition fee legitimately being higher is if you are in one of the states in which banks have been having problems with the vicarious liability laws. In these states, mainly NY, CT, & RI, some banks have raised their lease acquisition fees. I haven't heard about BMW FS specifically raising their bank fee in these states, like I have heard that some other specific banks have done, but I suppose that it is possible that they have done so. Also, BMW FS' base lease money factor for the 5-Series is currently only .00100, not the .0012 that you were charged, so there was a little mark-up there as well. Still, as long as you are happy with your deal, that's what counts. Enjoy your new car.

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CarMan@Edmunds

No problem, sanah. Consumers are free to negotiate the selling prices of leased vehicles, just as if they were paying cash for them. This is an extremely important number to know, even when leasing. Dealers often try to get consumers to concentrate on monthly payments so that they do not realize that they are being charged a high price for the model that they are interested in. To find out this car's selling price, all you have to do is ask. Your dealer is legally obligated to tell you what it is.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Any time, namja007. Yep, the lease program for the car that you are interested in has not changed since I last provided you with informaiton on it. If you take delivery of your car next month and BMW's program has been enhanced, you should be able to take advantage of the new, improved program. I would appreciate it if you post a reminder for me in this discussion with a description of the information that you are looking for a few days into May and I will be more than happy to tell you what the new program for this car is like. Talk to you then.

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zednick

Thanks for the help Car Man,

The car I was looking at was a 2.5 not the 3.0 model. Could you tell me the money factor on this one?

rokum17

Car_man,

Would you by any chance have residual/money factor numbers for 2002/2003 9-5 Arc (10K/3year) lease in your magic hat? Also, is there any lease support for that vehicle?

Thnx!

sanah

Thanks CarMan and Rivertown!

tammyb6

Hello Car_man,
I am in the market to lease the X5 4.4 in the next two weeks.I am going to sign for 10,000 or 12,000 miles per year for 36 months . I need to know what residuals and money factors BMW uses for this car. I have the black book residuals but I know that is not a exact science. Also are these figuers based on credit scores only? If not what are thay based on?

Thank You,
Tammyb6

fsufan

Car_man. Advertised deal(NJ) on 2003 X-type 2.5 manual.
msrp: $29950, 0 1st payment, 0 security deposit, 0 bank fee. $2799 down payment. 39 months 10K mi. per year. I'm assuming the residual is a little higher than the 51% you quoted yesterday on a 36 month 12k per year deal. Using the $2000 lease cash gets you to $799 down. I've run the numbers and it just doesn't come out right. Can you run them based on Msrp as the car's selling price for both the advertised deal & 1 based on 36 months 12k mi. per year.

CarMan@Edmunds

No problem, zednick. I see that you are getting the 2003 Jaguar X-Type 2.5L. OK, if you were to lease this car through Jaguar Credit this month for 4 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00169 and 43%, respectively. So they still appear to be marking up your lease money factor, just not as much as we had originally thought.

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