Lease Questions - Ask Here

CarMan@Edmunds

Yes I do, vpotluri. If you were to lease a 2004 Honda Pilot EX without navigation through American Honda Finance Corp. this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its residual value should be 62%.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello jims52. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe through Infiniti Financial Services this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00200 and 61%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, mookie14. I'm glad that I was able to help you out.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi crewdog5. If you were to lease a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD through Chrysler Financial in your area this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00159 and 44%, respectively.

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crewdog5

Thanks Car_man!
ouch 44%, I guess they dont hold their value very well. Can you check on a 04 F150 Supercrew 4X2 Lariat, 3 years and 12K?
Thanks

Crewdog5

hardy21

Car_Man -

Could you tell me what Chevrolet's current money factor and residual is for a 2003 Tahoe Z71: 3 years/12,000 miles. Thanks for your help.

vpotluri

Car_man,

Is the residual different with Navigation system for the 2004 Honda Pilot EX? I like the 62%. Thanks.

jeffreyb3

Car_Man:

I got the following deal on a 2003 FX45 with Premium Package:

MSRP: $47,590
24 Month Lease
15,000 miles per year
Selling Price: $42,238 (dealer says this is $1,200 below cost)
Residual: $27,602
Money Factor: .001350
Monthly Payment: $680
Upfront: Sales Tax; MV of $99; Doc Fee of $169 and Etching of $129 (why would I want this - do I have to take it?).
No mention of acquistion fee or security deposit?

It appears to be a great deal (except that the residual stinks). What do you think?

Thanks, as usual, for all your help and insight!

Jeff

buster6

Hi Car man,

I am in the market for a new car lease. I drive about 25k-30k miles per year. I am looking for a e320, gs300 or 5 series (or simular). For a high milage lease who would be the best bet? Thanks

1234

Hi Car Man,
Could you tell me what AHFC's current MF and Residual are on the 2004 Honda Odyssey, 3 years/12K and 3 years/15K? Are these figures the same for 2003s also? Thanks so much!
Dennis

samiam11

Car Man,

Thanks for the information on the Accord and TL-S numbers. Could you also give me the residual and money factor for a 2003 Mazda 6s for 48 months at 12K a year?

Thanks again for all your help.

CarMan@Edmunds

You're right, Crewdog5. DaimlerChrysler's residual values are pretty bad, they have gotten really bad now that many banks have realigned their residuals. DCX used to artificially inflate them to make them more attractive, but they don't any more. I have a strong feeling that you aren't going to like the F-Series lease program either. If you were to lease a 2004 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Lariat 2WD through Ford Motor Credit this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease rate and residual value should be 9.75% and 53%. This model's residual value is much better but its lease rate is absolutely horrible.

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CarMan@Edmunds

I would be more than happy to, hardy21. I have had quite a few community members ask me about the lease programs on domestic trucks lately. If you look back through some of these messages you will see that generally speaking, the lease programs on large domestic SUVs and pickups are pretty bad. The Tahoe is no exception to this rule. If you were to lease a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe through General Motors Acceptance Corp. this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease rate and residual value should be 6.5% and 57%, respectively. I haven't seen a lease program for any 2003 GM products and believe that it may have stopped providing support on its 2003 models. If you let me know what part of the country you plan on purchasing this truck in, I can give you an idea of what sort of cash and special financing incentives are available on it.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Vpotluri, 2004 Honda Pilot EX models that are equipped with the navigation system have 3 year residual values that are 3% lower than base EX models.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Jeff. The selling price that you were quoted looks great and the dealer that you spoke with quoted you this model's base lease money factor. These are both good signs. You should plug these numbers into a lease calculator or work up some numbers manually just to make sure that all of the numbers that they quoted you equal this payment, if so then you are getting a heck of a deal.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Wow, you sure put a ton of miles on your vehicles, buster6. Of the three cars that you mentioned, the Lexus ES 300, Lexus GS 300, and BMW 5-Series, the 2003 ES 300 has the best lease program available on it at this time. Of course, you could purchase a leftover 5-Series and take advantage of the dealer cash that BMW is providing on them right now, but it is a little past the peak time to lease one.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello 1234. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2004 Honda Odyssey LX, let me know if you are interested in a different trim level, through American Honda Finance Corp. this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00210 and a solid 65%, respectively. The money factor for an otherwise identical lease of this van with only 12,000 miles per year would be the same, but the residual value would increase to 67%. The 2003 Odyssey would have the same money factor, but lower residuals. Let me know if you need them too.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome, samiam11. If you were to lease a 2003 Mazda 6s with an automatic transmission through Mazda's captive finance company this month for 4 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00167 and 40%, respectively.

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dancefb

can you please tell me the MF and the residuals for 3/36k and 3/45k leases for 03 nissan pathfinder LE and SE model. Thank you very much

crewdog5

Thanks for all the information. You provide a very valuable service to the auto buying community.
I think I will wait around 6 months and purchase a 04 F150, by then the dealers will be more than willing to deal with you and hopefully Ford will have some incentives!

Crewdog5

chrism124

Car_man,

Do you have lease information on the 04 MDX Touring (w/o nav & RES). The lease would be based on 3 years / 12k miles.

Thanks,
Chris

jjdub

Hello Car_Man,

My dealer is telling me that the residual for a Honda Pilot EX-L without NAV for 3 yrs/15K miles is 60%. Is this accurate? I had read a post recently that indicated that the residual should be 62%. Would the rate vary by state - I am in MN?

Thank you.

tony97007

Hi car_man. Amazing service you provide here - thanks in advance.

Here's my question: I'm considering leasing a vehicle for the first time, and am looking for a 36 month term on a sporty four seater:

- Acura TSX (or an 04 TL)
- BMW 3-series
- Saab 9-3
- Audi A4

I currently don't drive more than 10k miles per year, so a low-miles lease would work for me if it can save me some cash. Are any of the cars above getting especially good lease support on a 36 month lease right now? If not, what's the most bang I can get for under $400/month?

Thanks!

-tony

jcat707

How exactly does Ford's early lease turn in work? Also what are the numbers for a Ford Explorer XLT Sport 4WD?

multiplechoice

Hi Tony, I suspect the Saab has the best lease rates, followed by the Audi, BMW and then the Acura. In terms of $400 or less a month, unless you make a sizable cap. reduction, I think only the Saab might be under $400/mo. If you looking for "bang for the buck", you might want to consider the Subaru WRX. Just my $.02

CarMan@Edmunds

Hello dancefb. Here is the information that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder LE through Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00020 and 47%, respectively. The lease money factor for an otherwise identical lease of this model with only 12,000 miles per year should be exactly the same, but the residual value would be 1% higher. The numbers for a 3 year 15,000 miles per lease of a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder SE should be .00025 and 49%. Again, the factor for a 3 year, 12,000 miles per year lease of this truck would be exactly the same, but the residual value would be 1% higher.

When negotiating your deal on the Pathfinder that you are interested in, keep in mind that Nissan is currently providing $500 customer lease cash on it that may be used to lower this truck's capitalized cost. Nissan is also providing $500 to $1,000 dealer cash on this truck that may be used on leases as well.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome, Crewdog5.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Chris. Unfortunately, I have not seen Acura's numbers for the 2004 MDX yet. I probably will get an opportunity to take a look at them when it publishes its October lease numbers. Please feel free to check back with me early next month and I will let you know what I have been able to find out about this new model's lease program.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Jjdub, the residual value that you were quoted for this vehicle is right on the money. The residual for this model would increase 2% to 62% for this term for a lease with only 12,000 miles per year.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, tony97007. I am glad that you enjoy this discussion so much. Acura is not providing any sort of lease support on the TSX right now. American Honda Finance Corp.'s 3 year, 12,000 miles per year base lease money factor and residual value for one without navigation should be .00205 and 62%, respectively.

BMW is not providing much in the way of lease support on the 2004 BMW 3-Series either. It is however, providing $1,500 to $2,500 dealer cash on leftover 2003 3-Series models. This might be of interest to you.

Saab always provides tons of support on its models. It has special lease money factors and lease cash on both the 2003 and 2004 9-3 this month. Even though I am not personally a big Saab fan, they provide a lot of car for the money.

Last, but not least, you mentioned the Audi A4. Audi is only providing a little lease support on 2004 A4s right now, but like BMW it is providing dealer cash to help dealers unload their remaining 2003 models. Specifically, Audi is providing $750 dealer cash on 2003 A4 1.8T models and $2,000 dealer cash on 2003 A4 3.0L models.

It's tough for me to say whether you can lease any of these models for less than $400 per month without knowing the exact trim levels of the models that you are interested in and without knowing their full MSRPs and selling prices so I can not say which ones you would be able to lease for less than $400 per month. If you provide me with a little more informaiton on the vehicles that you want, I could calculate sample lease payments on them and see what we come up with.

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tony97007

Thanks car_man. My front-runner is the Acura TSX without navigation. In my area, the TSX's still seem to be selling for full MSRP, which is about $26.9k. What would the payments be on a 36 month, 12,000 mile/yr lease on it if the selling price is full MSRP?

Thanks.

-tony

landinggear

I have one year left on the lease of my Mercedes Benz E-320. At what point should I start looking at for a new car at the dealer?

I figure the possibilities might be either a leftover 2004 or a new 2005.

Any thoughts on this subject will be appreciated as this is my first car leasing experience.

tank43

Car Man,

Can you please give me Ford Motor Credits current money factor & residual on the 2004 F-150 supercab XLT 4x4 & RWD 4.6cyl. 12,000 miles per year.

                   Thanks !

jas413

I would greatly appreciate any information or experience anyone has in dealing with this entity or similar entities. Lexusus.com obtains the vehicle and has it delivered anywhere in the country.The numbers they quote are better than dealers in the midwest.Thanks in advance for any info!

colslick

What a great place for help! I'm looking at 3 cars(Acura TL, Inf I35, Lexus ES300) to lease for 36mo/45K. I'm trying to figure which would be the best deal based on MF,Residual and manufacture lease support. Would you happen to know what the MF and residuals are for these 3 and have any thoughts on which might be the best deal at this time? Thanks for the help and this great site

aleksd1

Car_man,
 Thanks for you info on 2003 FX35(a while ago).
I'm still in the market for a new car and was wondering if you have any lease info on 2003 Toyota Landcruiser.I'm interested in 36 months/15k per year lease. Thank you in advance
 Alex

chigirlintexas

Hi Carman,
I'm still pondering the lease of an FX35, and while we don't have much snow here in Dallas, the AWD could come in handy on those occasions that we do. In your opinion, is it worth the extra $1500 for AWD? How does it affect the residual on a 36 or 39 month lease (15k miles)? I am looking at the tech package for sure, don't really care about the roof rails, so MSRP is about $44,500 vs $46,000.

Have you heard anything yet on the '04s? A local dealer says they will be out in October, with about $200 price increase, but tech package will exclude the DVD player (and keep the navigation system), so it could be cheaper as far as the MSRP, but I suspect they'll be less likely to budge on the price. They quoted me a 48% residual on a FX35 2WD for 39 months, and 49% for 36 months. Is that about right? Like some other posters, I'm a bit concerned about the instant depreciation I'll experience in getting an '03 so late in the year.

As always, thanks for your expert advice and assistance!

GO CUBS!

dmelidos

I'm also considering leasing an FX-35 AWD or 2WD with Premium Package only. I want a 3 year lease with 10K miles/yr. I would consider a 4 year lease if it was cost effective. Would you recommend a 3 year lease or a 4 year lease? Infinity's warranty is 4 years/60K miles.

Do you know what the current money factor is and what the residual value is? Thanks so much!

swang2

Thanks in advance for you help... I'm trying to find out the money factor and residuals for this car for 36/12k, 42/12k, and 48/12k.

What rates would you come up with assuming a $20750 agreed price w/ no money down.

Ciao!

jratcliffe

You said you know the risks of the single-payment method (primarily the risk of losing everything if the car is totalled three days into the lease, for example), fair 'nuff. Have you, though, considered opening a checking account at E*trade or somewhere just for this, funding it with the $17k, setting up automatic withdrawal (5 minutes), and just leaving it on autopilot? No monthly payments to deal with, and no big down payment.

jims52

Car_man,

I am interested in leasing a 2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT and the dealer gave me the options of lowering my payment by either putting $2,500 down as a cap cost reduction on a 39 month lease to get the payment in the range I am looking for or I could put down $3,000 in multiple security deposits to bring the payment down and I get my $3,000 back at the end of the lease.

It seems to make more sense to go with the multiple security deposits because the overall cost of the lease is cheaper. Does this make sense or am I missing something? Also, how can I calculate a lease with multiple security deposits using the Edmunds lease calulator? It doesn't seem to work. Thanks for the help!!!

barbarossa2

Car_man, I am considering leasing one of the following cars: Mercedes-Benz SLK230, SLK320, or SLK32 AMG, or Chrysler Crossfire, or Infiniti G35 coupe. (Love the Crossfire looks and the old and tried E-class 3.2 L engine, but Chrysler dealers scare me. I feel that the SLK is a little too small and overpriced, having driven one for the last 4 years. G35 seems like a solid choice specs-wise, but it looks weird to me from some angles. Then there is the AMG, an intriguing car that may be worth its $56K tag.) Anyway, now that I've tried to explain the multitude of choices I am facing and my indecision, what would be the residual values and money factors for these five cars, leased through their respective manufacturer finance divisions for 48 months, with 12,000 miles/year? Thank you!

trhee

Car_man,

I've seen several postings about lease numbers for the Passat, but haven't had any luck finding my answers. For example, I saw numbers for leasing a Passat for 15k miles, but I'm looking to lease one for 12k miles. Anyway, just wanted to know what you thought of the numbers I've received from one VW dealer for a 36 month term:

For the Passat GLS 1.8T (fully loaded), the dealer gave me a purchase price of $22,809 with a buy out of $13,036.45 (49% residual) and a money factor of .00225.

For the Passat GLX, he quoted me a price of $26,526 with a buy out of $14,726.40 (48% residual) and the same money factor.

Does seem to be a reasonable deal? If not, what kind of numbers should I be looking for? Thanks so much.

TR

deutch194

Hi Carman,

I've been looking at the Saab 9-3 for a few months and now with the 2004's hitting the lot, I am trying to figure out if it is better off going with an '03 or '04.

Could you please give me the residuals and money factors for a 2003 and 2004 Arc and Vector (Aero for 2004)? I am interested in 36 months and 10,000 and 12,000 miles per year. On an '03 Arc, I was quoted a money factor of .00030 and residuals at 52% & 51% for 10,000 and 12,000 miles and for an '03 Vector the residuals were 51% and 50% and money factor was .00086.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Deutch

belsouth

I've been reading a lot about leasing recently in these and other forums, and I wanted to see if I could get some feedback on the lease deal I've been presented with. The particulars are:

Car '04 BMW 325i
MSRP 34,445
Sale price 33,400 ($1,500 over invoice)
Residual 21,011 (61%)
Money factor .0020 (reduced from .0022 via MSD's)
Taxes/Fees 1,800 (3% tax in VA)
Monthly Pmt 507 (including tax/fees)

I calculate the depreciation to be 14,200 (Sale price + tax/fees - residual, rounded). If I deduct this amount from my 36 month payment total of 18,250, I'm left with 4,050. This amount I attribute to the money factor being applied to the total amount of the sale price + tax/fees. My dealer says this is the Adjusted Capital Cost [Sale price + taxes/fees + residual] x money factor. He characterizes this amount as a "rent charge." This breaks down to approximately $112 per month. My questions are:

1. Is this a good deal in respect to the lease, not necessarily the sale price?
2. Is he being straight with me with his explanation of the Adjusted Capital Cost?

Thanks in advance, and I apologize for the length of this post.

belsouth

BTW, the above lease is 36 month, 15k miles per year.

gls3574

I am interested in getting a 2003 Mazda Tribute. I am trying to decide whether to lease or buy. What is the money factor and the residual value on the 2003? (for a 3 year 12,000 mile lease) The MSRP is $24,295 and invoice is $22,800.
Thanks!

redcomrade

hi car_man,

i heard that there are some lease deals on Mercedes C230 sedan. have you seen those? for example, what would be residual/MF on C230 sedan for 36 months with 12000 miles?

thanks.

jratcliffe

As much as it pains me to help an RBOC-type , a couple of thoughts. When I calculate your lease, I get the following:

Capital cost: 33400-21011=12389/36 = $344/month
Finance cost: (Residual+Sale Price)*MF = (21011+33400)/.002 = $108/month

Total per month: $452 before taxes. If your local tax is 3%, the total payment should be $466, not $507. I get a $507 monthly payment if the sales price is $34,700, not $33,400. Don't know if this is some quirk of VA tax law, but it looks as if you're actually paying $34,700 for the car.

Don't know if that's a fair price in your area, you might want to check the Bimmer boards here (325-What did you pay?) to find out.

belsouth

I think the difference is the $800 in fees, jratcliffe. If I add that to the capital cost, I come up with $394. This plus $108 brings me just about to my quoted price with the variance due to rounding probably. Thanks for taking a look at my example.

I have to check further on VA law, however, because I still don't understand why I would pay sales tax on the total sale price when I'm only "purchasing" the value in excess of the residual. Seems like another tax rip-off.