Lease Questions - Ask Here

buster6

Hi CAR MAN

This is for a friend, could you let me know what the 3 year/15k mile residual and lease factor is currently on the Lexus ES330?

Thanks

superman5

a silly question here about a lease, i want to get out of my lease, payout is 25k, so if i sell my car for 25k, and pay off the lease company, i could get my title and then transfer the title to the new owner right?

dballr3

Hi Car_Man,

I'll be going in to negotiate on the lease details on a 04 Audi A4 1.8T Avant today. The price of the car is already determined. Do you have the money factor and residual for 36 and 48 month lease?

Thank you so much!

dballr3

BTW, I'm in southern California.

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi glevitt. Generally speaking vehicles' residual values are set by the banks that one is leasing them through and are not negotiable. When looking at residual values keep in mind that from a monthly payment standpoint, the higher they are the better. Let's take a look at the current lease programs for the models that you mentioned. If you were to lease a 2004 Acura TL without navigation through American Honda Finance Corp. this month for 4 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00205 and 52%, respectively. If you were to lease a 2004 Acura TSX without navigation through AHFC this month for 4 years with 12,000 miles per, its base factor and residual should be .00205 and 51%. Lastly, if you were to lease a 2004 Infiniti G35x through Infiniti Financial Services this month for 4 years with 12,000 miles per, its base factor and residual value should be .00184 and 53%.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Welcome back, ogbuffguy. If you were to lease a 2004 BMW 325Ci Convertible through BMW Financial Services this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00190 and 60%, respectively. Unfortunately, I have not seen Mazda's current lease program for the RX8. I can tell you though that in late December, it introduced $1,500 dealer lease cash on this car that may be used to reduce its capitalized cost.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hey keeferb. Before I fill you in on what this car's current lease program is like, I need to tell you that General Motors Acceptance Corp. publishes lease rates for the vehicles that it leases rather than lease money factors. You can convert these lease rates into approximate money factor equivalents by dividing them by 2400. Now for the program. If you were to lease a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu through GMAC this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease rate and residual value should be 3.5% and 44%, respectively. GM is also providing lease cash on this car that may be used to reduce its capitalized cost. This cash varies by region though, so in order for me to give you an idea of what sort of cash you would be eligible for I need you to tell me what state you live in.

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CarMan@Edmunds

That's good to know. Thanks for the info, kyfdx.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Joe1520, vehicles' residual values are based upon a percentage of their full MSRPs. For more information on how to calculate lease payments on your own, check out the following article and discussion: Calculate Your Own Lease Payment and The Return of "How to Calculate Monthly Lease Payments".

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CarMan@Edmunds

No problem, steeler_fan. Taxes sure are annoying aren't they. I could rant all day about them, but we don't want to open that can of worms . Make sure to come back and let us all know what you decide and how things turn out.

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CarMan@Edmunds

That's great news, dasetton. Good job. Enjoy your new ride .

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hey buster6. Lexus Financial Services' lease program varies slightly depending upon what part of the country one is in. I don't know where your friend lives, so for now I will provide you with info on its most widely available program. If you let me know what state they are in, I will confirm that the numbers that I gave you are correct for that area. If your friend was to lease a 2004 Lexus ES330 without navigation through LFS this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00160 and 57%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds

That's not a silly question at all, superman5. Yes, if you purchase your vehicle from the bank that you are leasing it through, they will send you the title and you are free to sell it to whomever you wish.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Good morning, dballr3. You sure are up early. OK, so you are interested in leasing an Audi A4 1.8T Avant in California today. Let's take a look at its current lease program. According to the latest info that I have seen, if you were to lease this car through Audi Financial Services this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00130 and 55%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical 4 year lease should be .00140 and 46%. Good luck in your negotiations.

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kyfdx

Sorry.. I meant residual is a percentage of MSRP.. I just re-read my post.

regards,
kyfdx

glevitt

Car_Man thanks for the data the picture is starting to get clearer!

I have a few general follow up questions:
1. are money factors negotiable? (I meant to ask that originally)
2. do the MFs change based on credit score and what tier are you supplying us in general?
3. Is their a rule of thumb we can use for adding or subtracting miles per year? I have heard $10month/1000 miles, is that accurate?

Thanks again!

blerner2

Carman,

I've narrowed my list down to the following cars. I've been reading through recent posts and think I have the latest Residuals/MF's. Could you please confirm. I'm looking to decide by the end of January.

Lease Term: 36 mos/15,0000 mi per year

Cars (All 2004 Models):
Acura TL w/o Nav: 58%/.00215
Acura TL w/ Nav: 56%/.00215
Infiniti G35 Sedan AWD: 59%/.0018
Volvo S60 2.5T AWD: 52%/.0025
Nissan Maxima SE: 56%/.002 (I guessed at this one)

I'm assuming that if I wait until February, I will not see drastic changes from these Residuals/MF's. From your experience is this a safe assumption?

ashleyandersin

Below is the price I have been quoted for an X-3 with zero deposit and just drive off fees. Anybody know if these residual values are accurate and if 2.4 is the best rate BMW has? Also please see my response at the end of the quote and feel free to correct me if I am wrong!!!

This is the dealer quote:
Sticker Price on X3: $35,520
Internet Price: $34,495
Res Value 15K 57% of sticker price & 12K 59%.
Money Factor: 2.4 This is the Best Rate BMW has.
Drive Off : $1414.99 (Lic Fees $274 + $525 Lease Fee + 1st payment)
Monthly Payment 12k $509.45 + Tax =$551.45
Both 3 YEAR 15K$527.45 + Tax =$570.99

Dealer:
 
All of the terms of your offer sound good with the exception of the monthly payments. Please check them.
 
Specifically, please note that:
 
(a) Given an "Internet Price" of $34,495 and a residual value (assuming 12k miles/year) of $20,956.80 (59% of the $35,520 MSRP), the amount financed is approximately $13,538.20 (the "Financed Amount"); and
 
(b) Given a money factor of 2.4, which is approximately equal to an annual interest rate of 5.9% (1.0024 ^24)
 
(c) An amortization of the Financed Amount yields a pre-tax monthly payment of approximately $411.30 per month (and assuming an 8.25% tax rate, an after tax monthly payment of approximately $445.20).
 
According to my calculations, at a 2.4 money rate (or a 5.9% apr) a pre-tax monthly payment of $509.45 corresponds to a "capitalized cost" in the neighborhood of $37,726.77).
 
Please let me know if my analysis is mistaken.
 
Ashley

joe1520

Are you using 36 or 48 months in your calc? Dealer # looks reasonable for a 36 month lease, whereas your #s look in line for a 48 month?

mobofe

somewhere somehow your numbers got mixed up. i won't bother to guess what went wrong but your payment by the dealer's numbers should be $531.86 for the 12k/year lease,includes tax ($491.34 pre-tax).

i suggest you re-read the lease calculation piece by edmunds and run the numbers again. practice makes perfect!

p.s. hopefully my #s are correct too

tank43

Hi Carman,

What is the current money factor/ residual for the 2004 Honda Civic LX or EX 4 door automatic through
American Honda Finance 36 months 12,000 per.
Will I be able to use the Manufacturer to Dealer
$400.00 marketing support offered by Honda through 3/1/04 on a lease?
And possibly lease the car for $400 or $500 under
invoice?

 Columbus Ohio

bazoooooka

Ashley your numbers are right; given the MF (.0024) and Residual (59% of MSRP is what it should be worth after 36 months) that you are using.

The dealer maybe giving/playing the numbers assuming the inverse of the residual.. (ie he's saying your car is only worth 100%MSRP minus 59%= 41% of its MSRP is all it worth after 36 months)

Thus your being charged for 59% of depreciation for only 3 years use instead of the 41% of depreciation (minus the $1025 diff in your cap cost which make it even cheaper for you).

Either he's an idiot cuz Bimmers hold over 50% of their value easy and/or he's a sheister (or both)

mobofe

edmunds guide to calculating lease payments. to clarify:

You're paying $13,538.20 / 36 months = $376

+

interest on ($13,538 + $34,495) x .0024 = $115

= $491 pre-tax

Calculating interest payments on leasing is different from calculating for finance. perhaps car_man can explain the mechanics of it. I personally can't but I do know how to follow the gurus.

bazoooooka

Sorry Ashley I forgot about the interest spread out over the lease - your case was convincing .

But now I see dealer #'s do look legit...

At first they seemed high cuz of all the $499/mo leases out there for the 04z

But I now realize those are based off of 61% residuals and Cap costs closer to 30k even..

Your math was spot on (except for calculating the interest portion of the payment).

**FYI: To get under 500 you'll need to put some money down and get closer to a base 04 or maybe get a deal on an 03 but that'll hurt your lease support (this also assume 12 miles a year at most)

CarMan@Edmunds

No problem, glevitt. Dealers often try to mark-up banks' base lease money factors in an effort to add additional back-end profit to deals. Money factors are negotiable in that if a consumer knows what a bank's base factor for their vehicle is, they can make sure that their dealer is using it to calculate their payment and insist that they lower it to the base factor if they are not. However, banks will not negotiate their money factors any lower than their base rates. So once you are sure that a base factor is being used to calculate your monthly payment no more negotiation is possible.

Certain banks do have lease programs for multiple credit tiers, while others only have one lease program that consumers either qualify for or don't. Whenever I provide a community member with an idea of what a vehicle's current money factor is like, it is always for banks' top credit tiers.

It is difficult to generalize how much changing the mileage allowance will impact a vehicle's lease payment because this will vary from model to model. When one lowers the number of miles per year that they need to be able to drive from say 15,000 to 12,000 it increases their vehicle's residual value percentage. Most banks increase residual percentages in this case by 2%, but some only do so by 1%. Since vehicles' actual residual values are based upon a percentage of their full MSRPs, the more expensive the model is, the more of an impact a change in the mileage allowance will have on its monthly payment.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi blerner2. Thanks for taking the time to look through my previous posts for the information that you are looking for. I just double checked your list and the information that you posted is right no the money, except for the '04 Maxima SE which has a 3 year 15,000 miles per base factor and residual of .00168 and 53%. You probably will not see dramatic changes in these models' lease programs if you wait until February to get your new vehicle, but there is a change that they will be slightly different. Please feel free to check back with me then and I will be more than happy to let you know if anything has changed.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Greetings, Ashley. BMW Financial Services' base lease money factor and residual value for the 2004 X3 are .00225 and 57%, respectively. In your post you mentioned that the money factor that was used to calculate your payment was "2.4." By this I assume that your dealer meant .00240. The only way that this would be BMW FS' base money factor for this vehicle is if you were having its security deposit or acquisition fee waived. BMW FS' will waive its deposit and bank fee requirements in exchange for a slight increase in a vehicle's money factor. I just worked up a sample lease payment on this vehicle for you. Here is what I cam up with. According to my calculations if you were to lease a 2004 BMW X3 with a full MSRP of $35,520 and a selling price of $34,495 through BMW Financial Services this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, your zero down, pre-tax monthly payment should be right around $519. At lease signing, you would be required to pay your first month's payment of $519, a security deposit of $525 or $550, and BMW FS' acquisition fee of $525.

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calamba

Negotiated for a 2004 Acura TSX no Navigation w/ fogs and all weather package. Final price will be $25,842.00 plus 6.75% tax, doc fee of 53.52, and title for $143. If I was to lease this car, NEVER leased before, what kind of numbers will I be looking at. Please include a couple of combination, i.e. 36 mos. and 15K miles/yr. Thanks.

kyfdx

Your numbers are wrong. mobofe..you came close, but yours are wrong too..

The dealer's numbers are right on the money.

check mobofe's post.. he has the depreciation correct.. but the money factor (which is .0024, by the way) is multiplied by (cap cost plus residual). mobofe.. you multiplied by (cap cost plus depreciation).

I ran the numbers and came out within pennies of the dealers numbers.

regards,
kyfdx

nas43

Car_Man,

Can you tell me when the updated January rates expire for the BMW 330i? I ordered one yesterday that probably won't be in until late March/early April.

Thanks

ashleyandersin

Thanks guys! I dicovered my error...now it's off to the dealer to make the deal. However, now I am having second thoughts.. wondering if I should just finance the thing and not lease. However, I do like to drive a new car every three years... what to do? what to do?

Thanks for all everyone's helpful feedback. It's not easy being a female car buyer!

kyfdx

Leasing has its advantages and disadvantages. Locking in your depreciation is one big advantage. However, that money factor comes out to about 5.75 percent. My credit union currently offers 3.9% on 60 month loans. That alone may make buying a better deal. You can still trade in the car in three years.

Good luck!
kyfdx

mobofe

thanks for catching my mistake kyfdx.

as for finance vs lease: if you're set on that vehicle, the next thing that would come to mind is: can you afford to finance. probably $100 odd more at 3.9%. if you can do it without overstretching yourself, you can start weighing the pros and cons.

IMHO:
Financing is the financially prudent way to do it. You pay less interest and you build equity in the car. On the other hand, leasing gives you convenience - the convenience of not having to worry about the upkeep the car and the pains of selling it when you decide to.

If having a new car every 3 years is the way you look the vehicle, I think leasing would be the way to go. Finding a comparable car with great lease support program (i.e. lower MF) would make it a no-brainer.

Btw, are you all set on the X3 - haven't read a good review on it yet.

footie

Hi Car Man
Do you know if the lease terms for the Honda Element EX have changed for the 2004 models?

Can you check for me the MF/Residual on 3 year 36000 EX for the Boston area!

Thanks

clpurnell

Check out the FX also. You can get into a nice AWD FX for about the same dough.

reellaw

I am a novice at leasing and/or financing. I have been offered the following deal:

BMW 330
36 months
10,000 miles (which is all I need)
Based on sale figure of $39,970
Without Premium Package which I might add in it is $474.90 a month with $3,487.75 due at signing for fees security and taxes.

Any thoughts? I am also math deficient so all I need to know is what I should bargain for--

blerner2

Carman,

You confirmed for me earlier that the Residual/MF for the G35 was 59% & .0018.

Do these also hold true for the G35x (all wheel drive variant)?

crashtestdingo

On Jan 21, 2004 at 1:21am, superman5 wrote:

> a silly question here about a lease, i want to get out of my lease, payout is 25k, so if i sell
> my car for 25k, and pay off the lease company, i could get my title and then transfer the title
> to the new owner right?

On Jan 21, 2004 at 8:26am, Car_man_HOST wrote:

> That's not a silly question at all, superman5. Yes, if you purchase your vehicle from the bank
> that you are leasing it through, they will send you the title and you are free to sell it to
> whomever you wish

I have the impression that superman5 doesn't have the $25K to give to the bank and is planning to get it from a buyer, and is wondering how the "mechanics" of the deal will work.

jmaxe

Hi Car Man.
I've seen the special that Honda is running on the Accord LX but I plan to lease an EX V6/Leather/XM either with or without NAV. Can you tell me what is the current residual and money factor for 12k miles and 36 month Accord EX lease? Thanks.

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi tank43. Let's take a look at the current lease program for the car that you are interested in. If you were to lease a 2004 Honda Civic Sedan through American Honda Finance Corp. this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00220 and 56%, respectively. Honda's volume bonus program actually provides dealers with between $400 and $1,000 on Civics, depending upon the number of units that they deliver. I believe that this cash is available on models leased through AHFC. Given this cash, you should probably be able to lease this car for a couple hundred dollars below invoice, but don't count on them dipping into their holdback to sell you one for less than that.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Welcome to the FWI Message Board, calamba. If you are new to leasing then you have come to the right place. You have already started your negotiations off properly. Consumers should always negotiate an attractive selling price on the vehicle that they are interested in before discussing lease payments with their dealer. Even though Honda is not providing any sort of lease support on the TSX right now, its lease program is not that bad. If you were to lease a 2004 Acura TSX without navigation 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 .00215 and 57%, respectively. The aforementioned money factor is equivalent to an interest rate of right around 5.16%, which is not too bad for an unsupported money factor. I would be more than happy to work up a sample lease payment for you on this car, however in order for me to do so, I need you to tell me its full MSRP.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Nas43, I believe that BMW's current lease program for the 2004 3-Series is scheduled to run through March 1st. It is difficult to say what it will do with the factors and residuals for this car after that date. I believe that BMW lets consumers who have ordered vehicles to lock in its lease program for a certain period of time. You may want to ask your dealer about this. By locking its current program in, you cover yourself just in case it's March program is worse. I believe that if they decide to improve its lease program for this model, you would be eligible for the new improved factors even though you had locked in the old program.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hey footie. It's interesting how the posts on certain brands seem to come in waves. This is the third consecutive Honda / Acura question that I have answered. Here is the latest info on this vehicle's lease program. If you were to lease a 2004 Honda Element EX 4WD through AHFC this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00220 and 59%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi there reellaw. I would be more than happy to calculate a sample lease payment on this car for you using BMW's base lease program. This will give you a good idea of what you should be paying to lease one at this time. However, in order for me to do so, I need you to provide me with its full MSRP. Once you provide me with this detail I will be able to help you out.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Blerner2, yes, Infiniti Financial Services' 3 year lease programs for the 2004 G35 Sedan and 2004 G35 Sedan AWD are exactly the same.

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tank43

Carman,

Can you please tell me what Ford Motor Credit's
current Money Factor and residual is for the
2004 Ford Focus ZX3 Premium 2 dr Hatchback Automatic.

36 months 12,000 miles per year.
Dealers in Columbus Ohio have $5000 off MSRP
on all Focus Models. Thanks !

footie

Thanks, Car Man.

Does Honda have security deposits, acquisiton fees and suggested cap cost reductions in that lease plan?

thanks

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi jmaxe. Honda's special lease money factor is available on all 2004 Accord models, not just the LX, but its residual values for the Accord vary by trim level. Here is the info for the specific model that you are interested in. If you were to lease a 2004 Honda Accord EX without navigation through American Honda Finance Corp. this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00126 and 59%, respectively. The money factor would be exactly the same for an '04 EX with navigation, but the residual value would be 2% lower.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello tank43. Chances are that you will not be able to lease a 2004 Ford Focus for $5,000 below full MSRP in your area. Ford's cash incentives for normal retail purchases are a little higher than its lease cash. I believe that Ford currently only has $1,000 lease cash on this model in your region. I haven't seen Ford's exact lease program for your neck of the woods, but I suspect that Ford Credit's current 3 year, 12,000 miles per base lease rate and residual value for the 2004 Focus ZX3 are right around 4.75% and 40% where you live.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome, footie. American Honda Finance Corp. does require a security deposit and acquisition fee on leased vehicles, but consumers are free to make any sort of down payment they would like. It is in your best interest as a consumer to not make any sort of capitalized cost reduction, i.e. down payment when leasing. AHFC's current base acquisition fee is $550 and your security deposit will be your vehicle's monthly payment rounded up to the nearest $25 increment.

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