Lease Questions - Ask Here

marys235

Thanks so much for all the lease info., CarMan, I'm still in the research stage and trying to decide what kind of car I want. Could you give me the MF and Residual on one more, 2004 Saab 9-3 Linear, manual trans, 3yr/15k? I noticed Edmund's shows $3500 marketing support on this car, can that be used to negotiate a lower cap cost on a lease? Thanks for the help!
Mary

postnobills

Hi Car_Man-
Can you please provide updated lease rates for Audi A4 Cabriolet - 3.0 Quattro, 3 yrs, 12,000 miles?
Also, how about rates on Lexus SC430 for same term?
Thanks!

psarkis

Hi carman,

I am interested in leasing a 2004 C320 (my wife is !!!) the deal we got is:
$36275 (includes sunroof, 6CD changer and black opal color). The dealer quoted us a price of $509 for 39months. He said that the interest rate was 0.0020. Is that a good deal???

What is the money factor for 36 and 39 months and what are the residuals? (He said 47% for 39mo but I have a hard time believing that).

Thanks

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi hxs30. $2,000 off MSRP is a decent deal for this car, however the dealer that you are working with is making up for some of that lost profit by marking up BMW's base lease money factor. BMW Financial Services' current base lease money factor for the 2004 325i is .00125 for the term that you are interested in. This factor is only good through April 30th, however consumers who order vehicles from BMW can lock in lease programs to make sure that they do not miss out on deals. If I was in your situation I would first make sure that my dealer agreed to lease me this car using BMW's base lease money factor. Then I would try to lock the current program in. Doing so provides you with the choice to use this program or the program that is available when your car actually arrives, whichever is better.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi gteach26. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any source that provides information on manufacturers' certified used vehicle lease programs to the general public. Sorry that I could not be of more help.

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CarMan@Edmunds

No problem, Adam. It sounds like you got a great deal. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let us all know how everything turned out.

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CarMan@Edmunds

The difference between the two and three year residuals for the vehicles that you are interested in if you were to lease them through their captive finance companies is as follows: 6% for the 2004 Acura TSX without navigation (63% vs. 57%) and 9% for the 2004 Infiniti G35 Sedan RWD (67% vs. 58%).

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, gwarren. The residual value for a 2004 Lexus RX 330 4WD leased through Lexus Financial Services for 36 months with 15,000 miles per year should be 54%. For 39 months is should be 51% and for 48 months it should be 45%. If you get a vehicle that is equipped with navigation the residual values would be 2% lower.

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lwv

Thanks to the information on this board, I was able to lease my first BMW. I think I got a decent deal.

325i
Sport/Premium
Xeon
HK
Floor mats
Steptronic
Titanium with black leather
MSRP: $37,870

36 month 15k/yr lease

Paid first month payment of $451 down. 35 more at $451 plus $350 disposal at end of lease. I think money factor was .0014 which is more than some have quoted but out of pocket seemed good so went for it. No sales tax as they had tax credit. Tags and license included.

Do you think I did ok? This was in Texas.

kyfdx

If they waived the security deposit, that increases MF to .0014. In that case, you got the base rate. Did you have any out of pocket costs other than the first payment? If not, this is a great deal.
You will love the car. I have almost the same option list in steel blue.

regards,
kyfdx

lwv

They did waive the security deposit. I only gave them 1st month payment to take delivery. The sell price was $35558. There was aquisition fee of $525 and license of around $172, but I did not pay. Was rolled into lease I guess.

This is my first lease so I wanted to make sure I did ok. Thanks for the reply and reassurance. Nice car but is a little smaller than what I am used to. Really looks sharp with sport wheels and interior. Drives great. I hope the Bridgestone Turanza tires last a while. They only have treadwear of 143. At least they are quiet.

Thanks

kyfdx

Sounds great!! Don't worry too much about that treadwear rating.. I have the same tires.. I had about 8300 miles on them, when I took them off to put the winter tires on. I'm extrapolating about 22K-25K from the back tires and about 30K for the front ones. Not bad for performance rubber. I'm always amazed at how well the car rides with such low-profile tires, but that may be a function of the suspension more than the tires.

You must have done a really good job researching your lease, because you got a great deal right out of the chute. My wife is the primary driver of ours, but I "own" it on the weekends. You will love it.

regards,
kyfdx

vyacha1

Hello Carman. If you remember me, I just leased a GX470 with a fantastic deal. Right now I need your help for another vehicle. My friend is looking at Audi Allroad and I want to help him to figure out what kind of deal he should get. Can you give me residual and money factors for 36/48 month/12K. Thanks in advance.

nycadguy

hi CarMan, I'm looking to lease a 2004 S60R in the next week or so. I was wondering if you had current VFNA money factors and residuals for a 15K mile per year lease, 36 and 42 month terms.
Thanks!

ml765

I am considering leasing an Odyssey shortly and am interested to know if the $500 marketing support can be applied to the lease or if it is for purchase only.

Also, does anyone know what the acquisition fee that Honda charges is?

Thanks in advance for any help
Lisa

confused

Hi! Carman,

I am interested in leasing or purchasing a 2004 325cic. I have 2 quotes from BMW dealers in Miami.

2004 BMW 325i
Titanium Silver metalic
Gray leather interior
Premium Package
Auto transmission
Black softop
Xenon Lights

MSRP: $44,495
Selling Price:$42,500

The other car is the exact same except it has black leatherette instead of gray leather
Its MSRP is : $43,045
Selling Price: $41,700

What should I be looking at for a 36 month/12,000 mile lease? Do you think that there is further room to negotiate on the selling price for either car. Both dealers are telling me that that is the best they can do. Also, I am going with a friend who is interested in leasing a 325i under the current special. Shouldn't they be willing to work with me further if I am bringing her business with me?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

buster6

Hi Car_man,

Just a follow up, We went to the dealership yesterday, picked up the car $289 under invoice (invoice deal with the dealership doc fee added back in), and received a 3 year lease from lexus at .00144--.0010 under what you had origionaly quoted. Thanks so much for the info. By the way, before I told him that I knew the buy rate the mf was quoted as .00190--thanks again!!

gwarren

Car_Man

Thanx again, and my apologies for not being more specific (you would think I know better by now). 12,000 miles per year on the lease and without the 4WD (I live in Florida, no hills, no Snow)

confused

Hi again---update and new questions....

So I went to a 3rd dealer today and got the 325cic, silver titanium, premium pkg, xenon, and black leatherette for $41,000. The msrp is $43095 and invoice is $39445.

I was told by the dealer that the mf for the convertible was .0019 and that the .00125 only applies to the sedan. Is that correct?

The residual he quoted was 61%. He told me that if I use a mf of .00205 he would wave the $595 acquisition fee. He told me that I would be about $200 less this way. I'm not sure if this is right?

According to the dealer, the monthly payments equal $611 with the mf at .0019 and $617.55 at .00205 for a 36 month/12000 mile lease. So I come out of pocket with $817.66 (1st month and tags) due at signing and $617.55/month. Is this correct and if so, is this a good deal?
(When I go to the lease calculator I get $578 including tax). Unless I am missing something, he has added in $1100 in the total price somewhere.

Also, I gave a $500 deposit which he told me is refundable. After I left the dealership, I called the other 2 dealers that I was working with out of courtesy to let them know that I had made a deal with someone else. Of course, now they say they can beat his price, which as of yesterday, they were as low as they could go. At the end of the day, I have to go for the lowest price. So my question is can I get my deposit back and go with the lower offer? I didn't sign any papers yet, except for the credit application, which was sent through to and approved by BMWFS.

Thanks and sorry for being long winded

siteexpert

Carman,

I am still at it (everytime I think I am done my wife and I change our mind - luckily my current lease ends real soon so we will be forced to make a decision :-).

Can you provide the latest g35x (all wheel drive) w/ navi rates. Also, do you know the base infiniti acquisition fee?

Thanks.

hpowders

Hello Car-Man. I want to lease a 2004 Subaru Forester XT/premium package. $26,146 is the cost. What kind of monthly payment can I expect over 24 months, 24,000 miles, before taxes?
Thank you.
Howard

jbowman3

Car Man,

Ok, this is really it. Please give me numbers for an 04' Volvo V70 R wagon; 39 months, 10K, 12 and 15K. and I'm in NY. I drove one today and it's a great vehicle for my needs.

thanks again,

JB

dlambert

I was told by a dealer that the money factor is not .00125 on the 325xi but, I am certain (according to BMW's own website and previous posts) that the money factor is .00125 on the 325xi as well as the 325i and the residual is 71% (for 24/12) --whereas the 325i is 73%. I just wanted to reconfirm these terms with you?

Also, I am being quoted a higher money factor around (.0015) than the base of .00125 by this BMW dealer. They have no security deposit so I am assuming that they are inflating the money factor in lieu of the security deposit? Doesn't it inflate by .0014 w/ NO SD? (I will qualify for top tier credit so that is not an issue).

It seems their "program" spits out the MF along with a $200 inflation on the BMW Acquistion fee. It seems with these great rates they are trying to make back end profit and being adamant about the money factor.

Also, I know this isn't your area but do you know anything about BMWNA giving a $1200 incentive to the dealer on automatics?

dlambert

Just to be certain .. do you know the credit score needed to qualify for BMW's lowest money factor?

CarMan@Edmunds

It's good to hear that things are working out OK for you in the end with your allroad. I am surprised that you are considering a Volkswagen given the problems that you have had with Audi. Every manufacturer has their occasional problem vehicle though. I know many people who have had problem-free Audis. Let's take a look at the current lease programs for the models that you are interested in. If you were to lease a 2004 VW Passat Wagon GLX 4MOTION through VW Credit this month for 39 months with 15,000 miles per year, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00090 and 45%, respectively. If you were to do an otherwise identical lease of a 2004 VW Passat W8 Wagon, its base money factor and residual value should be .00090 and 42%, respectively. In addition to these special lease money factors, Volkswagen is providing $1,000 dealer cash that may be used on VW Credit leases. Make sure to take this cash into account when negotiating the capitalized costs of these wagons. According to the latest information that I have seen, if you were to lease any 2004 non-Limited Toyota Sienna through Toyota Financial Services this month for 39 months with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00220 and 56%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Yes, choosinu, Porsche Credit's base standard lease money factor is the same for all Porsche models, but its residual values will vary depending upon how long you plan on leasing for and the exact model that you are interested in.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome, marys235. Let's take a look at the lease program for the Saab that you are considering. If you were to lease a 2004 Saab 9-3 Linear 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 .00018 and 51%, respectively. The $3,500 dealer cash that you saw mentioned here on Edmunds.com can not be used in conjunction with this special lease program. However, Saab is providing $1,500 lease cash on the 2004 9-3 Linear that may be.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Here is the information that you are looking for, postnobills. Audi is running a regional lease program this month. As a result, this car's exact factor will vary depending upon what state you live in. If you were to lease a 2004 Audi A4 3.0 Cabriolet with quattro through Audi Financial Services this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per its base lease money factor should be from .00150 to .00190 and its residual value should be 55%.

Lexus is not providing and sort of lease support on the 2004 SC430 right now, so if you were to lease one through LFS this month you would have to use its standard lease money factor, which is .00200 (though this does vary slightly by region) for any length lease. This car's 3 year, 12,000 miles per residual value should currently be 58%.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Greetings psarkis. Let's take a look at this car's current lease program. According to the latest information that I have seen, if you were to lease a 2004 Mercedes-Benz C320 Sedan through Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. this month for 36 months with 15,000 miles per year, its base lease money factor and residual value should be around .00120 and 53%, respectively. It looks to me as though the dealer that you are working with may be marking up MBCC's base lease money factor a little bit to add additional back-end profit to your deal, on top of the money that they are making on your vehicle's selling price. If I was in your situation, I would tell my dealer that I think that they may be marking up the money factor and insist that they use MBCC's base factor to calculate this car's payment. If you provide me with its full MSRP, I would be more than happy to calculate a sample lease payment on it for you to give you an idea of what you should be paying.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Congratulations on your new car, lwv! It sounds like you did just fine. Enjoy your new ride.

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chris23

Can someone tell me what the AHFC money factor will be for a 36 mo lease of a 2004 Honda Accord EX-L (w/ no extras)? Not sure if it varies by location, but I'm in MS (39232 zip).

I'd like to find out the residual value ($ or %)of this car as well. I've found some info on residuals, but am not sure what the dealer will actually use for their data. I'd like to be as prepared as possible before going to negotiate.

Also, has anyone recently purchased this car? I'd like to get a feel for what a fair deal will be.

Thanks in advance for any input!

Chris

CarMan@Edmunds

Welcome back, vyacha1. How do you like your GX 470? Audi's lease program varies by region this month. So the exact money factor for the model that your friend wants will vary depending upon what state they are in. If you tell me where they plan on leasing this wagon I can provide you with more specific information. Let's take a look at the lease program for this model. If they were to lease a 2004 Audi allroad 2.7T through Audi Financial Services Corp. this month for 36 months with 12,000 miles per year, its base lease money factor should be from .00010 to .00100 and its residual value should be 58%. The numbers for an otherwise identical 48 month lease of this wagon should be from .00020 to .00110 and 49%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi nycadguy. Here is the info that you need. If you were to lease a 2004 Volvo S60R through Volvo Finance this month for 36 months with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00013 and 52%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical 42 month lease should be .00013 and 47%.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello Lisa. I believe that the $500 dealer cash that Honda is providing on the 2004 Odyssey right now may indeed be used in conjunction with this van's special lease program. American Honda Finance Corp.'s base lease acquisition fee is $595 in most states.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi confused. There's no need to be confused, you can get all of your questions about leasing answered here. OK, I know that was cheesy, but I've been hammering away on these questions for a while now, so cut me some slack . Let's calculate sample lease payments on the cars that you are interested in and see what we come up with. According to my calculations, if you were to lease a 2004 BMW 325 Ci Convertible (MSRP: $44,495 / Selling Price: $42,500) through BMW Financial Services this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, your zero down, pre-tax monthly lease payment should be right around $559. Interestingly enough, the payment for an otherwise identical lease of a 325Ci Convertible with an MSRP of $43,045 and a selling price of $41,700 should be $558.

I am not all that familiar with what the selling prices should be like for these cars right now. You should be able to get an idea of how much you should pay by looking up their Edmunds.com True Market Values in the New Vehicle Pricing section of this site and by stopping by the KarenS "BMW 3-Series: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" Apr 18, 2004 12:57pm discussion here in the Town Hall. Dealers, especially lower volume dealers like the ones that sell luxury cars have a finite supply of inventory. As a result, they will usually sell cars and trucks for whatever prices the market dictates. They are unlikely to take lower than normal selling prices on vehicles just because you and your friend will buy multiple models from them. Two losing deals really does not add up to one winner in their eyes.

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CarMan@Edmunds

That's great news, buster6. Congrats on your new car. Thanks for taking the time to come back and let us all know how everything turned out.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Don't worry about it, gwarren. It happens all the time. OK, the 36, 39, & 48 month, 12,000 miles per year residual values for a 2004 Lexus RX 330 2WD without navigation leased through Lexus Financial Services this month should be 55%, 52%, and 46%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds

The information that the dealer told you is correct. Last month, the 3-Series convertibles were eligible for the lower lease money factors that all other 3-Series models have on them, but in April BMW raised its base factor to .00190 on them. I suppose that they figure that they do not have to provide as much support on convertible models now that the weather is warmer in a lot of the country. BMW will waive its lease acquisition fee and security deposit requirements for consumers in exchange for a slightly higher lease money factor.

It is difficult to say how hard it will be for you to get your deposit back. Even though dealers often say that deposits are refundable, saying so and actually giving people their money back are two completely different things. Many dealers will give consumers a hard time about giving deposits back, especially if they suspect that they have shopped an existing deal around and want to buy from another dealership. If you feel as though you can get a significantly lower price on this car by going with another dealership, then you certainly should try to get your deposit back. If you have trouble at first, be persistent. If you made your deposit on your credit card, you always have the option of calling your credit card company and disputing the charge.

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CarMan@Edmunds

There sure is a lot of nice cars out there, siteexpert. I totally understand how you keep changing your mind. How long do you want to lease this car for and how many miles per year do you want to be able to drive it?

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siteexpert

Forgot to include that :-)

36 months/12K miles

Thanks

madness

Hi Carman -

Thanks for helping!!! I'm looking to close on a lease this week based on the national ad that BMW is running. I've been told I should qualify for the best MF but I'm not sure what that is, and is their more room to go lower than the BMW base rate? Also, if i'm looking at the national deal, does that mean that I can't negotiate off the MSRP? The deal without any negotiation that was discussed was the following:
Total of 3550 down - includes 1st & Sec - & other stuff - no detail yet
$346 per month for 36 mo/10K per year
This is on a car that adds to $36,095
Prem Pack,Cold weather, Leather, Auto.....Thanks!!!!

ch7656

Carman-
I'm looking for the current MF and Residual on a 525 Auto / 48 months / 12k per year.

Thank You!

lwv

Thanks Car_man. I could not have known about the lease information and pricing if it was not for you. Thanks for all of the information you post here to help us all negotiate better deals.

Thanks

bmw325

Hi Car_Man,
Sorry to bother you with another 325i lease question... but, I am not sure whether I am getting a good deal or not after reading all the other postings (seems like the offer I received is pretty bad)...
325i (titanium silver, premium package, auto)
MSRP: 33645
Cost: 31849.5 (according to Edmund's, invoice should be 30855, but the dealer said their invoice is 31349.5... he said he is selling for $500 over 'invoice')
Residual: 63% (21196.35)
For a 36month/12K term, we were quoted $376.58 monthly payment + $31.07 taxes (for a total of $407.65/month)
This is for $2500 down-payment, $725 bank acquisition fee, 0.0018 money factor, $265 license fee, $45 documentation fee, $5 california tire fee, $450 security deposit...
It sounds like a lot of people are getting lower acquisition fee and much lower money factor... some even get away without paying the license fees or security deposit... So, I am just not sure whether this is a good deal anymore...
Please help! Thank you!

bmw325

Hi Car_man:

Actually, I should have done more searching before my other post... it looks like there were quite a few deals where the dealer used $725 acquisition fee and 0.0018 money factor when the quote is $500 over invoice... I'll use some of the suggested methods at bringing the MF to 0.00125 and acq fee to $500 (at the expense of raising purchasing price to $800-$1000 over invoice)...

My other question then is whether it's a good idea to pay more downpayment (i.e. $10000 vs. $2500) if we are leasing it for 3 years... my calculation shows that I should save another $700-$800 in finance charges... is this recommended?

Thanks!

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi hpowders. I believe that Subaru runs its supported lease program through Chase. Unfortunately, it is not very competitive. Most dealerships run Subaru leases through other independent banks, like Wells Fargo. Doing so, enables them to take advantage of any cash incentives that are available. Right now, Subaru is providing $500 dealer cash on 2004 Subaru Forester X models and $250 dealer cash on on Forester XS models. If you lease this vehicle through an independent bank, make sure to take this cash into account when making your offer. I am sorry to say that I have not seen the details of Wells Fargo's current lease program for the Forester. My advice to you is to make sure to comparison shop with a couple of dealerships to make sure that you are getting the best possible lease on this model.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Another new direction, huh, jbowman3? You've changed directions so many times that you're going to need a navigation system to find your way home . Seriously though, don't worry about asking too many questions. I am always glad to help. OK, according to the latest information that I have seen, if you were to lease a 2004 Volvo V70 R wagon through Volvo Finance this month for 39 months with 15,000 miles per year, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00184 and 52%, respectively. The money factor for otherwise identical leases with 12,000 and 10,000 miles per year should be the same, but the residual values would increase to 54% and 55%, respectively. I believe that Volvo finance still leases vehicles to residents of New York, but it increases its acquisition fee to $695 for people who live there.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hello dlambert. You are correct, BMW FS' base lease money factor is .00125 on the 2004 325xi as well as the 325i. I am not sure exactly what one's credit score has to be to qualify for this rare. I can not confirm this car's residual values for you without knowing how long you want to lease it for and how many miles per year you need to be able to drive it. If you provide me with this additional info I would be more than happy to tell you what they should be. BMW will waive its lease security deposit requirement in exchange for an increase in the lease money factor. I believe that the increase for a security deposit waiver is .00100. I have heard that BMW is providing some sort of incentive on '04 X5s with automatic transmissions, but I have not heard anything about a program like this on any 3-Series models.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Good morning, Chris. I would be more than happy to give you an idea of what this car's current lease program should be like. If you were to lease a 2004 Honda Accord EX-L through American Honda Finance Corp. this month for 3 years, its base lease money factor should be .00146 for residents of every state, except for New York. AHFC's 3 year, 15,000 miles per residual value for an '04 Accord EX-L without navigation is currently 57%. For more information on what sort of prices others are paying for this car right now, take a look at its Edmunds.com True Market Value by visiting the New Vehicle Pricing section of this site and by stopping by the following discussion: KarenS "Honda Accord: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" Apr 18, 2004 11:51pm.

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jbowman3

Car Man,

I was hoping I didn't have to go through this process for another 3 years. Since you OK with this I will ask for lease rates on the Volvo XC 90 T6 for 10, 15 and 15K miles, for 39 months in NY. Thanks again.

I am getting closer (I think).

JB