2013 and earlier-Honda Civic Lease Questions

breslinp

I recently made a trip to Scott Honda, West Chester, PA.

I was looking for a new lease for my wife for a Civic LX. Her current lease which she started before we were married is about up so we went to her original salesman. (buy out option is $9150 with a trade in value of $10500) The salesman there give me a monthly payment of $310/month (no money down). When I asked what he is selling me the car for, he stated, "That doesn't figure into lease payments" I also asked for the current money factor, for which he replied, "What is that?" Are my questions valid?

I then insisted I needed to know the price of the car in case I wanted to buy it. This sent him into a 10 minute speech on why I should not buy a car. Finally he quoted me a car price of $18,355 (MSRP) then asked us to leave to think about it. I was calm during the whole procedings. Is it me, or is this a weird way to sell a car?

This was a little frustrating to me to begin car shopping. I'm going to try Conicelli Honda in Conshocken, PA. Hopefully, they will communicate with me better.

1 question: The currently leased car is slightly over the mileage. If we use the buy out option, are we responsible for the $0.15/mile fee as well? The lease terms are not clear in their writing on this.

Thanks everyone! Hope your car shopping goes well.

jicbulk

Hi Car_man,

Looking at the Sedan with Man'l tranny and without NAV. Looking at 24 and 36 month terms with 12k mi/year. Can you tell me the residual and money factors (I figure I'm in the "Super Preferred" bracket....).

Thanks!
-Jicbulk

jdillen

MSRP: $21,685
Selling Price: $21,685

What are the residual and money factors for a 36 month lease? The kicker is that I need extra mileage (current lease is 20k miles/yr and that's what I'd need). How does that affect the residual and money factors? I'd assume it would just lower the residual value b/c of the additional mileage put on the car. Any info. would be much appreciated. Thanks!

red7230

Hello...
This is probably a dumb question, but I am going to ask anyway.

I have a 04 Civic lease ending in 9/1/07
I am currently over the miles and estimate that by the lease end I will be over by apprx. 25-30K miles.

I am thinking about buying out the car because it is good vehicle, I do not want to lease another car (I moved jobs a month after I got the lease which is why I am over) and I do not want to take out a new car loan. I would rather just pay the 8900 buyout.

So...Here is the question...

Is the lease buyout the AHFC a balloon payment or do they finance that amount? If not, I know the AAA offers a lease buyout loan...does anyone know how that works?

Thanks SO MUCH for your help!

qbrozen

you can do it any way you want. Send them a check or work out financing with them or another party. As long as they get their money, they don't care.

melanie85

so i went to a honda dealership tonight, and they offered me a 2007 civic ex coupe for $225 a month with $3000 down for 36 months/12k a year. Automatic transmission. Am I getting a good deal, or is this a ripoff? I am located in Long Island, NY. :confuse:

the $3000 includes tax, title, blah blah blah.

qbrozen

what is the purchase price? residual? money factor?

CarMan@Edmunds

Hello breslinp. Consumers who exercise their lease-end purchase option on their vehicles do not have to pay any sort of penalty for excess mileage or excess wear and tear.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Jicbulk. Here's the information that you're looking for. Honda Finance's current buy rate lease money factor and residual value for a 24 month lease of a 2007 Honda Civic Sedan EX without navigation with 12,000 miles per year are .00380 and 73%, respectively for consumers who qualify for its "Super Preferred" credit tier and pay a security deposit at lease signing. As you can see, Honda's 24 month lease program for this car is terrible. If you really want to lease one, you would be much better off going with a 36 month lease. Its current 36 month, 12,000 mile per year numbers are .00275 and 63%. This is Honda's standard lease program, but at least it's not as bad as its24 month program.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi red7230. I'm sorry to hear that you're so far over your vehicle's mileage allowance. Your question wasn't dumb at all. You should be able to finance its lease-end purchase option price either through Honda Finance or an independent bank. Place a call directly to Honda Finance to see what sort of interest rate they offer for you to finance your vehicle's purchase option price. If the rate is good, go for it. If not, check with some other banks or credit unions to see if you can beat it.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi melanie85. You never mentioned this car's MSRP or selling price. These are two very important numbers to know when leasing. Always remember that the selling prices of leased vehicles are negotiable, just as if you were paying cash for or financing them. This is why it is important to know what these numbers are for this lease. Find out what they are and let us know. Once I know what they are, I will gladly give you my opinion on this deal. For now I can tell you that $3,000 is way too much money to put down when leasing. I always advise consumers not to make down payments on leased vehicles. Consumers who do risk losing them if their vehicle is totaled in an accident or stolen and never recovered.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

goodhall

Hello, I need your advice on negotiating a good price on my leased Honda Civic. The three-year lease is up, and I would like to buy the car for less than the residual. I also want to get 0.9 financing from them. Will Honda negotiate with me if I ask for a supervisor? I can't afford the residual, yet see me getting the car and them closing the deal and making some interest a win-win situation for both of us. Thank you.

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi goodhall. I am not sure if Honda Finance will negotiate the end of term purchase prices of leased vehicles. I suspect that it will not, but you don't have anything to lose by trying. Give them a call a month or two before the scheduled end of your lease and see if they will be willing to work with you. If your initial contact there is unwilling to do so, you may have better luck if you work your way up the ladder to a manager. I doubt that you will be able to get Honda Finance to give you a special interest rate to finance your vehicle with, let alone one as low as 0.9%. Honda Finance will lose money if they finance you this car at such a low interest rate.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

ct07

Well, tomorrow I sign. I have a 2003 Civic Lx Sedan I was paying $143/mth for it for 4 years! I will never ever get that kind of deal again and I'll always remember that deal. No money down.

I am 22,000 miles over x .15 = $3300.
So even if I got a camry or corolla for $190/mth I'd still have that $3300 out of pocket.

Honda in Greenwich, CT is giving me $239/mth $2100 due at signing for 36 months 15k miles. Is this good? I keep comparing it to $153/mth but that was in 2003.

gmenon

Hello,

My Fico score is 706. Does this put me in tier 2? Any way they can squeeze me into tier 1? Interested in an Accord or Civic. They have a special lease with money factor of .0009 for the top tier. What MF can I expect?

Thanks,
Greg

ct07

These forums are so screwed up. Way too confusing. People replying to posts that do not even correspond to it. My Middle score is 715, they wrote down Teir5 on lease. What the hell is that???

gmenon

That's them ripping you off. You should be Tier 1, maybe 2. They're giving you a worse lease then you qualify for, and pocketing the difference.

smat74

I was just quoted the following for a Coupe LX 5M. I asked the internet salesman first about his "best" price for buying: he quoted $15,900 + 6% tax + $99 doc. fee + $23 plate xfer.

Next, I asked about leasing, and asked him for the MSRP, money factor, and if there were any other fees.

He replied:
"At this time you can lease for 36mos with 12,000 miles per year and a total of $350 due at signing for $221 per month. That payment includes all taxes, therefore that would be your total payment each month. The amount due at signing includes your first month payment, documentation fee and plate transfer fee. If you need a new plate then I will need to calculate a new plate fee based on your birthdate."

In short: $350 at drive-off (incl. first pmt, doc fee, plate xfer). Then, $221/month (includes tax). Total out of my pocket after all is said and done: $8,085.

I know usually y'all ask for MSRP, residual, blah blah but just looking at this deal, it sounds pretty good to me (my objectives were LOW/NO DOWN PMT, MINIMAL FEES such as acquisition fee etc.). Am I naive in looking at "how much I paid at the end of the lease" as my guide (all terms of lease being equal...)?

Is this deal good? I'm hoping there won't be any other surprises sprung on me at signing.

Appreciate your comments.

luke111

Hi car man, im a little confused. I am looking for a 36 month lease no down payment. I understand from your previous postings that through honda you can get 63% residual and 0.00275 money factor as long as you qualify for super prefered rate and you pay a deposit. I have nothing to trade in, so what would be a reasonable cap cost for the car? the TMV including destination charge is $18,280. Is that reasonable? Should I expected any other added costs? Does this TMV include the acquisition fee? Thanks

luke111

I was offered $17300 including destination charge, 36 months, $239 + tax, money factor 0.0280 residual 60%. no down payment, drive off cost = 1st payment+ $644 acquisition fee + $205 tags and registration.

aramism

i am pretty familiar with car shopping and how leasing works (almost) and also in sales so i've gotten many cards before.

i'm getting a car for my mother and for my friends father. identical car.

07 civic lx 4dr/2dr whatever. as long as its automatic.

my mother currently has a 2003 civic lx which she probably got hit up a little hard on. was a 48 month lease where she paid taxes out of pocket plus other junk fees and she pays like 218 or something a month.

i figured she could get less on a 16,000 car. so i am looking to get her into the civic for 24 months with NOTHING except first months and bank fee and minor dmv fees out of pocket for like 200-220 a month.

i'm pretty sure that since the residuals are much better for a popular car like that on a 24 month lease program the payments would be better. but if the programs suck for that term then she wouldnt mind going into a 36 month.

everyone keeps telling me for the past few months that they cant get the car under $250 or so under those conditions. which i find hard to believe. also she lives in new york city (queens) so the tax is 8.625%

what is everyones feeling on this?

qbrozen

My feeling is it ain't gonna happen. Simply put, even with a high residual on a 24-month lease like 68%, that leaves $5120 that you have to pay off on that $16k car in just 2 years. That alone comes to $213.33. NOW add in your interest, DMV, taxes, bank fee, and doc fees. Even if you pay the fees and DMV up front, that still leaves the $213 plus interest and taxes.

In this example I am giving, using a .003 money factor, it comes to over $310/mo.

Take it out to 3 years with a 57% residual and you are still at almost $290.

If you'd like to run your own numbers, you can visit Edmunds Lease Calculator

CarMan@Edmunds

Hello Greg. The last time that I checked, Honda Finance's cutoff for its "Super Preferred" credit tier was 710. I'm not sure how much pull dealers have to get consumers bumped up to the next tier if they are close. The money factors for Honda Finance's "Preferred" tier are probably around .00030 to .00050 higher than they are for its top credit tier.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi ct07. I'm sorry that you are having a difficult time following this discussion. A FICO score of 715 should qualify for Honda Finance's top aka "Super Preferred" credit tier. You just need a score of 710 or higher to be eligible for it. I'm not sure what "Tier5" is. Honda Finance doesn't have a tier that uses that name. Is the dealer that you are working with running your lease through a bank other than Honda Finance?

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi luke111. I personally would shoot for a selling price of around $500 over dealer invoice for a lease of a 2007 Honda Civic right now. The closer you get to dealer invoice, the better. You should be able to get a good idea of how much you will have to pay for this car by checking out how much other community members have reported paying for it in the following discussion: "Honda Civic: Prices Paid & Buying Experience".

If you lease through Honda Finance, at lease signing you will have to pay your first month's payment, a security deposit equivalent to that payment rounded up to the nearest $25 increment, a $595 acquisition fee, and any required state taxes or fees.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi luke111. The dealer invoice price of a 2007 Honda Civic LX Sedan with an automatic transmission is $16,945. So, the price that you were offered is $355 over invoice, which is a very good deal. Plus the money factor that you were quoted is right in line with Honda Finance's current buy rate for this model (as long as you are not in one of the states that it has a special lease program on it right now - IN, KY, MI, or OH). If you like the car, go for it.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi aramism. Let's work up a sample lease payment on the car that you are interested in getting for your mother and see what we come up with. According to my calculations, if you were to lease a 2007 Honda Civic LX Sedan with an automatic transmission that has an MSRP of $18,355 and a selling price of $17,344 ($400 over dealer invoice) through Honda Finance in your area right now for 24 months with 12,000 miles per year, the zero down, pre-tax monthly payment should be around $289. This car's 36 month payment is much better at around $242, but as you can see you're not going to be able to get this car for $200 per month. After tax is will be over $250.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

aramism

ok well i understand that. i spoke to my friend over at a private leasing company who always gives me insude scoops and knows everything about leasing, he told me that the money factors on the new civics suck, and the 4cyl accords have much better money factors (he told me .00280 for civic lx auto trans/ .00096 on accord lx) which makes the accord virtually cheaper.

he also told me that the residual is 64% on the civic over 36 months in auto trans.

that is very high residual, i just have a hard time believing that the car can not be leased for low 200's like 200-220 considering it has such a high residual and even leased out at like 17,000, several hundred over invoice. so this leads me to believe that the civic is just a flat out awful car to lease. my mom has likea 780 fico, homeowner, def top tier, thats why i dont understand and the only logical conclusion i can draw is that for her price range of monthly payment/term/out of pocket which is low 200s/24-36/all fees into lease i might as well look into a toyota corrolla, nissan sentra, or even the 4cyl accord.

pollofrito81

Can someone provide me with the residuals and MF's for a

2007 Civic SI Sedan non/Nav
27/36/39/42 mos.
Super Prefered Credit Tier
In Jersey if that matters

Im debating weather I should buy or lease. Thanks in advance

krawitzmail

We need an extra car for 2 years. The Civic LX with auto transmission fits the bill due to its reliability, driveability and safety.

I'd like to have an idea of what I'd like to do before walking into the dealer showroom. And to know whether I come out behind or ahead, I need to know the actual estimated residual assuming less than 10,000 miles per year after 24 months. See below.

In comparing lease vs. buy, here are my calculations, assuming paying $500 over invoice:

LEASE:
Total Money = Cap cost + 72% Residual = $17,445 + $13,216 = $30,661
Interest = Total Money x Money Factor = $30,661 x 0.00380 = $116.51
Depreciation/Month = (Cap Cost - 72% Residual)/24 = $176.21
Total Monthly Payments = $292.72
Total payments after 24 months: $7025.28

Compare that versus net costs in financing, assuming $10,000 miles per year, and 7% interest for 5 year loan:

Monthly payments: $345.43
Total payments after 24 months: $8290.32
Remaining loan principal after 24 months: $11,187
Residual Value after 2 years = ?

Because we anticipate that this is going to be a low-mileage vehicle, my best guess is that the car maintains 75% value over 2 years. In that case, MSRP x 75% = $13,766, and I'd pocket $2579 after paying off the loan, making my net costs $5711.

Are these cost estimates correct?

qbrozen

if you are only driving it 20k miles, i certainly wouldn't worry much about reliability.

krawitzmail

Good point.

So if instead I want a car for two years that meets only two criteria, i.e. safety and driveability, what is your recommendation?

Mazda 3 tested poorly (albeit without curtain airbags) in side collision testing. Ford Focus worse as well.

The car is for a new driver, so we want to be extra cautious.

kyfdx

Good side impact rating are almost completely dependent on having the latest in side airbags, side curtain airbags, etc...

So, don't discount models that score poorly, but offer those as options... With the latest in airbags, they will likely be as safe as any other model.

Mazda does have some of the best short term leases, right now... 27 month term seems to be the sweet spot.

krawitzmail

No 27 month deals listed at http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayRegionalIncentives.action for zip code 11743.

kyfdx

Yeah.. they don't list them for my zip, either, but they are all over the local newspaper ads here...

Those 24 month leases for your zip look pretty good (I'd still try to negotiate lower).. I'd guess that your local dealer also has the 27-month program..

regards,
kyfdx

qbrozen

the mazda3 is exactly what i was thinking of. WAY cheaper than the Civic right now, if you are looking for a low-mile 2-year deal.

i went to mazda usa and put in your zip and it came back with a 24-month deal.

2007 MAZDA3 i Sport 4-Door AT $189/Month, 24-Month Lease, $2,189 due at Lease Signing. Includes 1st Month's Payment. Excludes taxes, title and fees. (**)

(*) The Amount due at Lease Signing is higher in the following states: Connecticut ($2,577); Massachusetts ($2,635); Rhode Island ($2,674); Virginia ($2,422); and West Virginia ($2,432).
(**) Dealer participation required.
Not all lessees will qualify for lowest payment through Mazda American Credit. Some payments higher, some lower based on residency and other factors. Lessee responsible for excess wear and mileage over 24,000 at $0.15/mile. Total payments of $4,536. Purchase option at lease end for $11,319. Take new retail delivery from dealer stock by 5/31/07. See participating dealer for qualifications.

blane

Over $2,000 down? It is always recommended on this and other Edmunds forums to pay nothing up front.

qbrozen

that's just the advertised deal. you can put nothing down and up your payment. (you can also get a lower cap cost than the advertised deal takes into account.) it will still be a cheap deal. less than $300/mo for 24 months with zero down is a darned cheap lease, IMHO.

bandab

Carman,

Could you post the current MF buy rates and RVs for a Civic Si 24m/30k and 36m/45k lease? (assuming super preferred credit)

Thanks

bspierenburg

Hi,

I just got back from a visit to a Honda dealer in NE Jersey. I had negotiated the sticker price on a LX Civic Sedan with automatic transmission the price of 16800 including destination fee. They told me over the phone the monthly payment on a lease would be 219 a month.

I get there, they run my credit and it comes back as 658. They start telling me I'll be lucky if I even qualify, and after 2 hours wait, tell me that only by really putting pressure on the bank that now they can get me into the standard (level 2) credit bracket and the best they can do on the monthly is 299 a month.

I don't commit, eventually I just left and told them I had to think it over.

I want to know - do you think their monthly offer of 299 was a reasonable price? What do you think would be a fair price given these factors?
Lease on a:
Automatic 2007 Honda Civic LX Sedan
36 months
0 down
$16800 including destination fee
$299 a month

Also, is the Civic a bad car to lease? They did make it sound like I could just as well lease the Accord for pretty much the same price. (A little higher, of course.)

Thank you very much for your help!

CarMan@Edmunds

What you were told is correct, aramism. Honda's lease program on the '07 Accord is much more attractive than its program on the '07 Civic right now. I personally would much rather lease an Accord than a Civic right now. It is a much better value.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Here you go, pollofrito81. Honda Finance's current buy rate lease money factor and residual value for a 27 month lease of a 2007 Honda Civic Si without navigation with 15,000 miles per year are .00375 and 67%, respectively for consumers who qualify for its "Super Preferred" credit tier and pay a security deposit at lease signing. The numbers for an otherwise identical 36 month lease are .00275 and 62%. This car's 39 month numbers are .00275 and 57%. I believe that its 42 month money factor drops to around .00255, but I am not sure what its residual value is for that term. As you can see, Honda is not currently providing any lease support on the '07 Civic and its lease program is not very attractive.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Here's the information that you're looking for, bandab. Honda Finance's current buy rate lease money factor and residual value for a 24 month lease of a 2007 Honda Civic Sedan Si without navigation with 15,000 miles per year are .00375 and 70%, respectively for consumers who qualify for its "Super Preferred" credit tier and pay a security deposit at lease signing. The numbers for an otherwise identical 36 month lease are .00275 and 62%.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi bspierenburg. Technically consumers need a credit score of 710 or better to qualify for Honda Finance's "Super Preferred" credit tier and a score of 660 or better to qualify for its next tier down from that, the "Preferred Tier." The dealer may have been able to squeeze you into the "Preferred" tier. If not, then you would drop to the "Standard" tier and your car's money factor would be probably be more than double the best available factor.

To get the best possible deal on this car, negotiate as low a selling price as you can on it. Once you have a price that you are comfortable with, find out what money factor the dealer wants to charge you. If would be happy to give you my opinion on the money factor if you let me know what it is.

Car_man
Host
Prices Paid Forum

cevans29

My lease is almost up on my 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX V6. I am thinking about buying it and would like advice on how to walk away with the best deal possible.

I believe it is in outstanding condition and it has low mileage. Based on that information, Edmunds kicked out these figures:

Trade in: $16,041
Private Party: $17,754
Dealer Retail: $19,208
Certified Used Vehicle Rate: $20,363

The buyout quoted to me is $15,876.71.

What I'd really like to know is this: How do I determine a reasonable amount to pay so I don’t get taken for a ride, but they still get a profit? Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!

bspierenburg

Hi Car Man,

I followed Edmunds.com advice and first negotiated the best price before I went to the dealer (16,800 including destination charge.) The money factor they gave me was .003690.

Thanks for your help!

thenebean

Hi all! My sister is in Hawaii, and trying to figure out what to do in terms of getting a car for one year until she comes back. (it's actually her and her roommate looking for options). Anyways, they are toying with the idea of a one year lease on something like a honda civic. Her roommate was thinking of buying one on the island, and then shipping it back to VT when she moves back. i don't think that's the smartest thing to do...

anyways, can anyone give me some info on a possible one year lease? i've never leased a car before, and when i was selling nissans, we didn't really do one year leases. If someone can give me an idea of what a basic Civic sedan LX with no additional options on it with 12k miles for one year and no money down would be, that would be great. i am trying to give them some options so they can figure out what their best plan of attack is.

Thanks in advance!!

-thene

sphinxridd

bspierenburg, what credit tier was .003690 for? one dealer gave me .00375 for super preferred, .00400 for preferred, and .00475 for standard...

lablover2

hi, i just got a price for a civic lx auto trans of $16,944 including destination-what can i expect for a 3 year lease on this car? i am waiting to hear back from the dealer and want to know how his numbers will compare. they are running lease specials for this car in the chicagoland area now but i want no money down not what they usually require. i also am looking at an accord but will post over in that forum. thanks

minics1

hi,same sort of price as above $17000 , 3 yr lease quote of $275 a month,15000 miles a year with 500 down, seems high!!.Do not know money factor.Have exec credit.Dealer suggests Accord. How about Honda Fit. Any help .!!Thanks