Basic Leasing Question.. please advise

shadowchaser

I have seen that people advise not to put a lot (or any) down on a lease if possible because you lose it if the car is totalled.

Because of the money factor/interest however, doesn't this make the car more expensive because you are paying interest on a larger amount? If so, is it significant, say on foregoing a 5K downpayment?

Thanks

kyfdx

shadowchaser said:

I have seen that people advise not to put a lot (or any) down on a lease if possible because you lose it if the car is totalled.

Because of the money factor/interest however, doesn't this make the car more expensive because you are paying interest on a larger amount? If so, is it significant, say on foregoing a 5K downpayment?

Thanks

Yes... you'll pay a little more in financing charges by not making a big downpayment. But, most leasing banks include GAP insurance, at no extra charge. The advice you've been given is good, and for the reason that you already noted.

The other reason: Putting $5000 upfront masks the true cost of renting a vehicle. Would you put $5000 upfront on an apartment lease, just to save $10/mo. on the rent?

russnj8

Hi,

Quick leasing question:

When getting a lease quote at a dealership, I asked the sales rep for the deal in writing but he adamantly refused. Is this a common experience for most people at dealerships or is this a red flag, suggesting I should look elsewhere?

His lease quote was really high and didn’t provide me with all of the key details such as residual, MF, etc , just the monthly payment and up front costs.

I just asked for a written breakdown that I could review at home and validate the numbers, since I didn’t have the time to do it there.

To add to it, when I asked why he can’t give it to me, he called his sales manager who got nasty with me and told me to leave, because “they have other customers looking to make a deal, right now”. Seems like they were trying to hide something, but in any case was wondering if this is a common thing.

kyfdx

@russnj8

I don't know if it's common, but it happens. Those situations are easily dealt with, by just moving on.

The car dealership business model is built on hiding the actual cost of the vehicle. But, persistence pays off.

toomanyfumes

I have an opportunity to take over a lease on a vehicle, have never leased a car before, would appreciate any advice. It's a 2017 Lexus RX350, 7 month's into a 3 year lease. The owner died and I would be purchasing it from his daughter who is handling the estate. It was purchased with $15000 down, so my payment would be only $260 a month. He bought it in Nevada, and I live in Wisconsin. Do I take the lease over from the dealer, or Lexus credit? Is there generally a transfer fee? I assume I would pay taxes in Wisconsin for the amount remaining on the lease?. Are the Nevada sales taxes already worked into the lease payment? Thanks for any assistance, I really don't even need this vehicle lol, but I just can't pass this deal up.

Michaell

toomanyfumes said:

I have an opportunity to take over a lease on a vehicle, have never leased a car before, would appreciate any advice. It's a 2017 Lexus RX350, 7 month's into a 3 year lease. The owner died and I would be purchasing it from his daughter who is handling the estate. It was purchased with $15000 down, so my payment would be only $260 a month. He bought it in Nevada, and I live in Wisconsin. Do I take the lease over from the dealer, or Lexus credit? Is there generally a transfer fee? I assume I would pay taxes in Wisconsin for the amount remaining on the lease?. Are the Nevada sales taxes already worked into the lease payment? Thanks for any assistance, I really don't even need this vehicle lol, but I just can't pass this deal up.

You would assume the lease from Lexus Financial Services.

Both NV and WI tax the monthly payment (but WI has a lower tax rate, I believe), so when you re-register the car in WI, your payment should actually go down to reflect that (I had a lease once and moved from one county to another here in Denver and had the same thing happen).

Don't know about transfer fees; you may want to call LFS and see if they have any guidance.

toomanyfumes

Thanks, I plan on calling Lexus financial tomorrow...