Lease Questions - Ask Here

CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Thanks for the info, seabone.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hey lycanthris. Here is the latest version of these cars' lease programs. If you were to lease a 2004 Infiniti G35 Sedan with 2WD through Infiniti Financial Services right now for 2 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00127 and 66%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical 3 year lease of this car should be .00146 and 57%.

If you were to lease a 2005 Infiniti G35 Sedan with 2WD through Infiniti Financial Services right now for 2 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00179 and 70%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical 3 year lease of this car should be .00179 and 60%.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hi stalnaker. You really can't go wrong with any of the brands that you mentioned. As far as the specific deals on the Lexus ES 330 go, you never mentioned the selling price of the car that you are interested in leasing. This is an important number for you as a consumer to know for two reasons. First, the selling prices of leased vehicles can be negotiated, just as if you were paying cash for them. Without knowing the price of the car that you want to lease you don't know how good a price you are getting it for. The second reason is that one needs the selling price of a vehicle that they want to lease is that it is necessary to calculate its lease payment. For now, I can estimate what this car should cost you to lease by assuming a certain discount off of its MSRP, say $1,000. If you are able to negotiate a larger discount than this, this car's payment will be lower. For specific feedback on what others have paid for similar cars lately, you may want to stop by the following discussion: "Lexus ES 300/ES 330: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" .

OK, let's work up a sample lease payment for you. According to my calculations, if you were to lease a 2005 Lexus ES 330 without navigation with an MSRP of $35,419 and a selling price of $34,419 through Lexus Financial Services right now for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, your zero down, pre-tax monthly payment should be around $453. They payment for an otherwise identical 48 month lease of this car should be around $445. As you can see, I think that you still have a little room for negotiation.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

No problem, Damon. You are correct, Volvo Finance's lease money factor on the base 2005 S40 2.4i is much much lower than its money factor on the S40 T5.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Still no new Saturn yet, huh, iwantasaturn? Well, you are in luck because it significantly enhanced its lease program this month. I would be more than happy to give you an idea of what the new February lease program is like on the model that you are interested in. According to the latest information that I have seen, if you were to lease a 2005 Saturn VUE 4-cylinder AWD through General Motors Acceptance Corp. right now for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease rate and residual value should be an attractive 0.17% and 60%, respectively.

If you opt to finance this truck instead of lease it, you could do so at 0% for up to 5 years and 2.9% for 6 years. OR you could finance it at 0.0% 3 years, 2.9% for 4 years, 3.9% 5 years, and 4.9% 6 years and receive a $1,250 "personalization allowance." Your last option would be to take $750 customer cash and the $1,250 "personalization allowance." Lots of choices. According to what I hear, even Saturn salespeople themselves are confused by this month's program, so you are definitely not alone if you find it a little overwhelming.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Greetings twoof1. I would be more than happy to give you an idea of what this vehicle's current lease program is like. Before I do so however, I need to tell you that Ford Credit publishes what are known in the industry as lease rates instead of money factors for the vehicles that it leases. You can convert its lease rates into approximate money factor equivalents by dividing them by 2400. OK, not that that is out of the way, onto the lease program. If you were to lease a 2005 Ford Freestyle Limited FWD through Ford Credit right now for 2 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease rate and residual value should be 3.0% and 56%, respectively. As you can see, this lease rate is right in line with the one that the dealer you are working with quoted you. The 54% residual value that you were quoted on this model would be for a 3 year, 15,000 miles per lease. The 62% residual for this model would be for a 2 year, 15,000 miles per lease.

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ponytrekker · February 2005

>>I know in NY, leasees are required to pay the tax on the entire car now.

Who told you that? Let me guess, the car dealer? Problem is what you signed, though they may have used the word "lease" is a "balloon note."

CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hey coby03. This car's lease program is exactly the same as it was last month. Let me know if you don't remember what it was then and I will try to find out what the exact numbers are for you.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hi mitchs3. BMW Financial Services "buy rate" money factor for the 2005 330i is currently .00225 for 36 month leases. Its 12,000 miles per year and 10,000 miles per year residual values for a 3 year lease of this car should be 55% and 56%, respectively. The reason why this car's money factor is so high is that BMW is providing $3,800 dealer cash on it that you can use to help you negotiate a more attractive capitalized cost.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Here you go, jumpmaster. According to the latest information that I have seen, if you were to lease a 2005 Honda Odyssey EX without leather, navigation, or the rear entertainment system through American Honda Finance Corp. for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be around .00250 and 64%, respectively.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Qbrozen, Volvo always seem to provide additional lease money factor support on "base" models for some reason. Perhaps vehicles that do not come with a lot of equipment are less desirable for most consumers and need the extra support to sell.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hello jim53. I believe that BMW FS' lease program for this car is exactly the same as it was last month. If you were to lease a 2005 BMW 545i through BMW FS right now for 3 years with 10,000 miles per, its base money factor and residual value should be .00100 and 62%, respectively.

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coby03 · February 2005

I tried to go back and search but I couldn't find it. Please re-post the 36 month, 12K per year MF and RV. Thanks a lot!

mazda04rx8 · February 2005

Thanks Car Man,

That is correct my fourth rx8. Its a long story but overall I have been happy with the vehicles, have just had opportunities to participate in the Mazda buy back program and traded in my second for more money than I paid for the vehicle. Currently leasing my third and hoping to get a good deal on a fourth. Thanks again for your info.

chrism124 · February 2005

Car_man,

Do you have lease information on Infiniti's 2006 M35 & m45? The lease would be based on a 3yr/15k with no cap reduction.

Thanks,

Chris

twoof1 · February 2005

car_man,

Thank you so much for the information however I was wondering if you could clarify something you replied in post #16738 you stated "If you were to lease a 2005 Ford Freestyle Limited FWD through Ford Credit right now for 2 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease rate and residual value should be 3.0% and 56%, respectively. As you can see, this lease rate is right in line with the one that the dealer you are working with quoted you. The 54% residual value that you were quoted on this model would be for a 3 year, 15,000 miles per lease. The 62% residual for this model would be for a 2 year, 15,000 miles per lease."

How could a 2 year 12,000 mile lease have a residual of 56% and a 2 year 15,000 mile lease have a residaul of 62%??

Am I missing something?

hsp · February 2005

Hello Car_Man,

As you asked me, it is reminder for M3 Feb. lease deal question. Also is there any 30 months lease program ? If it is available, what will be the numbers (MF and residual) ?

Thank you - Han

jlg008 · February 2005

Car_Man

I still have not received a response to my message #16725..........please look it over and let me know your valued opinion.

Unfortunately it was put in a discussion board of leasing when in fact we have not decided if we will purchase or lease.

Waitin to hear from you.

arx330 · February 2005

Hello Carman,

Do you have lease information on 2005 Lexus RX330 AWD with out Nav. The lease would be based on a 3yr/15k and 4yr/15k with no cap reduction. Please provide Money Factor and residual value.

Thanks in advance.

jim53 · February 2005

Thanks Car_man. Do they have a 39 month option?

webable · February 2005

2004 fx35 with 7000miles touring and sport packege. 450 per month 42 months 12k miles a yesr and 500 out of pocket. Good deal or what?

Taxes included 8.75%

rjbpa · February 2005

Are there any ramifications to leasing a vehicle through an out of state dealer?

stalnaker · February 2005

Car_Man,

I just received a quote for $32,419.00 on that exact model ES330 with the MSRP of $35,419.00.

If you modify my original terms so that I have 15,000 miles/year and keep the same 3-year period, what sort of lease payment should I expect before tax given nothing down except first payment, acquisition, and security?

Thanks again!

Ernest

vishpool · February 2005

what are the lease numbers for a 2005 fx35, say with tech+sport+touring? any idea of incentives/rebates?

the very first quote I got was for .00197 mf and .59 residual.

"For a 36 month lease with 15,000 miles a year and minimum out of pocket, the monthly payment would be $645. "

thanks!

chrisbeau · February 2005

Hello again Car_man,

Just sending a reminder about the February lease plans from Nissan! Thanks again!

I would like to know the current lease residuals and money factors on a 2005 pathfinder SE offroad 4X2, MSRP 32470. Looking at 36 or 39 months and possibly rolling a little neg. equity into it(2000-2500). Could you also figure up a payment (without the neg. equity!)? Sales price will be approx. 3000, 10,000 mi. per.

Thanks!

eskcpa · February 2005

Hello, I am also in Nassau County, NY & shopping for a BMW X3. How did your deal go, and who are you dealing with? Your base price seems good based on my research so far. Thanks, Erik

rick11 · February 2005

Hi. If you could be so kind as to help me analyze this first possibility in some detail, I think I'll be able to apply the reasoning to other possibilities.

I'm considering buying out the end of a lease. One is on a BMW 330CI Coupe for 13 months, $480/month. It has 1,100 miles per month remaining which seems a little low, but I think I would probably stay under it. It appears to be in excellent condition and the owner says he's trying to sell out the lease because he is moving overseas. The buyout at the end is for $26,191.00. How do I decide if this is a good deal? Thanks in advance.

Rick

mrr162 · February 2005

I'm not sure if this a great deal on the FX35. Check out the "hot deals" on Quirk Infiniti's website. (www.quirkcars.com). They have a deal on a new 2005 that appears to be more competitive.

tal · February 2005

I am working with a BMW dealership in Florida for a new 330i with the premium package there offer is as follows

48 months

15,000 miles

Payment without tax of $469.82

$4114.62 due at signing

$2500 Cap reduction

Here is what they sent me:

MSRP $39,870

Invoice $36,770

Market Allowance (Subtract) -$3,800

Dealer Cost $32,970

Get Ready (Add) $350

Gross Profit (Add) $1,500

Cash Selling Price $34,820

Term 48 Months

Miles Per Year 15,000

Cap Reduction $2,500.00

Total Due at Signing $4,114.62

Monthly Payment Base $469.82

Monthly Tax $32.89

Total Monthly Payment $502.71

How do I know if this is a good deal?

kyfdx · February 2005

It isn't a good deal.. here's why.

1) $1850 over invoice.. is too much.. $500-$1200 over should be plenty..

2) You should never lease a car longer than the warranty period.. 50K warranty, 60K lease..

3) The money factor (interest rate) is actually lower for 36 months than 48 months.

4) Never make a cap reduction on a lease.

5) Subtracting your cap reduction from the price and adding in the $625 acquisition fee, gives a cap cost of $32,945.. Using this cap cost, it appears that they are marking up the money factor from the base .0025 to .0029...

I'd suggest a 36mo/45K lease with no cap cost reduction.. Payment example to follow...

jim53 · February 2005

what is the Market Allowance?

kyfdx · February 2005

MSRP $39,870

Proposed selling price $33,970 ($1000 over cost)

Cap Cost $34,595 (selling price + $625 acq.fee)

Money factor .00225

Residual 53%

Term 36mo/45K

Cap reduction: $ZERO

Due at signing: 1st pymt, security deposit, licensing fees (Approx. $1200-$1500)

Monthly payment base $500.00

Monthly tax @7% $35.00

Total monthly payment $535.00

So... only three years... $2500 less due at signing, and only $33/mo. higher payment.

Maybe Car_man will check my numbers, but this should be pretty close....

regards,

kyfdx

kyfdx · February 2005

$3800 BMW to dealer cash allowance on all 330i sedans this month..

phoebe · February 2005

Hi Car_man,

I'm a student currently financing a '99 Beetle GLS (gas) at $300/mo (CDN) since January '04, on a 60 month term. This includes $60/mo for a 4-year extended warranty. This and taxes brought the price of the car from $11,900 to something like $18 or $19K when all was said and done. Now, when my payments are up in 2009, the car will be 10 yrs old and probably not worth a lot, and it doesn't make sense to me to be paying so much per month. So I'm thinking of trading her in for a diesel on a lease to save money and have a "free" built-in warranty.

So I have two questions. First, is there a particularly good time of year to lease, like when the '06 models come out? The '06 Beetles are being redesigned, so I would think the dealers will be offering incentives on this year's model, but I'm not sure what time of year VW releases their new babies. I would ideally be trading in March or November, so I could leave my winter tires on and keep the good summer ones.

Secondly, could you tell me what to expect (ie. a breakdown of payments) if I lease an '05 GLS TDI (5-spd) through VW? US dollars is fine. And if it makes a difference, I would like to upgrade to the alloy 16" rims/sunroof package, which is something like $1400 CDN. Thanks!

tal · February 2005

They gave me a quote for the 36 month 15,000 mile lease as well it's:

Term 36 Months

Miles Per Year 15,000

Cap Reduction $2,500.00

Total Due at Signing $4,116.37

Monthly Payment Base $471.46

Monthly Tax $33.00

Total Monthly Payment $504.46

dkjr · February 2005

We are seriously considering leasing a 2005 lower end Toureg. The sticker price is $38,350. We are working out a lease based on a negotiated price of approximately $32,500 (I don't have the exact price with me). Here is the quote we received:

48 month lease.

$888 down (up front costs).

Monthly payments of $419 which includes tax.

12,000 miles per year.

Is this a good deal?

cjsot · February 2005

I just agreed to a deal on the 745 Li, and I know they are coming out with a new body style. Here is the info want to see if there is anything left on this deal.

[non-permissible content removed] Silver with Luxury seating, premium audio, and convience pkg,heated steering wheel, 19" wheels, sat prep, comfort seats,dark wood trim.

Msrp $80,370

MF .00125

cost $74,700 about 1400 over invoice

payment with tax 945.95

1800 down- no security deposit

Supposed to pick up early next week, but as you know a deal isn't made until the fat lady sings LOL. Appreciate the advice.

ajpbf7 · February 2005

Carman,

Can you give me the 36,39, and 42 month lease money factor and residuals with 12K per year. I would appreciate it. Thanks.

kyfdx · February 2005

The difference between their quote and my example...

1) I took $850 off their selling price

2) They are marking up the money factor.. from .00225 to .00265

3) They are likely marking up the acquisition fee to $825 from $625.

Roll that $2500 cap cost reduction back into the monthly payment, and their lease payment would increase to about $585 including tax..

That is about $50/mo. more than you should pay.

Making a cap cost reduction is almost always a bad idea... Dealers like it, because it makes the monthly cost seem lower.. However, that isn't what makes this a bad deal.. The price, and the dealer marking up the money factor and acquisition fee is what makes it bad.

If you want to keep it simple.... Offer $530/mo.(tax included), with $1616.37 (their figure) due at signing for 3yr/45K.

Anything more than $10/mo. higher than that, is too much, IMO.

regards,

kyfdx

ken5 · February 2005

What are the residuals and MFs for a Magnum RT AWD for 15K and 12 K miles per year, 36 month lease.

Thanks

cheng6991 · February 2005

I am very close to lease a 330Ci zhp. MSRP is $43445 and invoice is $39765. Dealer quote me $41515 because of special order .what is the fair price I should pay?

Dealer also wants $995 for acquisition fee since I live in New York state. Is this true.

CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hi smbass. Here is the informaiton that you are looking for. If you were to lease a 2005 Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan through Saab Financial Services Corp. right now for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00029 and 44%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical lease of a 2005 Saab 9-3 Arc Convertible should be .00091 and 54%. Saab is also providing $2,500 lease cash on the 9-3 Aero Sedan that will help you to negotiate an attractive capitalized cost.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hello 00boxsters. I saw the pricing for the '06 Lexus GS the other day as well. I have not seen any sort of lease program for it though. I don't even think that Lexus Financial Services has published residual values for it yet. I can tell you though that more than likely, Lexus will not initially provide any sort of lease support on this car. If that is indeed the case and you were to lease one through LFS, you would have to use its standard lease money factors. Its standard factor for Tier 1 customers is currently .00205. If your credit is in great shape, over 730, this factor would be .00010 lower. If it is in rough shape, it would be higher.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hey Ernest. The lease program that you were quoted for this car is interesting because it is different that Infiniti Financial Services' program. IFS' current 3 year, 15,000 miles per base lease money factor and residual value for this car should be .00147 and 57%, respectively. I suspect that this means that you are not paying a security deposit on this car. I believe that IFS will waive its lease security deposit requirement in exchange for an increase of .00015 in the money factor that is used to calculate a vehicle's payment. If that is the case then the money factor is fine. The main problem that I have with this deal is the car's selling price. It is difficult me to say exactly what the price that you are getting is like in relation to this car's invoice price, but it appears to be right around, perhaps slightly below invoice. Infiniti is currently providing $1,750 dealer cash on leases of the 2004 G35 AWD through IFS. As a result, you should be able to get this car for at least $1,000 below invoice if you comparison shop a little bit, or at least do some more haggling.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Greetings jlg008. Are you in the state of New York? I ask because most banks have higher lease acquisition fees in that state than they do in the rest of the country. BMW Financial Services' base lease acquisition fee is currently $900 in New York, but only $625 in the rest of the country. If you are in NY, then your vehicle's acquisition fee is not being marked-up.

Let's work up a sample lease payment on this truck for you and see what we come up with. According to my calculations, if you were to lease a 2005 BMW X3 3.0 with an MSRP of $40,270 and a selling price of $38,575 through BMW FS right now for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its zero down, pre-tax monthly payment should be around $511. With this lease, in New York, you would have to pay your vehicle's first month's payment, a security deposit of $550, and an acquisition fee of $900 at lease signing. If the payment that you were quoted is lower than this then you are getting a good deal.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Here you go, coby03. If you were to lease a 2005 Acura TL with navigation through American Honda Finance Corp. right now for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be around .00235 and 59%, respectively. The numbers for an otherwise identical 39 month lease of this car (I have not seen the 42 month program) should be .00235 and 55%.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

I am sorry to hear about all of the problems that you have been having with your car cwestfall. Volkswagen and Audi produce some wonderful driver's cars, but they are known to have reliability issues from time to time. Unfortunately, once you signed your car's lease contract and drove it off of the lot, your deal became practically impossible to unwind. The dealership that you got your car from may be willing to work with you to keep you happy, but they certainly are not obligated to do so. If you continue to have tons of problems with your Jetta, you can eventually pursue the lemon law and try to have Volkswagen take it back.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hey spingrinder. Even though Acura is not currently providing any sort of lease support on the TL, its standard lease money factors are still lower than the ones that you were quoted. The last time that I saw its lease program, American Honda Finance Corp.'s base standard lease money factors were .00235 for 36 month leases and .00210 for 48 month leases. To qualify for these factors, you would have to pay a security deposit equivelent to your car's monthly payment rounded up to the nearest $25 or $50 increment and AHFC's lease acquisition fee of $595 (this fee is higher in NY).

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Yes, bottl3, when negotiating leases, even ones that manufacturers are advertising specials on, it is always in your best interest to negotiate the selling price prior to talking payments. Even great advertised lease payments like the one that Subaru is advertising on the car that you are interested in usually leave a little meat on the bone so to speak. Consumers can usually beat manufacturers' advertised lease payments on vehicles if they are in an area where there is a decent amount of competition for their business and they are willing to shop around.

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CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

You're welcome, trneal276. You are absolutely right about your salesperson just doing their job. All he or she was trying to do was make money for the dealership that employs them and feed their family. I would have done the same thing if I was in the salesperson's situation. Consumers are not automatically entitled to get the best deal possible on the car or truck that they want. It is up to them to research the vehicle that they want and to shop around to get a good deal.

Manufacturers' normal cash incentives can not always be used in conjunction with leases through captive finance companies. Cash incentives that are allowed to be used on leases will lower their total capitalized costs, including taxes and whatever fees are rolled in.

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