Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options

Lease Questions - Ask Here

16791112468

Comments

  • ks10596ks10596 Member Posts: 18
    Car Man,

    You may have been asked this before - have you thought about making the money factors and residuals available through a database on the website? I am in the process of looking for a new car and don't want to waste your time asking about a new model every time my fiance likes a new model :) Thanks again for everything.
  • sosuemeesosuemee Member Posts: 1
    My 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited rolls off lease this month (Gold Key/Chrysler Financial lease). The Jeep has 22K miles on it, very good/excellent condition (had done a 15K/yr lease, don't ask ....; I know I left some money on the table there, paid for 23K miles I never used).

    My purchase option is $21,900. Kelleys Blue Book gives a retail price of about $25K.

    I have no intention of buying the Jeep or flipping it as I just received a 2001 Odyssey and don't want the hassle/risk. But given its great condition and low mileage do I have some room to negotiate with the numerous local Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler dealers on the their having the "privilege" of their getting me to turn in my Jeep to them?

    My assumptions are that a low mileage, cherry condition vehicle would move off their lot quickly for a top price; the low cost to a dealer of prepping the vehicle for resale (detailing, oil/fluids/filters, computer diagnostics, etc.); and the ability of the Jeep dealer to buy it from Gold Key/Chrysler Finance for less than $21,900.

    Everythings negotiable right?

    Or am I smoking crack to think that a dealer might pay me to take my Jeep?
  • PappasPappas Member Posts: 9
    Car Man,

    I recently was made a proposal by my BMW dealer who offered to discount the rate on my lease by .0001 for each additional security deposit I put down, for a max of 9 extra deposits or .0009 reduction. The pitch is I get the money back, but sans interest.

    It seems logical to me, and I am considering it. Security deposits are refundable, should the car be totalled or stolen, that money is protected. Additionally, I worked out on a spread sheet the "return" on that money based on the monthly payment savings. It figured to be a whopping 36% for the 3 years! There is no financial vehicle that I know of that will provide such a beefy return with 0 risk.

    Am I missing something? Thanks.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi Pappas. The way that I see it, a .00090 reduction in the lease money factor that you pay on your vehicle is equivalent to about 2.16% (.00090 * 2400). In my opinion, the $4,000 to $5,000 that you are tying up for several years would probably be better served earning interest in a money market account or a CD at over 5%.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • ace10ace10 Member Posts: 137
    that 2.16% rate discount would be on the financed capitalized cost, not on the $4K in additional deposit. the buyer is talking about a BMW, at say, a cap cost of $40K. that would be over $800 in interest savings per annum., or, better than a 20% annual return!!

    am i missing something?

    20% percent with no risk(?) and no fed/state/local income tax stomps all over a 3.5% after-tax return on the bank deposit.

    ace
  • mistercynicmistercynic Member Posts: 3
    Car Man,

    Hello. I'm being told by the dealer that the residual for a 2001 Jetta, Wolfsburg edition is 60% of MSRP on a 39 month lease with a money factor of .005. This sounds inflated to me. Am I mistaken? Also, I was told that I had excellent credit and my finance rate would be around 6%. Doesn't that equate to a money factor of .0025 (.06/24) and not .005? I feel as though I'm negotiating for a fair price on the car and the dealer is trying to keep my monthly payments low by hiding their profit in other places.
    Please let me know what you think.

    Thanks,

    ja
  • PappasPappas Member Posts: 9
    I looked again at my Excel worksheet, and thought I'd lay it out for everyone. Still seems to be a great deal,...

    * 6 add'l security deposits @ $600 = $3,600 "invested"
    * Lease rate reduces by .0060, causing payment to be reduced from $635/mo. to $600/mo.
    * Over 36 mo. lease term, reduction in payments is $1,260 = "return" on $3,600 "invested"
    * rate of return approx 36% (?), with no tax implications (?)

    I hope I am STILL not missing anything ... I am suspect because it was suggested by the dealer. Thanks!
  • afryarafryar Member Posts: 50
    I was wondering if you have any info on leasing a MB C240? Does Mercedes offer any lease incentives? If so, what are the current money factors on a 2001 C240, manual transmission, 10K, 24-36 months. I know they're hard to come by so I'm thinking they're not giving anybody much of a deal. Any help would be appreciated!
  • vkjvkj Member Posts: 67
    according to my excel spreadsheet. $3,600 down-$35 monthly benefit with $3,600 returned at the end would have in IRR of 12+%. This is a good investment.
  • sstaylorsstaylor Member Posts: 35
    Car_Man,

    Back again to ask for MF and res. values on Olds Silhouette Premiere vans. I am watching the market, and have seen Olds offering what appears to be a pretty well subsidized lease. With no money down, and based on MSRP, they are offering a 36 mos. lease at $493 a month. With some negotiation and a little money down, the payments begin to enter the realm of possibility. Your thoughts?

    Thanks,
    SST
  • steverisitysteverisity Member Posts: 39
    Would you agree that attractive lease rates (e.g. the Audi A4 2.8), usually mean the car
    could be heavily discounted if paying cash was an option?
  • ace10ace10 Member Posts: 137
    The actual annual rate reduction is 2.16%. This is not in question. Given that we are talking about a $600/month car payment, the amount financed must be at least $40,000.

    Pappas... Can you please provide the actual amount?

    A 2+% rate reduction will result in much more than $35 savings per month. I am guessing in the $65 to $75 range. Without all of the facts and figures, this is just guesswork, though.

    ace
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    What is the deal with lease origination fees? I know I paid one on my wife's I30 we leased last April, but looking back on my lease papers, I did not pay one when I leased my 1998 4Runner. I leased the Toyota through Toyota Motor Credit and the Infiniti through Debis Financial Services.

    Do most captive finance co.'s charge origination fees, or are they hit and miss? Should I pay one or not when I lease either a Passat or A4 shortly (probably through Audi Financial or VW financial).
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Very good points, Ace. I can definitely see the potential savings from your prospective now and I have to admit that when one calculates the amount of money saved taking into account a vehicle's capitalized cost, rather than just looking at the APR, multiple security deposits do make sense if one has the extra money to spare. Thanks for the input.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi ja. You are right, a lease money factor of .005 would be equivalent to an interest rate of about 12%. Unless your credit is in bad shape, which you have already stated that it isn't, you should be able to get a much lower lease money factor through any manufacturers' captive finance company than that. Even though Volkswagen does not have any lease support on Jetta Wolfsburg models, you still should only have to pay a 36 month lease money factor of .00320. What sort of monthly payment are you being quoted on this car? If you let me know the car's full MSRP, your negotiated price, how long you want to lease it, how many miles per year you want, and the monthly payment I would be glad to let you know if I think that they payments that you were quoted are reasonable.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hello afryar. Your suspicions are correct. At this time, Mercedes-Benz does not have any sort of incentives, lease or other, on the new C-Class. This car (an outstanding choice by the way) has been selling exceptionally well and as a result, Mercedes will probably not introduce any sort of support on it for a long while. If you want to lease a new C-Class through Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp., you will have to pay their standard lease money factors. Last I heard, for customers with good credit they were .00429 for 24 month and .00399 for 36 month terms. The residual values for a 2001 C240 with 10,000 miles per year are a strong 78% for 24 month and 73% for 36 month terms.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    SST, Oldsmobile does have some pretty good deals out there right now. The 2001 Silhouette has a decent GMAC lease rate of 5.15%. There certainly seems to be quite a bit of room for negotiation on most Oldsmobile products, especially now that they are a lame duck brand. I have a feeling that you should be able to get an even lower monthly payment on this truck than the ones that they are advertising without much trouble.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Steverisity, yes I have spoken with several people who work at Audi dealerships who have indicated to me that they are negotiating quite a bit on the A4. You are absolutely correct that heavy amounts of lease support usually indicate that a substantial discount can be negotiated on a that particular vehicle. If they were in short supply or selling exceptionally well, the manufacturer wouldn't waste their money by buying down the lease rates.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • infinitimninfinitimn Member Posts: 146
    Does anyone know wht the current money factor is for the BMW 530i?
  • mistercynicmistercynic Member Posts: 3
    Hey, Car_Man
    Thanks for the quick response to my inquiry (#407). So, when the dealer is telling me the MF is .005 because the car is a Wolfsburg, is that garbage? Am I understanding that the money factor has nothing to do with the type of car and only with the finance rate?
    Dealer also told me the residual was fixed at 60% and "by LAW" couldn't be moved, yet other dealers have told me that residual should be between 49 and 52%. Is something rotten here?
    Here is the way the deal is being presented to me:
    MSRP=21,490
    Down payment and fees=2500
    Monthly payments=277.54 + tax (299.94)
    Term=39 months
    Residual=12890
    I do not know what the final money factor is here (but, as I said, the dealer originally quoted .005) and believe that while I think the monthly payments are lower than originally quoted($431/month... what a joke!) because I am negotiating a better bottom line price, the paymnts are actually lower because the dealer is lowering the money factor from the originally inflated .005 to a more realistic figure and/ or he is inflating the residual. Is that possible, ethical, legal???
    At this point I THINK I have the negotiated price (would this be the cap cost?) down to about $20,690, BUT I just feel something not quite right is going on here.
    Any insight you could lend would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks again.
    ja
  • lesleyallanlesleyallan Member Posts: 3
    Hey Car_man
    Earlier you told me in this forum that the lease money factor on the 2001 A6 2.7T was .0026 for 36 months. Does you know what it is for 48 months? And does this rate also exire at the end of February?

    Thanks
    Lesley
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi infinitimn. I see that you are switching brands ;) . BMW does currently have a slight amount of lease support available on the 2001 530i. If you lease one through BMW Financial Services prior to the end of the month, you will be able to use their lease money factor of .00350 for 24 through 42 month terms.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Well ja, the lease money factor does have something to do with the car that you are getting, in that money factors for the Jetta are different for different trim levels. However, if your credit is in good shape, the money factors for this car can not be higher than VW Credit's standard rate for the term that you are interested in without the dealership marking them up to bake additional profit into your deal. A factor of .00320 is the highest that this car can have for a 39 month lease term without the dealership padding it. In today's marketplace where invoice pricing is readily available over the Internet and consumers are really beating dealers up over vehicles' prices, it seems to me as though the marking-up of interest rates is much more prevalent that it used to be. It is an easy way for dealers to give consumers the price that they are looking for without without giving up as much profit as they would have had to. This sort of thing is completely legal. On the other hand, a vehicle's residual values are determined by the bank that you are leasing through and are set in stone. Individual dealerships have no authority to alter a vehicle's residuals in any way, other than changing the number of miles per year that are allowed under the lease contract.

    Using the numbers that you provided in your last post if you were to lease a 2001 VW Jetta Wolfsburg with an MSRP of $21,490 and a selling price of $20,690 for 39 months with 12,000 miles per year your $2,500 down pre-tax monthly lease payment should be right around $240 per month. It still looks to me as though you have some room to negotiate. Perhaps you should get price quotes on similar cars from a couple of other VW dealerships for comparison sake.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi Lesley. I sure do. The 48 month lease money factor for the car that you mentioned is slightly higher than the one that I previously published, .00280. Audi's current lease program is scheduled to run through March 6th.

    Car_Man
    Host
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • sstaylorsstaylor Member Posts: 35
    Car_Man,

    With regard to my earlier question about leasing an Olds, what residuals are you seeing for a 36 month/12k a year lease? Looking at the $493/36 month lease, if I set the interest to 5.15%, the residual ends up at around 60%. Does that sound right to you?

    Assuming that this is correct, and that Olds doesn't have some weird rule that drives the interest up or the residual down if your cap cost is below MSRP, I should be able to get a paymeny I like.

    Thanks,
    SST
  • PappasPappas Member Posts: 9
    The BMW money factor you quote is less than that given to me by my dealer for the 530i --> .00365. Is my dealer marking this up? And if so, does anyone have a winning strategy with which I can obtain the "real" MF rate, and successfully negotiate with the dealer? (My car on order is the 525i, with dealer quoted MF = .00295).

    Thanks.
  • ks10596ks10596 Member Posts: 18
    Can you give me the money factor and residuals for 36 mos at 12/15K per year? Thanks in advance!
  • jq3jq3 Member Posts: 52
    Car_Man,

    Can you give me an idea on what a 24mon, 10K/yr lease would be on a '01 Miata.
    MSRP= 21,660 Negotiated price = 19,744. Should I consider a one time payment option? My wife and I just want a toy before we decide to have kids in 2 years!

    Do you think it would be cheaper to by used? Lease used? Any advice you give would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks!!!
  • sstaylorsstaylor Member Posts: 35
    Car_Man,

    More information on the lease Olds has posted on their site.

    In the fine print for the lease, only the MSRP and the total payment amounts (after $0 down/$1000 down/$1500 down) are listed. When I read this, I assumed (never assume, never assume) that the cap. cost for the lease was also the MSRP, hence some of my comments to you.

    In trying to use this information as a starting point for negotiating a lower payment, two dealers have come back stating that the cap. cost for the deal is actually lower, at $30600.88. I called GMAC to check this claim out, and was told that, no, the "gross cap. cost" for the lease offer was, in fact, MSRP.

    Something's not right, but I'm not sure how to proceed. Any light you can shine here would be most appreciated.

    SST
  • infinitimninfinitimn Member Posts: 146
    Car Man,
    Thanks for your quick response on the 530i MF. .0035 doesn't seem to be a supported rate as compared to the MF they are offering on the 525 which is about .0027 or .0028. This is 8.4% and I thought it would have dropped with the prime rate since December when I started shopping. Especially since they are offering 5.9% financing on both.

    Pappas, the rates your dealer is quoting sound high by about .00015, but I guess rates could vary by state.
  • idontknowitallidontknowitall Member Posts: 5
    I would really like to know the MF used by Gmac for a corvette lease 36 mo, 15k mile per year. I am really wanting to know ahead of time so I can compute my lease payment upfront. Since I have read plenty of message of dealer scrams from your website here is another reason for asking. www.consumerlaw.org/gmacnmac/fourth_amendedGMAC.htm" Really interesting read I say!

    I don't want to fall victum to this practice nor any of your readers. Is there a place on the web to get up to date rates from all auto companies so some of us won't be wasting your time? Thank you in advance.
  • winstatwinstat Member Posts: 16
    Hi,

    I am coming to the end of my 3 year lease with Mazda and I'm at a crossroads about what to do with either buying my 1998 Mazda B4000 Ex Cab or leasing a 2001 edition. Here's my dilemma: The '98 currently has 24,000 miles on it, hail damage to the tune of $2,300, the front bumper is damaged to the tune of $400. With my deductible too high to afford fixing everything I have no choice, but to leave it in its present condition on the outside. The truck has run beautifully mechanically speaking for me. Oil Changes and Checks done every 4 months (averaged through the lease period) so I don't have any worries buying it mechanically speaking. I am confused and need advice from people who have gone through end of lease negotiations dealing with damage to vehicles and how that affects the "Purchase Option" at End of Lease. Do I add on the damage amounts to the Purchase Option and that is what I have to Finance to buy the truck outright or do I work with the Purchase Option price set at inception regarding financing this vehicle for buy out???

    Now, if I lease again do all the damage costs get tacked on to the next lease and be looking at serious trouble there??

    If anyone has advice or can enlighten me on their experiences with End of Lease Options, preferably through Mazda or if your situation resembled mine currently I'd be grateful to hear about it.

    Thanks!

    Chad
  • winstatwinstat Member Posts: 16
    I've read that the Lessor absorbs the difference between the actual Market Value at the end of the lease versus the Purchase Option Price set at inception of the lease, so does that mean I don't need to worry about adding the damages to the Purchase Option Price to finance and buy the truck then??? Or do I have to??? That's what has thrown me for a loop here.

    Chad
  • curtnheidicurtnheidi Member Posts: 36
    Based on general leasing guidelines, you will get hit very hard with penalties if you turn in the vehicle with that kind of damage. However, if you choose to purchase the vehicle, usually it doesn't matter what condition the car is in, or the miles. All the finance company cares about is that they either get the car in excellent condition, or the residual value agreed at the time of inception. This of course would be dependent upon your lease company (mazda?) and the contract. You will have to purchase it for the residual amount plus pay sales tax. It will then be yours.

    This might be your only option considering the damage issue. The advantage is you have a low mileage vehicle.

    The best thing to do is call the lease company and ask them about end of lease options. No need to mention the damage, just check out what it would be like to purchase the vehicle and what the residual would be. Also ask if there is any special financing rates that you could utilize. When our lease is up we can finance the vehicle at the residual amount for 1.9% up to 60 months! Very enticing indeed.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    Well Chad....You got us in a pickle this time...

    If the damage to the vehicle is what you say..approx $2700..and, let's hope that's by a reputable body shop...What is going to happen is, that Mazda, or whoever the lease company is will bill you at the close of the lease.
    Just keep in mind, this vehicle ( in their minds ) is not a retail piece for a dealer..or at the auction . .. in other words, they really dont want it... so your options are ...1) Buy the vehicle at -close end- of the lease ( they wont care what it looks like )..or. 2) lease a new one, and wait for the leasing company to run the the vehicle at auction ...and wait for a potential bill of $3,000 or $4,000+ it's a gamble .
    Any discussions about what you may do, should be done with the Leasing company...not the dealer, a lot of times you will get much further that way.

    I hope this helps

    Terry.
  • winstatwinstat Member Posts: 16
    if I go ahead and buy the truck, I go with the Lease End Purchase Option Price ONLY or take that amount and add on the penalties and damage estimates to for the total amount to finance and buy the truck outright??

    Any other advice or thoughts from anyone?

    Thanks for your help guys, I appreciate it alot!

    Chad
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    Food for thought......get in touch with the leasing company..find out what is your exact purchase price is ( or payoff )...make sure you speak with a regional or district rep ..keep in mind "most" payoffs or buy figures are negotiable...what ever it may say in your contract about "lease end purchase option " could be less, especially with Mazda credit. So what ever figure you finally end up with...just add taxes , fees etc..(no cost of damage)
    You don't ask......You don't get.
  • curtnheidicurtnheidi Member Posts: 36
    No, you do not add on the damage estimates to the residual (agreed on) price. You can buy the truck for the residual amount plus sales tax at the end of your lease.

    They do not care what the vehicle is like as long as they get their money.

    Hope this is clear. Best thing to do is call Mazda finance and ask them how to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease. Watch out for the "disposition fee" it should be waived if you purchase the truck.
  • winstatwinstat Member Posts: 16
    I have an apt with the dealership to go over my options next weekend. Do I wait to hear what they have to offer or call Mazda Credit and ask about what my Purchase Option Price is with them?? Do they ask about the condition of the vehicle at all? If I don't answer about the condition (other than mileage) will that be adverse to getting a lower buy out amount??

    Thanks guys for helping out, you've been great!

    Chad
  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    Would appreciate it if you gentlemen could chime in on a debate that is going on in the Daewoo Magnus topic in Sedans. As you may or may not know, Daewoo is on the brink of bankruptcy and may go out of business shortly. This raised the question:
    What happens when you lease a car and the leasing company goes bankrupt? One happy Daewoo owner says that you get to keep the car and don't have to make any more payments. Others then tried to explain that the loan will merely be sold to another financial organization. He insists that because there will be no maintenance service or warranty facilities that the loan can't be transfered. The latest twist says that before the lease can be sold to another lender, the person who is leasing the car in question must be offered the opportunity to buy the vehicle.
    Could anyone shed any light on this? I'd appreciate it. Since this has been such a long and unclear post, I'll repeat the essential question: What happens when you lease a car and the leasing company (Daewoo) goes bankrupt?
  • curtnheidicurtnheidi Member Posts: 36
    At this point you will want to talk to the finance company first thing. Get the accurate purchase price. A dealer will appraise your vehicle and will most likely notice the damage, so there is little hope of negotiating a deal there.
    Everyone should be careful when turning in a lease as part of a trade. YOU are responsible to the finance company, not the dealer, that the vehicle is in excellent condition and wear and tear is normal. In other words, a dealer could give you the purchase price of the truck in a trade, thus "paying off the lease". When they turn it in to Mazda Credit, you could end up getting a bill after the fact for wear and tear or damages. The dealer is not going to pay, because your contract states you are liable for those charges.
    Deal strictly with the finance company before you go to the dealer.
    *This is true even when "in-house" financing is used,i.e. Mazda dealer, Mazda Credit*
    Curt
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    My opinion is only amateur, but it seems to me that if Daewoo files for bankrupcy, its assets will be sold off. So there would be a scramble to purchase the lease contracts (at some kind of a bargain). Whoever buys starts receiving your payment. To you, there wouldn't be a change.

    I don't know how the warranty issue would play out, other than it represents a kind of "obligation". It may be that a judge would order Daewoo to pay a cash settlement to owners (as in, "here's $500. Now you don't have a warranty"). Bankrupcy is about a company being unable to meet its obligations, so its possible if Daewoo goes bankrupt, you completely lose your warranty and won't get a penny.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ......OK, I will go over this one more time, I think we are making this much to complicated...

    Yes, there is a great potential of being able to purchase this vehicle for - less - than what it states on the contract...with or without damage to the vehicle. It happens everyday Fomoco, Honda, Chrysler, GMAC, Toyota, Volvo, etc.

    Call Mazda Leasing on monday...and get your exact pay-off / purchase figure .....and then find out who the Regional / District Mgr is....and call him/her and say...."Hey Bubba, I kind of like this truck, and I think I would like to buy it....But.... the purchase figure is a little high (let's say $12,500 )...and I would like you to check..and find out what Mazda Leasing can do for me, being the good customer I am. Because Bubba, I know that you or the Dealer can go to the auction and buy one just like mine for under $10,000, and I'm sure Mazda doesn't need another tax right off....I have helped you buy leasing it, So please help me purchase it".

    If worse comes to worse, after a couple of days of negotiations..if... they don't want to work with you - That's when you kinda of mention the - Oh, bye the way...did I mention the $2700 of damage to the truck because of the hail storm..?

    All the lease co is trying to do is...cut their losses..and not spend all the BS time, to inventory the vehicle...get it ready for auction, which as a rule, means it will stand 2 or 3 weeks
    and as it sits...the market moves on. I dont recommend getting the dealer involved at all...and you certainly don't need the vehicle appraised until the very last day of turn in....If...it even comes to that. Remember keep it-- k. i. s. s. ...

    I hope this clarifys some things

    Terry.
  • phatwheelsphatwheels Member Posts: 7
    Car Man
    would you please provide me with the lease money factor and residual on an MB E430 36 and 48 months with 12k miles.
  • jeepdrvrjeepdrvr Member Posts: 1
    I have a '98 Grand Cherokee with a 3 year lease ending in May. Residual value is 17,600. Dealer has indicated that the truck usually goes for around 14,500 at auction. I would like to offer 15,000 to purchase the vehicle? The truck is in excellent condition. I am guessing the lease company would still be making money by not having to send the truck to auction and subsequent advertising, etc. Is this idea realistic to propose to the lease company or dealer?
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ......You haven't left enough info about it ...stuff like miles, engine..is it a 4wd...but anyway.
    The numbers seem to be about right, and they are just pulling that $14,500 to $15,500 figure at the auctions.
    The best thing you can do is...work with the Leasing company - hopefully its Chrysler...they do work pretty well with the customer...and they realize that a lot of Grand Cherokees are going to the block.....so if you get a chance read my post #445...but just make sure you get a "descision maker" there....and see what they will do for you.

    I hope this helps,
    Terry.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Thought I'd post my 2 cents on this topic as I went thru this process with Infiniti recently. There seems to be some confusion regarding lease maturity and vehicle damage.

    About 90 days before maturity date you'll receive paperwork outlining the procedures for turning in your vehicle. Included will be information about a vehicle inspection that will be mandatory. Infiniti sent me detailed info on what is considered wear and tear and what is damage that I would be liable for. They also told me what exact steps need to be taken to turn in my vehicle.

    Many finance companies hire an outside company to administer the inspection. The company used by Infiniti Financial Services came to my work after they called and made an appointment for inspection. My vehicle had some minor body damage that was noted and a charge was indicated. The inspector determined what the charge was going to be (don't ask me how). He gave me copies of the paperwork which I was to relinquish when the vehicle was turned in.

    I was not required to turn in my vehicle on an exact date (although they asked for a specific date). I also was not required to commit to turning in the vehicle to a specific dealer (although I told them who I'd likely go to). I could have extended my lease for a few months if I wanted to. This may be benefical if you are planning to have work done on the vehicle to mitigate any damage-related charges.

    The day I turned in my Infiniti was the day I bought my new car. The dealer I turned in my Infiniti to was closest to the new car dealer, not my usual servicing dealer. I called the Infiniti dealer the day before and made arrangements to meet the person who handles terminations. I took my vehicle to him, he filled out some paperwork, I got copies and was on my way - took 10 minutes.

    A couple weeks later I got a final bill in the mail requesting payment for the damages and the disposition fee. I sent a check, they sent a "thank you" letter and that was that.

    BTW, I did try to negotiate a lower buyout price since the residual was highly inflated. I spoke to a supervisor at IFS and they told me no negotiations. But I do know that some finance companies will negotiate the buyout.

    Hope all this helps. Best o' luck.
  • curtnheidicurtnheidi Member Posts: 36
    Most financial institutions do require an inspection 60-90 days before lease end.

    The point illustrated earlier with Chad's situation is this: It may be more affordable to buy the vehicle outright than pay damages and fees associated with turning the lease vehicle in.

    Also, most lease companies do not negotiate on the lease end value. A dealer may give some incentive towards another vehicle (loyalty discount) or may give a higher trade in value than what is owed on the car.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    Most lease companies "DO" negotiate the lease end values..Fomoco, Chrysler, Volvo, Mazda, Honda and especially Toyota. The reason why most people can't or don't take advantage of this is that they are not informed on purpose ..... the dealer / salesperson will get involved to the extent of trying to sell the next vehicle and the customer doesn't get this chance...or the information get's lost in the shuffle "so to speak".

    But yes, Most lease companies will negotiate the final price ( it kinda leaves the dealer out..and of course, they don't like that )
    depending on the market , time of the year, vehicle, etc. the lease co. will drop in price from $100 to sometimes $2500 depending on those variables. Now Infiniti....they are on a planet all by themselves -- they had a horrible experience with the leasing market from 1996 to 1999...their residuals were way off, resale value
    was nil, so now Infiniti has changed their marketing by 180 degrees....and I'm thinking they won't let that happen again.-Bretfraz- brought up a very good point on the 30/60/90 day inspections..some of the lease companies, are going to this outside inspection services..remember - most are in a big hurry, have limited experience..and can miss a vehicles value by a bunch - so there is some need of concern in that area, also the dealer themselves can have the same problem...Bretfraz had a great experience ( as it should be ) but there is a minority that have seen a lease co. bill for $1500 on $100 of wear and tear...so just be wary, it's just good business.

    I hope this helps.

    Terry.
  • winstatwinstat Member Posts: 16
    I call them and let's say they agree to put the final purchase price at $11,000, the contract I have shows $11,300. Then what happens or what should I do? Get paperwork from Mazda Credit showing what they agreed to?? Ask them or do they contact the dealership about what has been discussed and agreed to??

    Let's say Mazda Credit says no deals, you buy the truck for $11,300, then I have no worries about being billed for the damage then correct??? Even if the dealer inspects it and all that and I inform them I'm buying the truck, there will be no bills for the damage, right or wrong??

    I'm sorry if I sound uneducated on this, but this is my maiden voyage into leasing and I'm 25 and so far I'm not very keen on leases myself at this point and that's why I'll be happy to get outta this situation, buy the truck that I've had no problems with and with some repairs in the future to it and my low mileage travels, will be useful for trade-in in even 3 years if all goes as planned. I just don't wanna get screwed royally making my way through this so all your help and advice is soooooo welcomed everyone.

    Thanks again!

    Chad
This discussion has been closed.