It's a common dilemma: lease versus buy — to lease a car or buy a car — which is better?. Everyone who has ever considered leasing has had this question cross their mind.
So what is the answer?
Lease versus buy?
The answer is – it depends. It's not possible to simply say that one is always better than the other because the answer depends on the specifics of each individual situation.
Leases and purchase loans are simply two different methods of automobile financing (leasing is NOT renting). One finances the use of a vehicle; the other finances the purchase of a vehicle. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.
When making a 'lease or buy' decision you must look not only at financial comparisons but also at your own personal priorities — what's important to you.
Is having a new vehicle every two or three years with no major repair risks more important than long-term cost? Or are long term cost savings more important than lower monthly payments? Is having some ownership in your vehicle more important than low up-front costs and no down payment? Is it important to you to pay off your vehicle and be debt-free for a while, even if it means higher monthly payments for the first few years?
So we find out that making a lease-or-buy decision is not quite cut and dry. There are some things you need to consider. Let's take a look at some of these things now.
Buying and leasing are different
When you buy, you pay for the entire cost of a vehicle, regardless of how many miles you drive it. You typically make a down payment, pay sales taxes in cash or roll them into your loan, and pay an interest rate determined by your loan company, based on your credit history. You make your first payment a month after you sign your contract. Later, you may decide to sell or trade the vehicle for its depreciated resale value.
When you lease, you pay only a portion of a vehicle's cost, which is the part that you "use up" during the time you're driving it. Leasing is not the same as renting. You have the option of not making a down payment, you pay sales tax only on your monthly payments (in most states), and you pay a financial rate, called money factor, that is similar to the interest on a loan. You may also be required to pay fees and possibly a security deposit that you don't pay when you buy. You make your first payment at the time you sign your contract — for the month ahead. At lease-end, you may either return the vehicle, or purchase it for its depreciated resale value.
As an example, if you lease a $20,000 car that will have, say, an estimated resale value of $13,000 after 24 months, you only pay for the $7000 difference (this is called depreciation), plus finance charges, plus possible fees.
When you buy, you pay the entire $20,000, plus finance charges, plus possible fees.
This is fundamentally why leasing offers significantly lower monthly payments than buying.
How are lease and loan payments different?
Lease payments are made up of two parts: a depreciation charge and a finance charge. The depreciation part of each monthly payment compensates the leasing company for the portion of the vehicle's value that is lost during your lease. The finance part is interest on the money the lease company has tied up in the car while you're driving it. In effect, you are borrowing the money that the lease company used to buy the car from the dealer. You repay part of that money in monthly payments, and repay the remainder when you either buy or return the vehicle at lease-end.
Loan payments also have two parts: a principal charge and a finance charge, similar to lease payments. The principal pays off the full vehicle purchase price, while the finance charge is loan interest.
However, since all vehicles depreciate in value by the same amount regardless of whether they are leased or purchased, part of the principal charge of each loan payment can be considered as a depreciation charge, just like with leasing — it's money you never get back, even if you sell the vehicle in the future. It's lost money for which you'll have nothing to show.
The remainder of each loan principal payment goes toward equity. It's what remains of your car's original value at the end of the loan after depreciation has taken its toll. Equity is resale value. It's what you get back if you sell the vehicle. The longer you own and drive a vehicle, the less equity you have. At some point in time, after the wheels have fallen off and the engine is worn out, the only equity left is scrap value. You never get back the full amount you've paid for your vehicle.
Leasing can be a little more complicated
Because leasing is somewhat more complicated; with residuals, money factors, etc.; it shouldn't be undertaken quite as casually as you might with a simple loan. There are more opportunities to misunderstand and make mistakes. Therefore, leasing requires that you be more careful and more informed.
This is precisely the reason we've provided this Lease Guide to make leasing as easy as possible for you.
Just a comment on lease-to-buy plans
Some folks lease with the intention of buying their vehicle at the end of the lease, or before the end of the lease. This is nearly always more expensive than simply buying outright. However, you may have a good reason for this tactic. Just be aware that it costs you more in the long term.
One other thing - GAP coverage
Most car leases have automatic built-in gap coverage, while car purchase loans almost always do not. Gap coverage, or gap insurance, pays the difference between what you owe on your loan or lease, and what your vehicle is actually worth if your vehicle is stolen or destroyed in an accident.
Why is gap insurance important? Because it's very common, in these days of long-term loans and leases, rolled-over and refinanced loans, and little or no down payment, to be "upside down" — to owe more on your loan or lease than your car is actually worth. This can mean you'll still owe hundreds or thousands of dollars to the finance company even after your insurance has paid for your car that has been totaled or stolen. This turns out to be a huge shocking surprise for most people caught in this unfortunate situation.
So, nearly all leases have built-in gap protection, but loans do not. You're better protected with a lease, unless you purchase the gap insurance separately at extra cost for the loan — if you can find somewhere to buy it.
So, which is better, lease or buy?
It depends on what's most important to you. All of us have different lifestyles and priorities — in cars, life, and in finances. Car lease-versus-buy decisions must be made with your own lifestyle and priorities in mind. What's right for one person can be totally wrong for another.
LEASE - If you enjoy driving a new car every two or three years, want lower monthly payments, like having a car that has the latest safety features and is always under warranty, don't like trading and selling used cars, don't care about building ownership equity, have a stable predictable lifestyle, drive an average number of miles, properly maintain your cars, are willing to pay more over the long haul to get these benefits, and understand how leasing works, then you should lease.
BUY - If you don't mind higher monthly payments, prefer to build up some trade-in or resale value (equity), like the idea of having ownership of your car, prefer paying off your loan and being payment-free for a while, don't mind the unexpected cost of repairs after warranty has expired, drive more than average miles, prefer to drive your cars for years to spread out the cost, like to customize your cars, expect lifestyle changes in the near future, and don't like the risk of possible lease-end charges — then you should buy.
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