Buying vs Leasing?

Mike

I go through cars quickly. I've leased three times and all were great.

First was a Saab 9-3 that the value dropped like a rock on. It was a 299/month lease special and it was worth less than the residual at the end. I turned it in and walked away.

Second was a G35 coupe. My airline went bankrupt and I took a 50% paycut, so we sold my pickup and traded my wifes G in on a Magnum. Got 1000 more than what the lease buyout was.

Third was a two year lease on a Z4. Traded it in two months early on a 2010 Z4 and came out about even from where we would have been if we had financed it.

Leasing has an advantage that you only pay sales tax on the payments, and not the total price, and you know all of your costs up front.

If you keep a car for a long time, don't do it, but if you are like me, and routinely buy and sell, its not a bad way to go. I've bought I think, 36 new cars, between my years of 18-46. Might get 37 tomorrow.

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NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968