Leasing is a fools game, you are far better off to simply buy the car out right at the best deal you can get and then drive it for 3-4 years. Then sell it off yourself as the dealer would, dealers love leases due to the high dollar amount they charge.

What the dealer does is charge you a very high montly payment plus a non refundable down payment and then sells the car for top dollar as a 3 yr, low mileage lease.

The only way it makes sense to lease a vehicle is if you have your own bussiness and you can buy it for bussiness use a deduct the lease payment as a bussiness expense.

Now do the math on the lease listed below.
$42195 msrp = $4050.72 dealer mark up, you could buy this car for $39,000

Lease option = $26,286 payment x $674 times 39 months. Now add your required down payment and taxes. Also the additional charges the dealer always hits you up with to recondition the car for resale. Every little stain, paint chip, brake wear, tire wear etc.

For an additional $11,824 you could buy the car out right and save the additional $10,000 the dealer is making off you at the end of the lease plus the dealer mark up. you can see that the dealer is making at least $11,500 off you for leasing the car that is pure profit and if you decide not to buy the car at the end of the lease, the dealer will then sell to someone else for around $26k-$29k


2011 Roadster Touring: $42195 MSRP
$39575 selling price
$23207 residual
12000 miles allowed/year
$674/ month X 39 months
First payment and tag due at signing ($889.71)

I'm going to be getting a loan for a 370z in the next month. My dad wants to lease a sedan and it seems for those types of cars, there are some good options. I'm talking about a C-class Mercedes Benz or a Camry, or Accord. All of these cars can be had for $1500 down (I know it's a bad idea to do this) @ $290/mo for 32 months. Or zero down for $309/mo. The Benz is worth about $45k if i'm not mistaken.

There are a few good deals that the leasing is actually the exact same as buying. When you calculate those out to a 3 year lease and if its the exact same as buying/leasing then I rather lease, beat the car return it. This only works when the lease is a crazy deal.

Don't believe all of the negative remarks surrounding leasing. Many of these opinions are formed based on the idea that Nissan will still "own" the vehicle. Why lease a car when you can lease money? Not much pride-retention (or value) in getting a loan either if you ask me. Unless you pay it in full with cash, it will either belong to Nissan or the bank. Pick your debt inducing poison. Good credit and negotiation skills are essential. So is having fun.

:iagree:

bottom line is the dealer makes about $10K off a lease over the 39 months, if you buy the car for 0% or very low finacing loan interest isn't that much.

The key is thing is buying the car for 39 months yourself loan or cash, then sell it off the way the dealer would and you can pocket the profit the dealer would have mad.

The problem with leasing a car is that when it is returned at the end of the lease, it will be thoroughly inspected for every little ding, nick, glass chip, scratch, stain, worn, tires, brakes, belts, clutches, or defective item they can hit you up with, everything that the bumper to bumper waranty won't cover. Depending on the dealer these extra costs can be very high, and the dealer will actualy do nothing to the car except, oil change, and detail in most cases to resell it.

Get a detailed copy of the actual lease agreement you will be signing and read the fine print, most ppl that lease a car one time will never do it again.

Also forget about leasing a car and beating it for 39 months and walking away, it simply doesn't work like that. At the start of the lease they hand you off a brand new perfect car and you sign off on it. So if you think you can trash it for 39 months and bring it back , then think again.

Leasing a brand new car is not the same as trashing a 10-20k rental car that other ppl have driven. If for example you rented a car that had 10k on it and destroyed the engine and tranny, you could argue in a court of law that the damage was done by previous renters, while leasing a new car with 1-10 miles on it , only shows that you are the primary or only driver responsible for the damage.

The dealers don't make any more on a lease, actually it's the opposite. The vehicle is being leased by the bank, and the bank gets the car back. The bank is taking the risk that they will get back a clean car, and they are calculating what the resale value will be 3 years from now. If the resale value is lower on a clean car they lose, if the car is beat up, they will lose, if they calculate the residual too low, no one will lease and they lose.

You can't say leasing is no good. It's different on every car, and different to every customer. The Z doesn't have a great lease, but you can't just say leasing is no good, it just may not seem good to you.

Well said.

Ok! show us that exact calculations of a typical lease indicating all the costs to the buyer if the beginning and the end, Also the retail resale value of that car and also the costs and profits on this deal, made by the typical dealer.

Please also include a copy of the fine print on the lease contract the leasee is responsible for in regards to maintanance, wear and tear, and the fine print where it indicates the leasee is responsible for any costs required to bring the car back into condition for resale, beyond normal acceptable limits in the lease contract.

That, right there, is the premise of the thread. Leasing a regular car for your own personal reasons is one thing. Leasing a sports car is distinctly different; it just doesn't make a whole of sense given the stipulations and restrictions it puts on the driver's liberties.

Dealers make a healthy profit on leases. Please spare us the propaganda.

OP- I'm not arguing that leasing a Z is not a good idea. I did actually agree with you.

We actually average about $800 more in profit when financing a car, rather than leasing.

If you are looking at an Altima, Maxima or Rogue, the difference in payments to a consumer is about $150 per month between lease and finance payments, so many people do lease.

In the case of a Z, the money factor is high, and residual is on the cautious side. The payments are the same to lease or finance. You decide if you want to give it back stock in 3 years with no headaches other than wear and tear, or if you want to keep it. If you lease, then buy, you are crazy on this car, because you are spending 5 or 6000 more than if you just bought it from the start with a good interest rate.

The benefit to you, is if the market is down, or if the car is in an accident and repaired, the bank is the one on the hook for the residual value, not you. I personally wouldn't lease a sports car, most people on this forum agree. This is a conversation that's been on here numerous times!