https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:53:13 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364186 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:40:49 +0000 deactivated_account 1364186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: Oh that soooooo makes sense. I wouldn't even want to buy a discontinued car under any circumstances. </p> <p>@Bookish: congratulations on your new car, lady! that's exciting! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364168 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:34:52 +0000 mrs. wagon 1364168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: yup we did that too! We were debating a Hyundai Veracruz too but ultimately decided against it because it was being discontinued, so the prices were great but the demand for it at the end of the lease would be low. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364152 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:31:50 +0000 Bookish 1364152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I meant to update this! We actually decided to go ahead and buy, and got a really great deal on a 2014 Ford Escape! I really appreciate all the help and advice from y'all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364149 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:31:29 +0000 pui 1364149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Buy. We always buy our cars second hand. You get a waaaay better deal in the long run. We also never buy from big dealerships. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364099 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:23:48 +0000 deactivated_account 1364099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: One other thing I did was lease a 2013 model when 2014 models were already on the lot. It got me into a better car at a lesser monthly payment than I was already paying and I seriously didn't even have to ask for that - it was offered. The dealership was really wanting to get rid of the '13s. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364068 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:13:32 +0000 mrs. wagon 1364068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: yeah, that's true... we always want the highest trim package so I guess it wouldn't have been an option for us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364064 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:12:25 +0000 deactivated_account 1364064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: That's funny. Its totally tempting to get the cheapest least possible. I just feel like if you are going to lease, get the new car! I actually didn't ask how much cheaper the service loaners were to lease. Also.... the service loaners generally have really basic options on them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364058 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:11:13 +0000 regberadaisy 1364058@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We leased a car once but will never do it again. We have no desire to have the newest car in the market and it doesn't make financial sense to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364053 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:09:33 +0000 mrs. wagon 1364053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: really!! I had no idea!! NOT gonna tell Wagon Sr. about that though, because I'm sure 1) he already knows and searched for those kinds of cheaper options and 2) I really really like our current car and if he found a cheaper lease he'd want to roll over into a newer, cheaper lease!!! Noooo more!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1364005 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:01:27 +0000 deactivated_account 1364005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I have one leased car and one car we own outright. We lease the one car because (a) we like a new car often; (b) we like a better car than we can actually afford to buy; (c) absolutely zero maintenance on the car as it is fully covered by the lease agreement; and (d) i drive a lot for my job and don't want to put those miles on a car i own. </p> <p>@mrs. wagon: In some instances, you can also lease cars that were used by the dealership as service loaners. So those aren't technically "new" cars. Its much cheaper to lease those cars, but I don't think it makes sense to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1363875 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:38:24 +0000 mrs. wagon 1363875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@umlo: @Bookish: I can't provide too much specific information since Wagon Sr. was the one who did all the negotiations, but basically what you should be negotiating is what you'll be paying for the car itself, not your monthly payment. If you have a bunch of cash now, you should just put it aside and take a higher monthly payment, because it would basically just be putting your money up front to spread out over those payments. It's like saying, for this hotel room I'll put down $500 in advance for a 5 night stay, and at the end when I get my bill for $600, I only owe $100 which means I only paid $20 per night! Not true... you still paid $600 overall. </p> <p>I'll ask Wagon Sr. to comment briefly about leases since he knows so much about them. But basically, you can only lease new cars, so any car they have can be available for a lease. That just means the lease company purchases it instead of you. Lease a car that will be valuable to the dealership at the end of the lease (something popular like a Honda Civic, a minivan, etc). Figure out how many miles you need each year and negotiate for additional mileage to be built in to the lease if you need to. Negotiate a shorter lease (ours are 3-4 years usually). Ask if the cost of mileage overage is negotiable (usually it's not). If you need certain features on a car, negotiate for the highest trim package and then after you've settled on numbers for that, ask about a lower trim package with add-ons that they can do at the dealership (we did this with a GPS system). </p> <p>If you can figure out how much you want to negotiate for, expect to be at the dealership for the entire day. We spent 8 hours straight at the dealership for our current car. Go with both of you so one of you can run out to get lunch. Do not EVER purchase anything in the finance manager's office... lojack, symonize, tire protection, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1355974 Fri, 17 Jan 2014 09:16:09 +0000 Bookish 1355974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: Well I think you just solved my problem! Having a used car as a commuter for DH that he can drive for years and years, and then a lease for me (and if I'm being really, really honest, I would love to trade up a car every few years) is a great compromise for us. We'll sell DH's truck to pay off my car, then only have the lease payment! Works for me! </p> <p>So, those of you who have leased, it's question time! @Pepper: @AngelicOne: @Torchwood: @HabesBabe: @CupQuakeWalk: </p> <p>What kind of things are negotiable when you lease? Can you lease any car on the lot, or are there limits? What advice do you wish someone had given you on negotiating or just leasing in general?</p> <p>And if anyone has any tips on selling their car privately, that would be great as well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1355754 Fri, 17 Jan 2014 01:49:37 +0000 umlo 1355754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: please share your trade secrets/negotiating for zero down. We are about to lease a car this weekend but always thought we needed to put money down to avoid higher monthly payments. Now I am thinking we should just hold onto the down payment. :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1355059 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 20:13:33 +0000 mrs. wagon 1355059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We only have one car, so we lease. You have to think of a lease as a long term rental. Your payments might be lower, but you have to give the car back at the end. And you have to watch your mileage. Since we've been leasing for a long time, we know how to get the best deals. For instance, it's best to put nothing down because whatever you put down just gets spread out over your lease payments. Money going to them is money going to them no matter what, so it's best to keep your money in your pocket rather than give it all up in advance to lower your monthly payments, if at the end you're just giving the car back anyway. We always negotiate in extra mileage and we've never gone over. Even if you do go over, when you give the car back, everything is negotiable. We've given cars back with damage and everything, and we've never had to pay extra. We choose cars that are in high demand and keep up with the maintenance, so by the time they're getting it back, they are just SALIVATING over it because all they'll do is fix it up, detail it and turn it around and sell it as a used car for a huge profit. That's where they'll make the money.</p> <p>Eventually when we have two cars, we'll purchase a used car to run into the ground and use that as our everyday commuter car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1355041 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 20:10:17 +0000 Synchronicity 1355041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My car is starting to fall apart, so this topic has been on my mind lately! I was totally set on leasing... FI bought a truck brand new in 2009, and it seemed like as soon as the 3 year warranty was up (on certain things), everything started breaking down! He has put a ridiculous amount of money into it, and it was not a cheap truck (~$50,000). My thought was that I will lease, so I'll never hit that point where I'm out of warranty and have to start paying for repairs. Plus, cars start to depreciate in value as soon as you drive them off the lot, so it isn't like you are purchasing an investment. </p> <p>Now I'm starting to second guess myself... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354973 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 19:59:59 +0000 MrsStormy 1354973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bookish: We totally wanted a certified used, but found the same things you did, most were all around the same price as brand new, it was pretty disappointing. For us we knew we didn't need a lot of upgrades (which was what was making the used cars expensive, they were higher end models of the cars we liked, because most people who buy base or close to base models keep their cars longer) so after a lot of searching, research, and budgeting realized it made more sense for us to buy a new car, we got a pretty basic model, but it still has a lot of things that are totally new to me since I previously drove a super base 2004 explorer! I love our SUV and feel confident we made the best choice for us. Lease was not an option, I like OWNING things, I like eliminating payments. </p> <p>Also I would not trade in, you will get so much more for the Ranger if you sell it yourself. Cheaper cars (in the price range your truck is) seem to sell pretty easily on craigslist or autotrader, because people who have cash have limited options in the lower price bracket so are willing to pay a little more than someone would for a more expensive car, does that make sense? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354422 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:51:45 +0000 Bookish 1354422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: @Radish: @PurplePumps: @Pepper: Thanks all!! I appreciate all the feedback... I've never leased a car before so I really wasn't sure about all the pros/cons.. I don't really care if we have the newest/nicest car, in fact we'd probably be getting the same car whether we leased or owned! DH is against keeping his truck as a 3rd car, for reasons y'all pointed out... so it looks like we are just going to try to find a really good deal or go certified used! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354359 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:32:37 +0000 blackbird 1354359@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think i pay $25 for an oil change for my honda CRV every 4 months or so. maintenance isn't very expensive! </p> <p>i am of the opinion that leasing is a waste of money. It's for if you have to have the newest of the new...and if you're in no position to put a good chunk down up front, you shouldn't be driving a brand new fancy car, haha. I'd buy used and keep it for awhile. I know different people value different things, but always having a new vehicle is at the bottom of my list, especially if money is an issue!</p> <p>Cars aren't really novelty items to me, though. They're items that depreciate in value constantly, and I want them to be safe and reliable, but they don't have to be top of the line all the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354348 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:30:38 +0000 Radish 1354348@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would never lease - we buy cars for the long haul. I've also only ever paid cash for cars. We have always sold cars on craigslist (vs trade-in) since you generally get more money that way. I actually bought my current car through craigslist as well (it is a 2005 and I bought it in 2007). </p> <p>I don't see a reason to hang onto the Ranger since the no backseat thing will always be an issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354335 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:26:19 +0000 Pepper 1354335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We lease. My husband is in the automotive industry, so I am in and out of cars every 2-3 years. If I bought a car, I'd be paying more a month, knowing I was never truly going to "own" it. </p> <p>If you get tired of your cars easily, it's best to lease. If you think you can keep the same car for more than 4 years, then buying is definitely the way to go! Financially, buying makes more sense, because you're essentially renting a car when you lease it. Even if you buy it after the fact, you sometimes end up paying more than you would if you bought it to begin with.</p> <p>I'm on a 12,000 mile lease right now because I don't drive to work anymore. I've never had to pay to have anything fixed on a lease because everything is covered under warranty. You still need to pay for oil/filter changes and all of that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354296 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:13:28 +0000 PurplePumps 1354296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally, we'd never consider leasing. Leasing from car to car is like forever car payments with mileage restrictions. I wouldn't just add another sedan and have 3 cars when one would not really be used. That'd just be sitting there costing you money in insurance and occasional maintenance. In this case, I'd trade in the ranger for the SUV, unless you really needed a truck a lot. My husband wanted a truck, but it just wanted a truck, but it just wants practical, and he got a CRV instead. I also wouldn't count a pay increase and factor that in as a way to be able to afford more. I'd get what I can afford now, and when that pay increase comes, that's just more spare cash for other things! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1354261 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:03:29 +0000 AngelicOne 1354261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a 5 year lease on a 2011 Camry &amp; decided last year we love the car so much, we decided to buy out the lease, so it'll be ours in 5 years. (the certified pre owned cars on the lot had more miles on them than ours did &amp; were about the same price, so it worked out better for us to do it this way). I think we added some sort of maintenance thing to it so all maintenance stuff is covered again (was only covered for 2 years with the original lease) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353681 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 14:34:16 +0000 Bookish 1353681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: Thanks for responding! So all maintenance is covered with a lease, like oil changes and if the a/c breaks? I really have no clue, so explain it to me slowly ;) </p> <p>I suppose what I really need to balance is the cost of maintenance + the higher monthly payment with the depreciation of my DH's Ranger. Basically, if we can still get 3-4K at trade in 3 years from now, and leasing saves us 100-150$/month + maintenance.... it might be the better way to go! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353635 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 14:26:33 +0000 snowjewelz 1353635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am not a fan of leasing unless you are not sure if you need this car forever, or you would like to get new cars every few years. </p> <p>It does costs more up front; I had just finished paying off my car and then we got a new car for DH so the car payments feel like they don't stop! And there eventually will be maintenance costs, but I feel like leasing just makes you feel like you're spending less, but you just keep coughing up money to rent a car! </p> <p>If it's feasible to buy &amp; finance, I would do that. Try to sell your truck and not trade it in; it is a little extra work but we did that with DH's old car and got more money that what the dealership quoted (like 1-2k more!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353589 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 14:12:17 +0000 Torchwood 1353589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've been leasing for the last 4 years, but our situation is a little different. DH's mother works for Nissan's corporate offices, and gets us a great deal. Yes, it's been money down the drain in the sense that we won't own a car when our current lease is up, but not having to worry about maintenance has been a huge benefit. We're probably buying once this lease is up next month, but primarily because his mom is considering leaving Nissan and we don't want to suddenly be out of a car if she does so abruptly. I don't have any advice, but definitely take into consideration convenience and lack of maintenance cost, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353479 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:49:02 +0000 Bookish 1353479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HabesBabe: lol @ the impulse Infiniti!! </p> <p>This thread actually has me thinking that it might be a better idea to get a certified used sedan and keep DH's truck. We'd have payments closer to 250$ and his truck is dirt cheap to insure....</p> <p>I love being able to bounce ideas off people :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353393 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:33:26 +0000 HabesBabe 1353393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've leased in the past (hellllo impulse Infiniti during our dating years) and have bought every other car before/after. The lease was the only "new" car we've ever had (besides the car my dad got me when I was a 16-- a 2001 Corolla). </p> <p>If you are looking for a long-term commitment, I would buy a "new-to-you" car (we just bought a 2011 Camry for around $15k and it had under 18k miles on it!). If you want to get a new car every few years and feel like you're "renting," then I would lease. If I were in your shoes, I'd buy a new-to-you car, put some money down, and have a slightly higher payment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353377 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:30:23 +0000 Bookish 1353377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pinata: Thanks! I'd actually rather get a certified used car, but the issue with that is they are only 2,000$ cheaper than getting it new, so I don't much see the point! We were able to get my Jetta certified used for a great deal, but I can't find the same incentive with the cars I'm looking at. That's the main reason I'm considering a lease, because it seems like we will be buying new </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353362 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:28:57 +0000 Mrs. Pinata 1353362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bookish: Oh yeah, definitely an issue. :-) If it were me I would trade it in now and use that as a down payment to get a certified used car. A few years old that you can trust to run for awhile. Good luck! IT can be stressful getting a new/"new" car! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-lease-vs-buy#post-1353330 Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:25:30 +0000 Freckles 1353330@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I completely agree with @Mae. It's also a lot more expensive to lease. My parents started leasing cars about 10 years ago because they only wanted a new car. </p> <p>Buying a slightly used car is almost always a better buy. </p>