Should you lease or buy a new car? Typically, the choice comes down to priorities. For some drivers, it’s purely a matter of dollars and cents: Which is the less expensive option right now? For others, it’s about the benefits of ownership.
Before choosing the road you go down, it’s important to understand the key distinctions between leasing a car and buying one.
Key Takeaways
- Leasing a car means that you basically rent it for a specific and limited time period.
- Buying a car means that you own it outright and build equity in the vehicle with monthly payments (if you finance the purchase).
- Benefits of leasing usually include a lower up-front cost, lower monthly payments compared to buying, and no resale hassle.
- Benefits of buying usually are car ownership, complete control over mileage, and a firm idea of costs.
- Experts generally say that buying a car is a better financial decision for the long term.
Lease or Buy a Car: What’s the Difference?
When you lease a vehicle, you pay to drive it for a certain length of time. The average lease is 24 or 36 months, although you can find even longer leases. Restrictions apply to how many miles you can drive and modifications that you may wish to make to it. Various fees will apply.
Once your lease period ends, you have the option to return the vehicle to the dealer or purchase it at a predetermined amount, as defined in the lease contract.
When you buy a car, you immediately take title to it. You own it outright if you pay for it with cash or after a loan is paid off if you finance your purchase. You maintain control over all aspects of the vehicle and ultimately can keep it, trade it in, sell it, or give it away.
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Pros and Cons of Leasing
Lease payments are generally lower than the monthly loan payments for a new vehicle. They depend on these factors:
- Sale price: This is negotiated with the dealer, just like with a vehicle purchase.
- Length of the lease: This is the number of months that you agree to lease the car.
- Expected mileage: The lease sets the maximum number of miles that you can drive the car each year. Most leases come with the choice of a 12,000- or 15,000-mile annual allotment. The monthly payment will increase slightly if you go for the higher yearly mileage. If you exceed the mileage limit in the contract, then you will be expected to pay the dealer for every extra mile at the end of the lease.
- Residual value: This is the vehicle’s value at the end of the lease, with its depreciation figured in. If you decide to purchase the vehicle once the lease expires, this is the amount that you will pay.
- Rent charge: This fee is shown as a dollar figure rather than a percentage, but it is the equivalent of an interest charge.
- Taxes and fees: These are added to the lease and affect the monthly cost.
Some dealers or the manufacturers that they represent require a down payment for a lease. The more you put down, the lower your lease payment will be.
Keep in mind that it may not make sense to put too much cash down on a vehicle that you’ll ultimately be handing back to the dealer. If you’re quite sure that you’re going to buy it when the lease expires, the down payment will reduce the cost of purchase.
Pros
Lower Monthly Costs
A lease can slightly ease the financial burden of monthly costs. Leasing usually involves a smaller down payment compared to buying. Due to this, some people opt for a more luxurious car than they otherwise could afford.
New Car Every Few Years
For many people, there’s nothing like the feeling of a brand new ride. When a lease is up, you can return it and get your next new car. By leasing, you also get the latest advances in car technology every few years.
Worry-Free Maintenance
Many new cars offer a warranty that lasts at least three years. So when you take out a three-year lease, most of the repairs may be covered. Leasing arrangements can potentially eliminate some significant, unforeseen expenses.
No Resale Worries
You simply return the car (unless you choose to buy it). The only thing you have to worry about is paying any end-of-lease fees, including those for abnormal wear or additional mileage on the vehicle.
Potential for Tax Deductions
If you use your car for business purposes, a lease may afford you more tax deductions than a loan. That’s because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows you to deduct both the depreciation and the financing costs that are part of each monthly payment. If you’re leasing a luxury automobile, the amount that you can write off may be limited.
Cons
No Ownership
The mileage restrictions of a lease can impede how much and how far you wish to drive. Moreover, drivers who would like to make modifications to their vehicles should understand that fees may apply. For example, there may be additional costs at the end of the lease due to the need to reverse any changes that they make.
Lack of Control
You can’t sell the car or trade it in to reduce the cost of your next vehicle. Plus, since you’ll start a new lease when one expires, you’ll always have monthly payments and an ongoing lack of control over certain aspects of a vehicle.
Fees and Other Costs
Fees in your lease contract apply to excess mileage, modifications to the car, and excess wear and tear. There’s also an early termination fee if you decide to end the contract early and an acquisition fee (also called a lease initiation fee).
Once the contract ends, you may have to pay a fee to cover what the dealer pays to clean and sell the car. Finally, unless the lease includes gap insurance, you may also owe costs related to accidents you may have had that your insurance doesn’t cover.
Ultimately, it’s more expensive to lease cars for the long term instead of buying one and using it for years.
If you decide that taking out a loan to buy a car is preferable to leasing a vehicle, then it’s worth using an auto loan calculator to determine what loan term and interest rate would best suit your needs.
Pros and Cons of Buying
When you buy a car, you can keep it for as long as you choose to. Usually, you’ll make a higher down payment and slightly higher monthly loan payments (if you finance your purchase) compared to lease payments for the same car.
However, there are ways to reduce these amounts—consider buying a less expensive new car, a certified pre-owned car, or a used car.
Perhaps you’ve saved and invested money with a car purchase in mind. If you can afford to pay the entire cost of the car in cash, all the better as far as the ultimate cost.
Monthly car loan payments are calculated based on the sale price, the interest rate, and the number of months it will take to repay the loan.
Pros
No Restrictions
Unlike leasing, you’re not obligated for fees related to mileage and wear and tear on the car. Since you own it, you pay for service and repairs on your own time line.
Total Control
You also have complete control over how you improve your car or, for instance, modify its appearance. If you financed its purchase, once that loan is paid off, you can keep it until it dies, trade it in, sell it outright, or give it to a family member. You get to decide.
Potential for Tax Deductions
If you use your car for business as well as personal reasons, the IRS allows you to deduct costs and depreciation related to that business use. You must keep careful records to support your filing, so be sure that you fully understand what’s involved.
Long-Term Cost
It’s cheaper overall to buy a car and hold onto it for as long as possible.
Cons
Rapid Depreciation
New cars can lose 15%–25% of their value in the first five years of ownership. If you consider your car an investment, then this is a disadvantage. However, if you are the type who buys and keeps a car for years, then it shouldn’t matter.
Driving Costs
According to a 2022 study by AAA, the cost to drive a new car for about 15,000 miles came to $10,728. Costs included fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
Leasing vs. Buying Summary
| Leasing | Buying |
|---|---|
| Pay to drive a car for a specific time frame; no ownership | Own and drive for as long as desired |
| Lower or no down payment and monthly payments | Usually higher down payment and slightly higher monthly payments |
| Get into a luxury car at less cost | Higher cost for more expensive cars |
| Get automotive advances with every new lease/new car | Restricted to car’s technology until new purchase or upgrades you initiate |
| Turn in (or buy) car when lease is done | Must arrange trade-in or find buyer if you wish to sell |
| Restrictions on miles allowed and modifications to car | No mileage restrictions |
| Various fees can bump up cost at end of lease | No special fees |
| All costs aren’t known until lease ends | Costs are known/can be projected |
| Higher cost over long period of time and multiple leases | Lower cost when bought and kept |
What are the advantages of leasing?
Leasing allows a person to get a new car every few years. It can keep their payments relatively stable when leasing the same make and model of car over various leases. Leasing also frees the lessee from having to dispose of the car at the end of the lease term.
What are the disadvantages of leasing?
The main disadvantage of leasing a car is that you never own it. You don’t build equity in the vehicle as you make lease payments. Lease terms can be anywhere from two to five years. A lease can be ended early, though early termination typically involves a cancellation fee.
What’s the difference between buying and leasing a car?
When you buy a car, you either pay cash or finance the purchase with a car loan. You take title to the vehicle. If you finance the car, you build equity in the car over time.
When you lease a car, you make lease payments that allow you to drive the car but never take title to the vehicle or build equity. When the lease term is up, you return the car to the dealer.
The Bottom Line
Deciding between leasing and buying a car will come down to your lifestyle, driving needs, and financial situation.
Leasing can be attractive if you’re looking for lower monthly costs, want a new car with new car technology every few years, and don’t want to worry about certain tasks, such as selling your car. Leasing can also put you into a luxury model that otherwise might be out of reach.
Buying a car means you’ll either own it outright if you paid cash or build equity in it as you pay off a car loan. You’ll have total control over your expenses and can service or repair it according to your needs. You’ll have the freedom to drive as much as you like, modify your car, and dispose of it in on your terms.
In the long run, buying has proven to be a better financial decision.
