Advantages & Disadvantages Of auto Leasing

Advantages To Leasing

  • The monthly payment is lower than when buying a car. In some cases there is no down payment at all.
  • Leasing puts the driver in a new car every two or three years. For some consumers, this is an important lifestyle consideration. Leasing also allows consumers to drive a more expensive vehicle than they can afford to buy.
  • Leasing is easier since negotiating over the price is downplayed. But remember, you can still negotiate the terms of a lease.
  • Vehicles are subject to wear as they age. A lease allows consumers to side-step the issue. By the time the car usually needs expensive repairs, the lease will have ended.
  • There is no hassle with a trade-in at the end of the lease.
  • Current tax law considers many of the expenses of a lease car used for business to be tax deductible.

Disadvantages Of Leasing

  • When the lease ends, you have built up no equity in a vehicle. You have nothing to trade in on a new car, so you will probably lease again.
  • If a lease runs longer than the vehicle’s warranty, the lessee may have to pay for repairs that would have been covered.
  • In most cases, leasing is more expensive than buying on credit.
  • Maintenance requirements for leased vehicles are strict if the lessee hopes to avoid end-of-lease charges. A lessee should honor the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedules and should have written receipts to prove that service was performed as required.
  • Early termination of a lease may result in substantial charges to the lessee.