Is a Luxury Car Lease Better than a Car Loan?
AUTHOR: Keith Foot
If you have been coveting that luxury car for ages but have no way of paying for it at full price, a luxury car lease might be the option for you. If you take out a car loan, you will have to be burdened with monthly payments until you give back the full amount. In this case, you become the sole owner of the vehicle, but chances are, by the time you have paid the amount off, you will be ready to move on to a newer, shinier car.
With a high end car lease, on the other hand, the financial institution will be the one who will purchase the car and then you will rent it from them. A luxury car lease is definitely a smarter option, both for individuals and for businesses.
- You can expect to have lower monthly payments with a luxury car lease than taking out a car loan.
- The savings you get from a high end car lease in lieu of an outright purchase can be invested in the meantime in stocks and bonds.
- By the time the car lease ends, you have increased your initial cash amount and you can now decide if you still think the purchase of the luxury car is worth it.
Luxury Car Lease Contracts – Read the Fine Print Once you have decided on a high end car lease, make sure that you read through the contract thoroughly. Ask the bank or financial institution of your liability in case the car gets into an accident and what kind of insurance you need to purchase.
Another thing to consider is if there will be restrictions on the number of miles that can be used on the car lease so that you can calculate beforehand if this will be feasible for you. As much as possible, you want a car lease within the warranty period of the vehicle. The lease contract should also stipulate what kind of conditions count as normal wear and tear and what will be considered excessive. Remember that you are still responsible for the normal maintenance of the luxury car even if you are just leasing the vehicle.
Make sure that you know if your luxury car lease is open-ended or close-ended. In an open-ended car lease, you are required to buy the car at the end of the lease period, based on a projected price. On the other hand, a close-ended car lease only gives you an option to buy the car at the end of the lease period, based on an amount that has been decided on in the beginning. Remember to negotiate based on what you can afford and the depreciation value of the luxury car included in the lease.