[Sliver]

Originally Posted by blankall

I use my leased car for work. It's great not having to worry about a lot of mechanical issues.

You don't have to worry about mecahnical issues because it's on warranty. A financed car that is new or near new will have warranty, too, so this perk isn't a "pro" argument for leasing.

Originally Posted by blankall

I also get to write off my lease payments. With a car I owend, I could only write off the CCA.

That's great if you're a business owner. I have a leased vehicle for my business as well. A private individual doesn't get this benefit so that's not a "pro" for the OP, either.

Originally Posted by blankall

I looked into both options. Right now you can lease a brand new car for 250/month. After tax savings it works out to under 200. One moderate repair on the used car and you have lost more money than a lease.

I don't get this logic. At the end of a lease, you lose everything...the whole car. If you finance a used car, you still have the car at the end. Even if you end up putting some money into maintaining it, which is arguably no more than you'd put in on maintaining a leased car assuming both are on warranty, you still have a car with at least some value. By the way, you're comparing leasing a new car with buying a used car, which is setting up a false dichotomy.

Also, don't pretend people lease cars because they want something for $200/month. Many people lease cars because they want to drive something they can't afford to buy, which is obviously a bad reason to lease a car.

Originally Posted by DementedReality

if you dont know what you are talking about, refrain from giving advise.

Originally Posted by DementedReality

1) a good general rule is you RENT things that depreciate and you OWN things that appreciate. Cars rarely appreciate

Yes I've heard this weird piece of advice before, and I'm not sure if I'm being obtuse or if it is just that stupid, but it makes no sense whatsoever. Do you rent your furniture? Your electronics? Your clothes? etc.? Of course not, but all that stuff probably loses 50% of its value the second you walk out of a store and all of it can be rented.

Originally Posted by DementedReality

2) Leasing puts the risk on the car company, if you like the car, you can buy it out ... but if its a lemon, been in an accident or doesnt suit your needs, you can give it back.

See all this applies to a non-leased car as well. If you don't like it, you can sell it. There's actually more flexibility than if the car is leased. Sure you can give a leased car back. After four years.

And don't forget, you're paying through the nose for your so-called perks.

Originally Posted by DementedReality

3) finally, the BEST evidence that leasing is GREAT for the consumer, they DONT OFFER LEASING on American cars anymore. if it was a ripoff for the consumer, wouldnt the car companies continue to offer it? they dont offer it because they DONT WAN THE CAR BACK! if a car company, with all the infrastructure needed to sell cars feels they cant sell the used car, what makes you think you can?

First, I don't know that this is true. I thought leasing was suspended for a while on some domestics during the peak of the credit crisis and when the manufacturers were in bankruptcy protection, the residual values of the cars were potentially $0 pending the outcome of their restructuring and credit wasn't available, but I could be wrong on that.

Second, you're reversing cause and effect. Just because they don't/didn't offer leasing, doesn't mean the reason they don't is because it's "GREAT for the consumer."

Originally Posted by DementedReality

we have been through this before, but leasing makes alot of sense if you think about it.

Not from a financial perspective.

Originally Posted by DementedReality

edit: meant to add, if you can keep a car for 10 years, then it makes sense to buy it ... but for most of us, leasing is a great option. for the comment you have nothing to show for it, thats simply not true, you wil save thousands of dollars over the 4 years and what you do with that $$$ is up to you and isnt invested in rubber and metal that goes down in value every single day.

lol, you have a car when you're done financing. Leasing you have nothing.

Why do you call it "investing" when you finance, but you don't apply that label to leasing? If we are talking about investing, I'll take the option that I have something to show at the end of my term vs an investment where I lose 100% of what I put in.