Countdown is on-6mos left on my lease

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
2. I don't necessarily need a truck, but prefer something AWD capable with plenty of storage space. This double cab didn't cut it. Need at least a crew cab if I go truck again.
3. I am open to buying a good used option
4. I am open to large sedans with good acceleration and nice AT transmissions
5. I am open to any brand except VW and GM crud


With these criteria, I would say that a Ridgeline is a good fit for you. It has a bed for hauling things, and a ton of storage, and a very capable proactive AWD system. The crew cab it has is designed for people, not as an afterthought. As such, it feels and drives like a large sedan. It has great acceleration for its size (0-60 in 7-8 seconds) and a smooth-shifting conventional 6-speed automatic. I do think you'd have trouble leasing a new one at your price point, but you might be able to find something on the used market.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
2017 Subaru Forester lease is looking very promising. $229/mo $1729 at signing. Wish it was a 24 month lease instead though


Assuming that's a 3 year lease, that's 10K over the life of the lease and at the end, you have nothing to show for it. How about buying a $10K car today? Your payments will be similar, and at the end, you will have a vehicle that's worth $5000 worth of residual value? Then when its paid off, assuming the car is still reliable, it pays you $3000 to $5000 a year to keep it instead of paying car payments perpetually.

Leasing is a poor mans game. Break the cycle now, or you'll always just be funding someone elses vacations, cars, and lake houses.

I'm only 33 now, but I learned in my early 20's that always having a late model, 2 year or newer car, is a foolish proposition, unless you are rich and can afford to throw such money away without a care.

 

[GenesisGuy70]

What don't you like about the truck?

 

[Rolla07]

I had a silverado 2015 as a lease.. didnt like it much either.. accel is too slow because of the AFM and the trim was coming apart on the inside.. cheap build inside makes me think.. cheap outside.

You have alot of options.. Camry V6 new should meet your needs.. minus the AWD or Mazda 6.. Toyota Venza, Highlander are 2 AWD options.. dont think Camry comes with AWD. And tons of other possibilities...

 

[dwcopple]

my bro-in-law is working me a deal on a '17 2.5i Forester Premium right now. Sounds like $505 down, $262/mo for 36mos/36K miles

 

[ecotourist]

If you don't need a truck, don't buy a truck.

Front wheel drive (with snow tires if you live or drive in ice or snow country) provides very good traction.

If you can work with a front wheel drive car you have great options.

I have never leased a vehicle and don't plan to start. I don't think it's wise financially.

If you can't afford to buy a new vehicle buy a good used one. Maintain it well and keep it for a long time. You should be able to drive any well made, well maintained vehicle for at least 15 years or 250,000 miles. With some luck and a few repairs in the later years you could make 20 years or 400,000 miles.

Getting away from lease payments on an expensive vehicle will put a lot of cash in your pocket.

 

[supton]

FWD with a great set of snows should keep up with a 4x4 truck that has all seasons on it, at least until the sedan starts pushing snow (and at that point you might as well have stayed home). Adding AWD boosts purchase price, and since you didn't give a price bracket I'm not sure what to suggest, other than it's probably a hard market to shop in--cheap, AWD, fast, reliable. Also your selection criteria seems all over the place--lots of space but a sedan will work? I understand that you're at the start of this process and still trying to hone in on what you want, but at the moment it strikes me as pretty open ended--might need to pick a price first, then start in on absolute needs, then wants, then start looking at the field.

I'm anti-lease but I'm wondering how the numbers worked out in this case. Here, you leased for 2(?) years and found you hated the vehicle, so you are out only the cost of the lease. Was that more or less than the depreciation if you had bought then was trading now? [I'm going to ignore the part about how you could just learn to live with it had you bought it.]

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
my bro-in-law is working me a deal on a '17 2.5i Forester Premium right now. Sounds like $505 down, $262/mo for 36mos/36K miles
Did you drive it? My wife's isn't very comfortable. I hear here subarusoftened the suspension from the bone cracker that is ours. Good reliability except for engine ...

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
my bro-in-law is working me a deal on a '17 2.5i Forester Premium right now. Sounds like $505 down, $262/mo for 36mos/36K miles
Did you drive it? My wife's isn't very comfortable. I hear here subarusoftened the suspension from the bone cracker that is ours. Good reliability except for engine ...
not yet. Just working numbers first to see if it is an option.

Originally Posted By: bubbatime

Assuming that's a 3 year lease, that's 10K over the life of the lease and at the end, you have nothing to show for it. How about buying a $10K car today? Your payments will be similar, and at the end, you will have a vehicle that's worth $5000 worth of residual value? Then when its paid off, assuming the car is still reliable, it pays you $3000 to $5000 a year to keep it instead of paying car payments perpetually.

Except you forget that a $10K car is more likely to have out of pocket repairs in those three years whereas the lease vehicle will cost me nothing. Have you seen $10K used cars here in MI? It's a joke. Michigan is the worst place to buy used cars, I swear.

 

[supton]

I agree, even on a $10k car I'd want to have a couple grand on hand "just in case". Just never know. With any luck (and a high probability) it won't be needed--but too many people buy as much car as they can afford and then can't afford trivial repairs, let alone any real big costs.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: Brybo86

2005 Lexus LS430
Any reason particular that you cited this vehicle? I like them too, but was unsure if that engine/trans is known to be bulletproof. There are some nice examples in Florida and Texas that a one-way flight and a road trip home could bring me a gem (sub $10K too). Not sure how a V8 and RWD would fair in MI winters though.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
2017 Subaru Forester lease is looking very promising. $229/mo $1729 at signing. Wish it was a 24 month lease instead though


I know last time I talked leases with my local Subaru dealer, they'd do what ever you want from 24 to ~42 months. The money down thing is a gotcha with Subaru (low monthly pymt) leases. Plus, this isn't the best time of year to buy AWD, unless you're talking days before Christmas when things are typically slow for car sales.

That RAV4 deal sounds nice, but I'd bet a Toyota dealer would balk at paying off your Silverado. My experience, they're pretty proud of themselves, but it never hurts to try if you've got the patience.

 

[SatinSilver]

My neighbor has leased a few Toyotas in a row. The last two were Camrys, then Matrix, previous to that an Accord, prior was a VW. He pays $170/month with fees totaling $800 at lease signing for tax, plates, docs etc. They give him a good deal since he keeps coming back. He wanted another Matrix but he received the same payment on the Camry since it was the last year for that generation, 2011. The 2014 Camry SE he has now is the same payment. Toyota Financial is easy to work with. A few good dealers here west of Cleveland if you want to travel for a deal. Since some Toyota dealers elsewhere can be horrible to work with. www.metrotoyota.com is good.

A guy on here recently got a great deal on an Avalon lease for right under $300 with less than 1k down. Which is closer to an LS. Even a base Avalon comes very nicely equipped.

Another dealer here is leasing Accords for $240/month, sign and drive. Nothing due at lease signing. I like Honda leases because at turn in they give generous wear and tear allowance, I believe around $1500-2000.

 

[Tahoe4Life]

Originally Posted By: Throt
What don't you like about the truck?


I am curious about that also. From what I see it was only a storage issue and nothing else.

 

[Brybo86]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
2017 Subaru Forester lease is looking very promising. $229/mo $1729 at signing. Wish it was a 24 month lease instead though


Assuming that's a 3 year lease, that's 10K over the life of the lease and at the end, you have nothing to show for it. How about buying a $10K car today? Your payments will be similar, and at the end, you will have a vehicle that's worth $5000 worth of residual value? Then when its paid off, assuming the car is still reliable, it pays you $3000 to $5000 a year to keep it instead of paying car payments perpetually.

Leasing is a poor mans game. Break the cycle now, or you'll always just be funding someone elses vacations, cars, and lake houses.

I'm only 33 now, but I learned in my early 20's that always having a late model, 2 year or newer car, is a foolish proposition, unless you are rich and can afford to throw such money away without a care.

This X1000

 

[Brybo86]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: Brybo86

2005 Lexus LS430
Any reason particular that you cited this vehicle? I like them too, but was unsure if that engine/trans is known to be bulletproof. There are some nice examples in Florida and Texas that a one-way flight and a road trip home could bring me a gem (sub $10K too). Not sure how a V8 and RWD would fair in MI winters though.

It is repeatedly ranked as the most reliable luxury car of the 1990's and 2000's.
It is extremely quiet inside and has a strong smooth power delivery.
My 95 does fine in winter with decent rubber.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: Brybo86

2005 Lexus LS430
Any reason particular that you cited this vehicle? I like them too, but was unsure if that engine/trans is known to be bulletproof. There are some nice examples in Florida and Texas that a one-way flight and a road trip home could bring me a gem (sub $10K too). Not sure how a V8 and RWD would fair in MI winters though.


Fine, with a set of snow tires. I manage New Hampshire in a Crown Vic.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Leasing is a poor mans game. Break the cycle now, or you'll always just be funding someone elses vacations, cars, and lake houses.


Agreed. There's a reason why car dealers push them so hard and make them seem so attractive-it's to keep the financially illiterate who purchase based upon payment amount (like the original poster) indebted. But at least those who really can't afford a new vehicle can drive around in a rented vehicle and pretend to be affluent.

 

[MCompact]

I normally don't lease my vehicles but I recently found a lease that was too good to pass up; I assumed a two year 10,000 mile/year lease from a friend at my BMW center. I paid him his upfront costs($400 down, $1050 MSD) and I will keep the $1050 at the end of the lease. He paid the $500 lease assumption fee. It's a 2016 REX Tera with virtually every option- MSRP was $55,895.00 less the $7,500 BMW lease credit. He only put 675 miles on it and there were 22 months left with a monthly payment of $105 including tax. Total cost of ownership is $3,210.
It's my wife's daily driver plus we use it for most every local errand. Our electric bill increased by $30/month but our gasoline bill dropped by $250. Plus, it's an absolute hoot to drive.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: ecotourist
If you don't need a truck, don't buy a truck.

Front wheel drive (with snow tires if you live or drive in ice or snow country) provides very good traction.

If you can work with a front wheel drive car you have great options.

I have never leased a vehicle and don't plan to start. I don't think it's wise financially.

If you can't afford to buy a new vehicle buy a good used one. Maintain it well and keep it for a long time. You should be able to drive any well made, well maintained vehicle for at least 15 years or 250,000 miles. With some luck and a few repairs in the later years you could make 20 years or 400,000 miles.

Getting away from lease payments on an expensive vehicle will put a lot of cash in your pocket.


This is what I'm doing now that I sold my 1999 Cherokee. I have snows (Cooper Weathermasters on separate matching rims I got from the junkyard) on the front of my Cruze along with good all seasons on the back. I had this setup with my old Cavalier and that thing was virtually unstoppable.