I miss the days of subsidized leases.

Just get her a Toyota Camry. No worries about maintenance and waiting at the dealer for them to diagnose the Christmas Tree on the dashboard. Who cares about the free sandwiches and extra nice coffee in the waiting room. Stealth Wealth my friend.
She doesn't like it, we drove one for a week just last month.
 
So it's better to spend $40K on a lease and kiss that money goodbye, instead of buying one for $50K and have something worth $20K after 4 years?
Well no which is why I'm complaining about how I miss subsidized leases. Besides we already own one German car free and clear. We own it because I love the car. She doesn't love this C300.

Edit: She appears to like the G70. She commented that it doesn't look like an iPad on wheels and have the weird double spokes where the buttons are. The two levels of buttons on each side of the wheel are themselves individual spokes

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So basically the luxury market is the same as the Chevrolets, Ford, Hyundai, etc. I'm wondering if the Dealership for Mercedes is nicer about it?
 
Well no which is why I'm complaining about how I miss subsidized leases. Besides we already own one German car free and clear. We own it because I love the car. She doesn't love this C300.

Edit: She appears to like the G70. She commented that it doesn't look like an iPad on wheels and have the weird double spokes were the buttons are. The two levels of buttons on each side of the wheel are themselves individual spokes

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G70 much nicer interior in my opinion.
 
Well no which is why I'm complaining about how I miss subsidized leases. Besides we already own one German car free and clear. We own it because I love the car. She doesn't love this C300.
Should just get a Mercedes E class.

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Just spoil your girl with a Ferrari or Porsche, then she has to be thrilled man.
 
Yep high money factor (MF).

I also wonder if residuals are lower due to uncertainty around electrification 3-4 yrs down the road. If electrification takes off they stand to lose a lot of money on lease turn-ins so they're trying to protect themselves. Plus there's a lack of competition among brands because everyone is in the same boat in terms of inventory.

BTW the lease on the '23 C300 was over $840/mo ($0 down) at 7,500 miles/yr for 4 years. That's just absurd.
In the past the auto industry was ridiculed for financial incompetence when they grossly over estimated lease residuals and lost tons of money when trying to resell vehicles for substantially less than was forecast when the leases were priced, so who can blame them for stopping the insanity and being more realistic these days? It may suck for a lease customer compared to the good 'old days but I can't shed too many tears if a Mercedes lease customer has to now cut back on their caviar expenditures to make room for the increased lease payments in their family budget.
 
In the past the auto industry was ridiculed for financial incompetence when they grossly over estimated lease residuals and lost tons of money when trying to resell vehicles for substantially less than was forecast when the leases were priced, so who can blame them for stopping the insanity and being more realistic these days? It may suck for a lease customer compared to the good 'old days but I can't shed too many tears if a Mercedes lease customer has to now cut back on their caviar expenditures to make room for the increased lease payments in their family budget.
They knew what they were doing when they subsidized the lease payments, it was one way of lowering the prices without actually lowering MSRP and without offering big rebates. They didn't really care that it threw off the value of a used car as lots of buyers probably jumped into a new lease when the old one ended as it was basically cheaper to lease than own. Now that there's a shortage of cars, there's no reason to give away the store as they're selling all the cars they make. It will probably be a while until those lease deals come back as there are people waiting on the sidelines for inventory to build again and for discounting off MSRP to begin again.
 
In the past the auto industry was ridiculed for financial incompetence when they grossly over estimated lease residuals and lost tons of money when trying to resell vehicles for substantially less than was forecast when the leases were priced, so who can blame them for stopping the insanity and being more realistic these days? It may suck for a lease customer compared to the good 'old days but I can't shed too many tears if a Mercedes lease customer has to now cut back on their caviar expenditures to make room for the increased lease payments in their family budget.
Yet an F150 will go for $70k or an Expedition will run $80k and buyers have no problem financing for 7 yes or more. Perhaps they should lay off the Bud Light while all us lesser folks cut out the caviar?
 
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