Buying a car can be overwhelming. In fact, the pleasure of getting a new car can be quickly clouded during the financing decision-making process and price negotiations. Besides price haggling, many car shoppers are stymied bythe decision to lease or buy. This article will compare the two options and hopefully help you decide whichfinancing decision is right for you.
Key Takeaways
- The decision to lease or buy a car is a difficult one that depends on your financial situation, business, and lifestyle needs.
- If your objective is to one daybe rid of car payments and take ownership, buying a car isthe best option; If your goal is to drive a new set of wheels every fewyears and minimize monthly costs, leasing is the way to go.
- Insurance premiums are lower when you buy versus lease a car, but the monthly costs are higher; in addition, buying typically requires a hefty down payment, as opposed to leasing.
- Leasing isn't ideal if you drive a lot, with many agreements specifying a fee if you drive more than 12,000 miles per year; leasing also means making a payment every month the whole time you have the car.
Buying a Car
Buying a caris the most straightforward way ofobtaining one—you either pay cash or take out a loan to cover the cost. But that doesn't mean the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks for your particular situation.
Benefits of Buying a Car
By far, the greatest benefit of buying a car is you willactually own it one day, which also means you'llbe free of car payments until you decide to buy another one. The car is yours to sell at any time, and you are not locked into any type of fixed ownership period.
When you buy a car, the insurance premiumsare typically lower than if you lease. In addition, by owning a car, you're free to rack up the mileage withoutworrying about financialpenalties or restrictions.
Drawbacks of Buying a Car
The most obvious downside of owning versus leasing is the monthly payment, which is usually higher on a purchased car. Additionally, the dealers usually require a reasonable down payment, so the initial out-of-pocket cost is higher when buying a car.
Presumably, as you pay down your car loan, you have the ability to build equity in the vehicle. Unfortunately, however, this is not always the case. When you purchase a car, your payments reflect the whole cost of the car, usually amortized over a four- to six-year period. But depreciation can take a nasty toll on the value of your car, especially in the first couple of years. As a result, buyers withdown payments can end up financing a considerable portion of the car and even find themselves in an "upside-down situation," in which the car comes to be worth less than what the buyer stills owes on it at a given time.
Like the monthly payments of a mortgage, monthly car payments are divided between paying principal and interest, and the amounts dedicated to each vary from payment to payment. In the first years ofyour car loan, the majority of each payment goes toward interest rather than theprincipal. During this time, most new vehicles also depreciate 20% to 40%. The loss in equity is a double whammy: your car depreciates dramatically, and because the monthly payments you've been making have mostly gone towards interest rather than the principal, you are left with very little equity in the car.
Leasing a Vehicle
For those who have never leased a car, the process canseem confusingand geared more toward business owners,who might deduct the expense,or individuals who simply can't afford car payments. But in reality, there are benefits to leasing a car regardless of your career or income status.
Benefits of Leasing a Car
Perhaps the greatest benefit of leasing a car is the lower out-of-pocket costs when acquiring and maintaining the car. Leases require little or no down payment, and there are no upfront sales taxcharges. Additionally, monthly payments are usually lower, and you get the pleasure of owning a new car every few years.
With a lease, you are essentially renting the car for a fixed amount of time(typically 36 to 48 months). Therefore, you pay only for the use (depreciation) of the car for that period instead ofabsorbing the full depreciation cost of the vehicle. Leasing a car will never put you in an upside-down position.
Finally, for business owners, leasing a car may offer tax advantages if the vehicle is used for business purposes.
Drawbacks of Leasing a Car
By leasing a car, you always have a car payment because you will never actually own the vehicle.Soif you don't like that prospect,leasing is probably not right for you. However, depending on your type of lease, when your lease term is up you may have the option of financing the remaining value of the vehicle, which means you will own it when you finish making the loan payments.
The mileage restrictions of leasing pose another drawback. If you drive a great deal during the year, purchasing a car may be the better choice. At the very least, you will want to look intoan open-end lease,which we discuss below. Most leases restrict your mile usage to 15,000 miles per year (sometimes12,000 per year). If you go over your allotted miles, you'll pay anywhere between 10 and 25 cents for every extra mile, depending on your lease agreement and the type of vehicle involved.This penalty can leave you with a fairly large bill to pay at the end of the lease if you rack up a lot of extra miles.
Finally, insurers usually charge higher coverage costs for leased vehicles. However, depending on your age, driving record and place of residence, that additional cost may be nominal.
Key Differences Between Buying and Leasing
The decision to lease a new vehicle rather than buying it depends on someone's priorities. For some it may be a straightforward financial decision: Which costs less? Other drivers may be more interested in less tangible factors, such as the ability to drive a later-model car. Here's a look at a few key distinctions.
Leasing a car
- Leasing a vehicle is essentially renting from the dealer for a certain length of time.
- The payments on a leased car don't let you build up any equity in the vehicle.
- Lease payments are generally lower than the monthly loan payments for a new vehicle.
Buying a car
- When you buy a car, the insurance premiums are typically lower than if you lease.
- Owning a car means you are free to rack up mileage without worrying about financial penalties or restrictions.
- Depreciation can take a nasty toll on the value of your car, especially in the first couple of years.
Words of Caution
A downside to leasing is you essentially pay for the most expensive years of a vehicle's life. The amount you pay tolease is the difference between the purchase price and theresidual value, which is the predetermined value of the car at the end of the lease period. The residualvalue the dealer includes in your contractdirectly impacts your monthly payment.
When leasing, it's betterto consider a vehicleretains its value and steer clear ofcars with a high depreciation rate. Devious dealers may try to shift more of the depreciation cost onto you by embedding an unfairly low residual value.
Also, when entering a lease agreement, be aware of any clauses in the contract regarding additional charges for "excesswear and tear" or above-average costs for additional mileage. You want to minimize any surprise costs as much as possible.
Your time horizon is important when considering leasing versus buying; in the short run, leasing is more economical, but in the long run, buying a car is typically better for your wallet.
Types of Car Leases
There are two types of car leases: closed-end and open-end. Closed-end leases allow you to walk away from the car at the end of the lease term. If you owe for any extra mileageor excessivewear and tear, this is when you'd have to pay for it.
With an open-end lease (also known as an equity lease), you must purchase the car at the end of the lease period for a predetermined amount. This is often the type of lease used by businesses or individuals who drive a lot. Most consumer groups suggestthe closed-end lease is the best optionbecause it poses less risk upon the expiration of the lease term.
