I have decided to lease a car for several reasons....
1-My attention span on a car is usually 2 years at the most.
2-I live in Wisconsin and the salt, potholes, etc are bound to get to any car within a couple years.
3-No depreciation.
4-I honestly cant decide...putting 50-60K away on a new car is a big decision, and my original car list was like 6-7 cars and I just cant put my finger on buying one...I want them all lol (orig. choices were LS430, S500, 745i, CLK430, CL500, SC430, GS430, Jag XK8).

I have a choice of leasing a LS430, CL500, or CL600 right now....
I can get the first 2 for no money down, the third for 2500 down.
LS430 and the 01 CL500 would be 600/month, 900/month for the CL600.
12K a year....27 month lease.
Also, would it be more advantageous to get a car that is going to be under the factory warranty during those 27 months I assume? Maybe even pay a little more to find one under warranty?
Is insurance normally alot higher if you are leasing versus buying?

 

Lemme get this straight. No money down and the LS430 is going for $600 per month? Is this an 04?

 

sounded strange to me as well...

Hamid

 

I think he means used like an 01

 

ditto.... hmm

 

Yes I do, sorry. I think thats still a great deal for either that or the CL...

 

All of the cars you mention are front engine / rear-drive......not a good combination for Wisconsin winters, even with the standard Traction Control and stability systems, and newer Mercedes products have been unreliable. All of these cars, of course, will be under warranty for the duration of your lease, but why get a car that is likely to have problems, warranty or no warranty?
For your winter needs, I would recommend the front-drive Acura RL, any of the auto-based All-Wheel-Drive SUV's from Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti.....or, if you are willing to accept slightly lower build quality, a larger front-drive Cadillac sedan or AWD SUV.
If you MUST choose from the list you gave us, go with the LS430, hands down (and get a GOOD set of snow tires). The LS430 will have the best build quality, the quietest ride, the best overall reliability, the best resale value (this helps keep lease rates down), and, along with the Jaguar, the classiest interior.
Why not the other cars?.....the BMW's I-Drive is too distracting and complex, the Mercedes products have iffy reliability, the Jaguar and SC430, even with the retracting metal top, are not really built for severe winters...they are nice top-down cars, and the GS430 is a nice sports sedan but probably not luxurious enough inside for your tastes.
Good luck.