I have a ‘21 ESh and am deciding whether to buy it out or lease a ‘24. The offer in my area is below:

$50,000 MSRP
$4999 down
36 months, 10,000 miles/year
$559/month

When I price a car out on the dealer’s site, the payment is over $700. What am I missing? Is the dealer just not contributing their portion for the advertised offer?

 

You need to know what the residual and payoff is on your car and what they are giving you for it - and that amount is negotiable and won't be what it should be on their first offer.

Dave Mac.

 

Thanks, I do have some equity in mine, but that is not being factored in the calculations.

 

You still need to know purchase price (not MSRP).

 

The purchase price is $50,000.

 

So then presumably you can do the math and if it still doesn't make sense, ask the dealer. I've never leased but the math is still pretty simple.

 

Keep your ES. No need to take a huge hit just to hit the reset button on the mileage and minor tweaks to the grill.

 

The lessees are generally numb to the financials. Just make the payment every month and get a new one whenever they add a new color.

 

Re leasing, I have leased several vehicles. Most people just focus on the payment. As mentioned, the purchase price is essentially all you can negotiate, and should be the first step without mentioning leasing. Residual and interest factors are set by the manufacturer/financial institution. You can go to Edmunds website and get detailed info. It looks like the current money factor on a 24 Esh300 Luxury is .00269 (6.46%) with a residual of 55% of MSRP (residual will vary based on lease term, miles, and sometimes trim level). Also looks like there is a lease cash incentive of $2,500 (don’t know if this is a consumer incentive or a dealer incentive).

You should also ask for the calculation to see all the fees that are in the Capitalized Cost (negotiated purchase price plus fees, less incentives). And it is best to put no money down.

My initial opinion without running the numbers is buy your 21. I haven't followed the feature changes (wife still enjoying her 19 ES300h Luxury), but unless there are many upgrades from 21 to 24, I would not pay the extra cost for new.

 

Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful response. I think you’re probably right, the best move now is to keep the ‘21.

 

Unless I'm off the mark, the first and foremost point missing here is the as-yet-asked and answered question, "What's your endgame here?" Trying to guess your objective is like trying to hit a bullseye while blindfolded. We could throw darts all day and maybe get lucky, but taking a step back and removing the blindfold allows a much better shot at hitting the mark. Before delving into the specifics of buying out your current car or leasing a new one, you need to clarify your overarching goal. What are you ultimately hoping to achieve by changing your car situation?

Are you primarily seeking financial freedom from car payments and keeping the car indefinitely, or are you more interested in accessing the latest features and tech. and continuing to have a payment? Perhaps there are other factors driving your decision.

Understanding your main objective is important if you want realistic, relative responses, and it can help determine the best path forward. Once there is a clearer vision of your goals, you can explore the most suitable options and make an informed decision that aligns with your priorities. Usually, my preference is to stick to your original question and give you a direct, unbiased answer, basically what you asked for. However, while many will give you subjective responses that nowhere nearly get to the point of answering your actual question, there is a reason why. Instead of delving into the rationale or questioning your motives as they are your own, in this case, it's probably a good idea to establish your objective first. So what was your question again?