Leasing Vs. Financing

Buying A Car

Visiting a car dealership can be a stressful situation because of all the choices you face. One of those choices is financing--whether you want to purchase a car with an auto loan or lease a vehicle for a specific term. There are advantages and disadvantages to both choices, and only you know what will best fit into your lifestyle and budget. Here are a few points to consider with both financing options.

Financing

Purchasing a new car outright, whether with cash or an auto loan, is the most common choice among drivers. Around two-thirds of all new car transactions each year are outright sales, not leases.

Advantages

  • Purchase a vehicle

  • Customize it to their desires

  • Pay off the loan

  • Be payment-free for as long as possible as they drive the car until it cannot go anymore

Disadvantages

  • Higher monthly payments

  • Having to foot the bill for repair costs once the vehicle is out of the warranty period

Leasing

The other one-third of new car transactions are leases, which means you basically "rent" a vehicle from a dealership for a fixed period and an agreed-upon amount of money.

Advantages

  • Leases on new cars provide you with the latest safety features

  • The car is always under warranty

  • You don't have to worry about repair costs.

  • Lower monthly payments (around $100/month less than loan payments).

Disadvantages

  • Mileage restrictions

  • A cycle of paying a monthly car payment without anything to show for it at the end of your lease term.

There are many reasons why you might choose a loan over a lease or vice versa. High-mileage drivers might find that buying is the only option because of mileage restrictions on leased vehicles. Business owners might want to purchase a vehicle but find that leasing makes the most sense because of the lower monthly payments and less cash outlay.

The financing or leasing choice is all yours.