In the previous post, we talked about the factors that you need to consider if you are planning to lease a new car. After considering your monthly income, it is now time to talk about other factors that will help you determine if leasing is right for you.

Category 2: Your Credit Score

Car leasing companies will require you to have a credit score of at least 640 in order to lease a car. Those who have bad credit can rejoice in the fact that there are leasing companies that specialize on bad credit auto leases.

Your credit score is not just a set of numbers printed on a piece of paper. It measures your capability to pay debt, along with determining your spending habits.

If you have a low score (FICO of 500 to 600), you should take the time to analyze the situation and do something that will help improve your credit. Obtain your credit report from the top credit bureaus and inspect each entry on the report. If you find any errors, you should report this right away.

The Importance of Your Credit Score

Your credit score will help lenders and leasing companies determine the money factor in your car lease. The money factor (or the interest rate of the lease) is where lenders earn money. Since auto leasing is similar to financing a car, lenders need to charge a certain amount of interest to compensate for the risk involved in leasing.

Take comfort in the fact that your credit score alone will not give you a cheap car lease. Leasing is based on the MSRP and the residual value of the car. If you decide to lease a cheaper car with a high residual value, you can expect to pay less in your car lease.

Having a good credit score will also make it easier for you to get approved for the car lease. This is because car dealers consider you as ‘less risky’ compared to people with a low credit score.

We will discuss more about auto leasing in the next post. In the meantime, you can check out the latest car lease deals in the market with a simple online lease quote. It does not matter if you have good or bad credit. Our free online lease quote will help you find the best car lease in an easy and hassle free way!

You may have heard some good and bad things about auto leasing. In reality, there is nothing wrong in getting a good quality auto lease as it will all depend on your personal preference.

Most horror stories about car leasing are, most likely, the result of not fully understanding the leasing terms and lease contract. There are car buyers who think that they can buy the car at the end of the lease term at a much lower price than expected. Think about this for a minute: if you really wanted to buy the car, then why bother with leasing in the first place?

This is the reason why we have come up with a series of posts that will help you to determine of leasing is right for you.

Is Leasing Right For Me?

Car leasing is applicable if you belong to the following categories:

1. If you have a stable and continuous source of income.

2. If you have a good or, at the very least, average credit score.

3. If you really prefer a new car over a used car. Of course, buying a new car remains an option but we will discuss that in another post.

4. If you don’t mind returning the car to the dealer at the end of the leasing term, and forking over monthly payments for the past 2 or 3 years in obligation of the lease contract.

5. If you want low monthly payments along with low or $0 down payments.

Category 1: Your Monthly Income

Yes, you will need to have a stable job or a reliable source of income in order to become eligible for auto leasing.

This is more important if you happen to be recovering from bankruptcy. Bad credit auto leases are available for those who have a mediocre credit score, but these types of auto leases will naturally command a higher down payment and slightly higher interest rates.

This also holds true if you have no credit, or have no history of credit at all! Remember that your proof of employment or proof of income will play a big factor in getting approved for your next car lease!

We will discuss the next batch of categories in the next post. If you want a cheaper way to drive a brand new car, then leasing is definitely worth the money. Check out the latest lease offers in your zip code by simply asking for a free lease quote. Instantly find hidden lease offers that are guaranteed to save you money!

If you want to lease a car, you should choose a vehicle with a high residual value.

This is due to the fact that a car with a high residual value will be cheaper to lease. Of course, we still have to factor in the interest rates and the lease term in computing the leasing rates. You will see from the illustration below that a car with a high residual value will give you lower monthly lease payments.

How the Residual Value Affects the Lease Price

Let us assume that car A has an MSRP or sticker price of $20,000. Let us also assume that the dealer demands a down payment of $2,000 for a 36-month lease term. The residual value of car A is 55% of the MSRP.

The MSRP of $20,000 should be multiplied to the residual percentage of 55% to arrive at the residual amount. Using the example above, the residual amount is $11,000 ($20,000 x .55).

Deducting the residual amount to the MSRP will give you a capitalized cost of $9,000 ($20,000 – $11,000.)

Deduct the down payment from the capitalized cost to determine the net cap cost of $7,000 ($9,000 – $2,000.)

Finally, divide the net cap cost over the lease term to arrive at a lease payment of $194/month ($7,000 / 36 months.)

Let us assume that car B has the same MSRP, lease term, and required down payment as car A. The only difference is that car B has a residual value of 45% of the MSRP.

Using this data, the residual amount is adjusted to $9,000 ($20,000 x .45).

The capitalized cost is now $11,000 ($20,000 – $9,000 residual amount.)

The net cap cost will become $9,000 ($11,000 – $2,000 down payment.)

The monthly lease payment for car B is $250/month ($9,000 / 36 month lease term.)

You can clearly see that the residual value makes a huge difference on the lease price.

The next time that you lease a car, try to determine which car has a higher residual value in order to get the lowest lease prices in your area.

The holidays are finally here! For those who are still pondering about leasing their next car then stop thinking and start acting today! We will show you how to make holiday car leasing a little less stressful and a bit more affordable through our holiday car leasing tips.

Remember that smart leasing starts with negotiating the price of the car. Which brings in mind the first tip:

Tip #1: Avoid the Holiday Rush

No, we don’t mean that you should avoid shopping for a car lease today. In fact, the holiday season is the best time to shop for a new car! Year-end lease deals are being offered by every car maker from Acura to Volvo along with other rebate offers that will further lower the leasing price!

What we mean is that you should avoid rushing the decision especially in terms of the price. You may have your holiday savings for now but you know how it is nowadays: money just vaporizes into thin air!

When approaching the car dealer, we highly advise that you talk about the price of the car first before talking about the lease itself. The same can be said for those who want to buy or finance a new car.

Insist only on the invoice price and true dealer cost of the car that you want to lease. Also, be wary about the equipment levels of the car. Remember that more standard equipment means that you have to pay more for the car.

Furthermore, car dealers often advertise lease deals on the top models in their vehicle lineup. It is best to inquire about other lease offerings on base model cars in order to fully determine the right one for your budget.

Tip #2: Get All Your Requirements in Order

Caught in the fast-paced lifestyle of the holiday season? Hold on a minute and catch your breath! If you want to lease a car, you should take the time to organize all the necessary paperwork such as your credit report, proof of income and other credit statements.

Place all of the required paperwork in a separate folder and label it with a marker or pen. This will make it easier for you to present all the necessary requirements when choosing a car at the dealership.

Tip #3: Compare, Compare, Compare!

Again, we are talking about leasing prices. Not all car dealers will present the same lease amount and not all of them will be able to present rebates, incentives and other cash back offers.

Take advantage of our free leasing quote . This service is free and comes with no obligations whatsoever! Get one free quote to find the best lease deals and get multiple quotes to determine which one will help you save more money!

Compare prices and save. You may have heard this phrase before but this is the ultimate truth. Have fun in your holiday car shopping experience!

Europe and the rest of the world have long been enamored by the fantastic merits of a diesel car. It is about time that Americans do the same. Technology has certainly advanced to a point wherein a crude, noisy and sooty diesel engine is now made quiet, refined, and capable of delivering top notch performance.

Thinking about leasing a car? If you are the type of car buyer that always wants the best new cars in the market then you have made the right choice.

Have you ever though about leasing a diesel car? Here are the top 3 reasons why you should lease a diesel car:

1. Diesel cars come with more rebates and other types of incentives.

Case in point the 2011 BMW 335d sedan. This car starts at $44,150 but comes with a lease price of $429/month for 36 months along with $3,500 ECO credit and $1,500 allowance. Do the math and you can drive home a brand new BMW diesel starting a price of no more than $39,150.

Car dealers give fantastic rebates and credits to those who are willing to take the diesel plunge. It is time that you do the same as well.

2. Diesel cars are more fuel-efficient.

Think that hybrid cars are the champ in terms of fuel economy? Think again. Consider the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It has a 2.0-liter TDI engine that generates 140hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. This same car can achieve 30mpg in city driving and 42mpg on the highway.

The Toyota Prius is touted to achieve around 55 miles to the gallon in highway driving but in reality, the figure is closer to the 42 to 44mpg mark. Considering the fact that the Prius starts at $23,520 while the Volkswagen Jetta TDI starts at just $22,500, it is easy to see why modern diesels present a more valuable ownership proposition compared to conventional gasoline and hybrid counterparts.

3. Diesel cars are more durable.

Now this topic is a little more subjective. Durability means a lot of things and not just the engine alone. Durability and reliability will also depend on the driver and how he/she drives and maintains the car.

Diesel engines operate under a lot of internal stress. The process of burning the fuel inside the combustion chamber creates a lot of pressure on the metal parts of the engine.

Diesel engines are constructed using the finest and most resilient metal parts in order to aid durability. Diesels also produce outstanding power and torque at a lower engine revolution (RPM) compared to conventional gasoline engines.

In fact, most gasoline cars reach their peak power output at a very high RPM (similar to earlier Honda VTEC models) while most modern diesels can only rev to about 5,500 RPM max.

This alone will do wonders to promote the durability of the diesel engine. You get instant power and torque without pushing the engine to the limit.

Leasing a new car is perfect if you want to save money. Do yourself a favor and consider to lease a diesel car instead.