Leasing vs. Buying: Why you might want to lease your next vehicle

The Answer: Well, that's a tough one, because it's really up to personal preference. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each, so you can pick what's best for you.

It's true, there are benefits to both Buying and Leasing, which different people will find more or less important. The option exists to cater to different lifestyles and needs.

Since we're all different, with different jobs, hobbies, family situations and financial obligations, here's a list of the pros and cons from many different perspectives to help you make the best decision when buying or leasing your next vehicle.

Leasing Pros over Buying:

• Allows you to drive more of an upscale car, for business or pleasure, for less money than buying.
• Lower monthly payments are common
  
• Very low down payment (sometimes no down payment)
• The vehicle is under factory warranty, which makes repair costs very low.
• It's easy to move to a brand new car, every two or three years.
• At the end of the lease there are no trade-in frustrations.

Leasing Cons over Buying:

• Well, right off the bat, you don't own the car (although there is an option to buy at the end of the lease).
• Part of a lease is that the mileage is limited per year (often times you can extend this in the lease terms).
• Depending on how you lease, it can be more expensive than buying, in the long run.
• If you like to modify or if you abuse your vehicle, you may not want to lease as leases often only cover 'normal' driving and often do not allow modifications.
• It's not a good idea to terminate a lease early. Please see Rimrock Subaru for conditions on this ahead of time.

Buying Pros over Leasing:

• Want a spoiler? New stereo? No problem! You can modify any aspect (within Motor Vehicle Laws) as you wish.
• If you don't mind owning the same vehicle long term, buying can be more economical.
• You are not limited to driving a set number of miles per year. Drive as much as you want!
• If you decide you don't want the car anymore, or if life priorities change, you can sell it at any time.

Buying Cons over Leasing:

• It can sometimes require a higher down payment than leasing.
• Lease payments are often less than monthly payments for buying outright.
• Since you'll own the car after the manufacture warranty has expired, repair costs may be more (Rimrock offers extended warranty plans that can solve this problem economically).
• It's not as streamlined at the end. You have to go through the trade-in or selling process when you want to buy a new vehicle.
• New cars - from BMW's to Subaru's, depreciate in value over time -  this is just something to be aware of.

Summary

In Summary, if you lease, it's much easier to get more car, for less money, retain factory warranty coverage and easy upgrades at the end of the lease.

There are limitations to a lease. You're limited to mileage, and what you can do with (and to) the vehicle. When you buy a car, it's YOUR vehicle and the possibilities are endless. But it can cost more in repairs and ownership.

Rimrock Subaru provides this guide to car buyers so they can determine what best suits their needs and lifestyle! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 888 696-3165 or submit your question via email on the right side of this page.

* This page is provided to all consumers as an generic informational learning guide to help educate on the differences between leasing and buying. It is not designed to direct a consumer one way or another, as there are benefits to both leasing and buying. This information was adapted for use by Rimrock Subaru from Edmunds.com.