Alright guys, here's my deal, I wanting to get a 4th gen max. I could either buy a '95 or lease a '97. What are the advantages of a lease and what are the disadvanages. The only real thing that turns me off from leasing is, sense Im only "renting" the car, I couldnt put performance upgrades on it or stereo stuff or cosmetic stuff. Whats your take on it? And one other question, can anyone tell or rather show(picd) or the differences in the tails of the 95'96 compared to the '97-99? Thanks, Steve

 

Go to your public library and read the January 2001 issue of Consumer Reports. The cover story is about car leasing. The article gives you the facts, and you make your own decision.

In my opinion, leasing is almost always the wrong course of action. I've heard too many stories about hidden charges and inflated "wear and tear" penalties at lease-end time.

 

leases are very popular today because of the high cost of today's cars. It's difficult for most people to buy a $ 30K vehicle with a little down payment. A lease significantly lowers your monthly cash outlay and since most people like driving new cars, turn it in for a new one in 2-4 years. These benefits don't apply as much to people who keep their cars for many years beyond the typical lease period. Personally I really start enjoying my car after I've paid it off. It's like getting a raise - increasing your disposable income by the amount of your old car payment. People who lease never realize this concept or don't care to save the money because they have plenty of it.

Leases also make a lot of sense for business owners who can expense the entire cost and want to drive new cars.

Like Daniel said, if you are seriously considering it, get the CR article because leases can be tricky and have a lot of fine print as you already know.