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Lease or buy?
Compare the full cost.

Use the same car and the same time period. Enter your own end value; we will not guess what the car will be worth.

Your numbers, your pace

Starts with a fictional example. No rates or offers are looked up. Share only numbers, never personal details.

Worksheet detail

Basic · 6 fieldsAll fields

Reset example Try zero drive-off

Car

6.67% below MSRP

MSRP (dollars)

Selling price (dollars)

Lease

Lease term (months)

Residual value (percent of MSRP)

Ask for the lender’s residual for this term and mileage.

Money factor

Ask for the lender’s base money factor. This tool does not look up rates.

MF 0.002000 · Rough percentage (money factor × 2,400): 4.80%

This percentage may not measure the overall cost of financing this lease.

All fields

Enter residual as

Enter rate as

Residual value (dollars)

Rough percentage (money factor × 2,400)

Divides this rough percentage by 2,400 to get a money factor. This percentage may not measure the overall cost of financing this lease.

Miles allowed per year

For the disclosure only. Changing miles does not invent a new lender residual.

Lease return fee (dollars)

Added to total cost. Extra mileage, wear and purchase options are not included.

First payment is due at signing

Fees

Leave an upfront box unchecked to roll that fee into the lease. Dealer add-ons are always rolled in.

Acquisition fee (dollars)

Dealer document fee (dollars)

Title, registration and plates (dollars)

Dealer add-ons (dollars)

Pay acquisition fee upfront

Pay document fee upfront

Pay government fees upfront

Money down

Cash down (dollars)

Lease rebates (dollars)

Net trade equity (dollars)

Trade value minus payoff. A negative number adds debt to the lease.

Zero drive-off mode (roll fees and tax)

Rolls fees and tax in and ignores cash down. First-payment and deposit settings still apply.

MSDs

Use the lender’s deposit and money-factor rules. A blank deposit amount uses the engine’s estimate, not a lender quote.

Number of security deposits

Each deposit (dollars, blank for engine estimate)

Money factor reduction per deposit

Enter the lender’s actual program rule; no program is assumed.

Tax

Lease tax rate (percent, estimate)

All fields

State guidance or manual entry

State methods are starting estimates. Enter your local contract rate; the data does not supply a combined rate.

Tax acquisition and document fees

Controls separate acquisition/document fee tax. In monthly-tax mode, capitalized fees remain inside the taxed payment. Verify local exceptions.

Roll upfront tax into the lease

How the lease is taxed (estimate)

The engine models four broad methods, not every local exception. Ask for an itemized tax calculation.

When you buy

The loan lasts the same number of months as your lease and is paid off at the comparison date. The purchase price is the same selling price plus dealer add-ons. Enter purchase fees, tax and rebates separately.

Loan APR (percent)

Fictional example rate; replace it with your loan offer.

Loan down payment (dollars)

Cash paid upfront for the purchase; separate from lease cash down.

Purchase tax rate (percent)

Purchase tax can differ from lease tax. Enter the rate for your location.

Purchase fees (dollars)

Enter purchase doc and title/registration fees even if you already entered them on the lease side. Do not include a lease-only acquisition fee.

Purchase rebates (dollars)

Only rebates available when buying. Lease rebates are kept separate.

Car value at the end (dollars)

Your estimate or written offer, not a prediction from this site. The comparison loan is fully paid off by then.

Estimate ready. Results use the numbers shown in the worksheet.

Your lease estimate · not an offer

Monthly, including tax

$593.50 / month

Lease estimate: 36 monthly payments of $593.50. First payment included in estimated due at signing of $593.50. No security deposit in this estimate. 12000 miles per year. Extra charges at end of lease may apply, including excess mileage and wear. Fees and taxes vary by location.

Estimated due at signing: $593.50
Estimated term cost: $21,366.00
Total you will pay the lessor: $21,366.00
Estimated effective monthly: $593.50
Effective monthly / MSRP: 1.32% of MSRP

The lessor total is due at signing plus remaining scheduled payments, including refundable deposits. The return fee is shown separately below.

Estimates from your inputs. Fees default to zero; add every quoted fee in All fields. Refundable deposits are excluded from term cost. Term cost includes the return fee and positive trade equity; old loan principal you already owe is subtracted. Insurance, maintenance and excess mileage or wear are excluded.

What is due at signing?

First payment: $593.50
Cash down: $0.00
Acquisition fee upfront: $0.00
Document fee upfront: $0.00
Government fees upfront: $0.00
Tax upfront: $0.00
Refundable deposits: $0.00
Total estimated due at signing: $593.50

Depreciation, rent and one-pay

Monthly before tax (estimate): $554.67
Monthly tax (estimate): $38.83
Depreciation per month (estimate): $416.67
Rent charge per month (estimate): $138.00
Rent over the lease (estimate): $4,968.00
Adjusted capitalized cost: $42,000.00
Residual value: $27,000.00
Return fee included: $0.00
One-pay base estimate: $18,626.87

36-month lease; estimated base one-payment amount due at signing $18,626.87. Excludes upfront fees, tax and deposits. Lessors use different one-pay rules; ask for the full amount due. Extra charges at end of lease may apply.

Same car · same time period

Lease vs. buy estimates

Lease assumes you return the car. Purchase costs subtract only the end value you enter; the comparison loan is paid off by then.

Lease cost, no car kept: $21,366.00
Loan regular monthly payment (estimate): $1,367.16
Loan final payment (estimate): $1,367.23
Loan payments + down payment (estimate): $49,217.83
Cash purchase cost (estimate): $44,940.00
Your entered end value: —
Finance net cost after end value (estimate): —
Cash net cost after end value (estimate): —

35 monthly loan payments of $1,367.16, then a final payment of $1,367.23 at 6.00% APR. $0.00 down; loan paid off at the comparison date.

Enter your own car value at the end to compare net costs. We do not predict resale value.

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