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Posts Tagged ‘Leasing’

Hybrid vehicles’ popularity has sharply grown from a couple of thousands in early 2000 to close to 300, 000 by the end of 2005. The trend is  rapidly catching with the auto-leasing industry with generous tax credits and incentives on offer if you go green.

Beginning in 2006, businesses and taxpayers who lease, or purchase, an  environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicle will be eligible to  claim federal income tax credits worth thousands of dollars. Individual  states also offer generous incentives, including hybrid state tax credits,  new High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes access and discounted thruway tolls for alternative-fuelled vehicles.

And that’s not all you can save from going green! You can now save on your  parking fees at a number of universities and some auto-insurance companies are offering insurance discounts for hybrid-vehicle owners nationwide.

If you want to take advantage of these incentives and contribute to energy  conservation then visit HybridCenter.org and complete a personal profile about your driving needs and habits. You will get in-depth advice on hybrid models that would make economic sense to you and local, state and federal  incentives available where you live.

Despite aggressive low-interest financing, cash-back offers and other purchasing incentives offered by leading auto-makers to buyers, leasing numbers keep increasing steadily over the years. Leasing is not only anattractive financial proposition to most auto-consumers, but also a lifestyle and preference choice.

Benefit Number 1: Keeping up with the latest trends Leasing is sometimes more of a personal and lifestyle choice than a  financial one. Many people are not comfortable with the idea of owning a  vehicle over a long period of time. They’d rather keep up with the latest trends of the industry and drive the latest models every two to three  years.

Leasing a car gives you the convenience of having the latest technology and safety innovation, such as an electronic stability system, DVD entertainment systems and advanced stereo equipment. If you are willing to forego ownership for the latest set of wheels, than leasing is your best option.

Benefit Number 2: Purchasing Flexibility Read the rest of this entry »

$250 to dispose of your vehicle, $1000 for extra miles you put on the clock and $200 to replace the light bulb and the worn tyres—lease agents constantly nickel-and-dime consumers when their lease runs out. Here’s a rundown of what can trigger those fees, and some steps to take in self-defense.

Disposition fee: leasing companies charge you if you choose not to buy the vehicle at the end of your lease. This fee is set as compensation for the expenses of selling, or otherwise disposing of the vehicle. It typically includes administrative charges; the dealer’s cost to prepare the car for resale and any other penalties. Make sure this fee is stated clearly in the  contract and is agreeable by you before signing on the dotted line. At lease-end, you are left in no position to negotiate as the dealer can apply your refundable security deposit towards this fee.

Excess mileage charges: Almost all leasing companies will charge a premium  for each mile over the agreed upon mileage stated in your contract. This penalty can be as high as 25 cents per mile and can add up quickly. To avoid the risk of running thousands of dollars in excess mileage penalties at the end of your lease, always check the “per mile” charges in your contract and be realistic about your mileage before you sign any contract.

If you think the limit is unrealistic given your commutation needs, then  negotiate with the dealer to get a higher mileage or contract for  additional miles. Read the rest of this entry »

When your lease is up, you can simply turn in the keys and lease another car or buy a new one. But how about getting out before the lease ends?

Maybe you can’t afford the sky-high payments on that silky Jaguar JX V6 model anymore or you’ve just had a baby and you need a larger and more  spacious vehicle?

Unfortunately getting out of a lease is not as easy as getting in! A  leasing contract is difficult and expensive to terminate early. Simply  turning in the keys and walking away from a lease can result in stiff  penalties. You credit could be ruined and you could even get sued for  breach of contract.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. Actually, there is a number of options available to you. You can sell the car yourself and pay off the bank. This can be cost effective if the market value of the car is close to the buy-out number.

Do not hesitate to exercise this option even at a loss if it happens to be lower than the termination fee.

Your best option, though, is to transfer your lease for someone who would “assume it” and take it off your hands. There is a whole set of potential  buyers looking for short-term leases without all the hassle and extra  costs. Check with family and friends or use the services of lease-assumption websites, like swapalease.com, to list your car. Make sure you  check the credit worthiness of the new lessee and provide the car in good condition.

Mention auto-leasing and most people will automatically assume a low-monthly payment. There is actually more than what meets the eye, and a number of fees are involved at various stages of the lease process.

At the beginning of the lease, you have to pay a refundable security deposit, typically equivalent to one monthly payment, to safeguard against non-payment and any incidental damage done to the car at the end of the lease. You are also required to pay an administrative charge, called acquisition fee. Other fees include licenses, registration, title and any state or local taxes.

During your lease, and you expected to honour your monthly payment obligations. Any failure to do so will result in late-payment charges.

You have to pay any traffic tickets, emission and safety inspections and ongoing maintenance costs.  Ending your lease early will result in substantial early termination charges.

At the end of the lease, expect to pay any excess mileage costs, charged at 10 to 20 p a mile. Any incidental damage done to the car, and deemed to be above normal, will result in excess tear-and-wear charges. Finally, if you choose not to purchase the vehicle, then you have to pay a disposition fee.

To lease, you have two possible choices: either lease through a dealer’s finance source or through an independent lease company.

A conventional dealer has a captive finance source, which can be the car manufacturer’s financial company, such as BMW Financial Services, Honda Motor Credit or General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), or a major national bank such as Chase Manhattan.

Independent lease companies are no financial obligation to any single one manufacturer financing source, but work with dealers anywhere in the country.

So which one is better?

Conventional dealers provide better lease-deals on limited-time promotions.

Factory-subsidized cars that have subvented money factors and residuals are

very attractive lease deals and can be very hard to beat anywhere else.

Independent lease companies can offer you unbiased and professional advice

on vehicle selection regardless of make and model. This is because they are not tied to a single manufacturer or financing source, unlike conventional

dealers who have to sell specific models. They can also be more flexible regarding negotiating lease terms like residual value and mileage.

Ultimately, if you prefer a more personal and customer-oriented relationship with your leasing agent, then you will do well with an independent leasing company.