Should I Buy or Lease a Car?

So you’re shopping for a Maserati. Congratulations! Wondering about leasing vs. buying and which is the better option for your unique needs? While you may not need to finance your sports car or luxury SUV purchase, doing so via purchase financing or lease financing can be extremely beneficial from a cash flow perspective. So let’s get into how leasing vs. buying compare so you can make the most informed decision!

The Benefits of Leasing 

Our Maserati of Central Florida finance experts strive to be there for you, no matter what your financing needs may be. But when it boils right down to it, what’s car leasing, and how does it differ from buying?

When you lease a vehicle like the new Maserati Levante or Levante Ghibli, you are, in essence, paying to rent the vehicle for an extended period of time. The amount you pay is determined by doing the following, per Edmunds:

1. Start with the sticker price (MSRP) of the car.
2. Take the MSRP and multiply it by the residual percentage.
3. This equals the residual value.
4. Then take the negotiated selling price of the car.
5. Add in the fees to get the gross capitalized cost.
6. Subtract your down payment and rebates.
7. This is your adjusted capitalized cost.
8. Subtract the residual value from the adjusted capitalized cost. This is your depreciation amount.
9. Divide the depreciation amount by the number of months in your lease. This will be your base payment.
10. Add the adjusted capitalized cost and the residual value. Take the sum and multiply it by the money factor. This is your monthly rent charge.
11. Add the rent charge to your base payment to get your pretax lease payment.
12. Multiply your tax rate by the pretax lease payment to get the total lease payment.

What are the main benefits of car leasing? They include:

• In most cases, you’ll pay lower monthly payments.
• Most often, you won’t have to pay as much money down vs. buying.
• For the vast majority of leases, new vehicle factory warranty coverage generally remains intact during the lease period, which can help with covered service costs.
• You can get a new vehicle every 2-3 years or so with the latest features & styling.

The Benefits of Financing 

Buying a car can have benefits, too, with the main one being that if you purchase a car and finance it, you can eventually stop making payments and own the vehicle outright. 

Compared to buying a car for cash, purchase financing can help you spread out the cost more, effectively letting you float your money to invest, save, or spend on other things you may wish to purchase, like a nice vacation!

You’ll also be able to sell your car at any time, even with an outstanding lien, to be able to recoup potentially thousands of dollars you’ve invested into the principal of your loan. For this reason, financing is almost always the most cost-effective strategy, but it necessitates paying heftier costs upfront and month-by-month, and greater commitment. 

Explore Leasing vs. Buying With the Maserati of Central Florida Financiers

Now that you’ve had a chance to explore the main benefits of leasing vs. buying, we encourage you to check out all of our car buying tips. Still have questions about which financing option better resonates with your needs? Call 407-667-4300 anytime. We’re here to help you get into your dream Maserati or used vehicle in a way that makes financial sense, while saving you dollars!