Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

Lease return..any tips


Recommended Posts

Returning in May..

 

Should I repair tear in leather seat? It's about 3 inches long

Or wait for inspection ..

 

Before day of return..do I need to do oil change (it would be due)

Do I have to thoroughly clean interior? I.e. pay a detailer

 

Anything else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Good rule of thumb is to return it as close to the condition you bought it. They will look at it closely, especially if you're not going to lease/buy something from them to replace it. You will most likely be charged for anything above the normal "wear and tear" allowance (mine was $1,000 of allowed "damage").

 

If it were me, I'd take it in and have someone look it over for their opinion. But I also am friends with my dealership and service dept.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a seat tear on a Volvo I was turning in. I bought a cheap (maybe less than $15) leather/vinyl repair kit on ebay. Took about a 1/2 hour to do and although would not work at a car show, was good enough for the turn in.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

People like change when it comes to vehicles....not us, but many do. Leasing makes it so they get that fullfillment and at a cheaper, although still premium price point.

 

Heck, there are guys doing it with work truck. Buy a Duramax, beat it a cple years and trade it in while there is still value behind it.

 

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think leasing is a decent option if you're going to get a new car every 5 years or less one way or another.

 

But for me, I rather buy a car with 90% of its life left for 70% of the original price, and then eventually still get a few thousand for it when I put it towards the next car. This way I'm basically avoiding the new car value plummet. It's also nice to not worry about mileage you're putting on the car much.

 

I'll have a car I fully own in just a couple months. It feels good to get to a point where you have no monthly car payment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never thought of leasing, but as more and more electronics are getting added and the cost of repairs out of warranty are going up, I'm actually thinking of leasing for the first time on the next one.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just don't get it. But to each his own.

 

If you are someone that changes your car every 5 years:

Own - A 2014 Legacy 3.6 limited would have sold new for ~34k, its worth ~15k based on condition/ miles. If you want to get a new 2019, you'll need to cough up the ~19k difference.

 

If you had leased - 3k down + ~250/mo. for 3 years puts you at 12k; another 3k down and at the end of 5 years you'll be out ~21k, but you'd be in a MY17 and about ready to get a MY20.

 

If you are not someone that keeps their car for more than 5 years and don't put on a ton of miles, it pretty much costs the same which ever way you go.

 

I get that you don't get why someone would want a new car every 2-3 years. I don't get that part either. By the time you are done bitching about all the stuff that is different/don't like and actually start to enjoy it, its time to give it back and start over again :spin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do dealers really care if the tires are worn on a leased car being returned? I always thought that was a given, like brake pads that might be worn at the end of a lease.. I feel like when I've gone car shopping in the various states I've lived in, a lot of used cars come with new tires anyways, maybe some kind of law? The leather rip, that's a different story.. I wouldn't do anything about it, but they might hit you for that.

 

*Looking into this now... Obviously a dealer can't sell a car with bald tires, have to have at least 2/32" I'm sure.. But I remember trading a car into a dealership in RI that had tires with a lot of tread left, and they still put new tires on it when I saw it listed online..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone explain why people lease cars. Lack of income? Curious.

 

Leasing costs work out to be nearly the same cost as buying, give or take $1,000 (in my case, a bit less than this).

 

So if you can afford that extra amount, spread out over three years (hint, I can) it makes it possible to easily switch cars should I want to (hint, I do), or buy it out at the end of the lease (there is a fixed cost to buy it at the end of the lease, baked into the initial cost of buying vs leasing, mentioned above).

 

Maybe you can't afford to lease?

 

Maybe you buy your car with cash (not many people do this).

 

Some people who could buy with cash don't, because their money invested is doing better than the finance cost on their cars.

 

In any case, leasing allows manufacturers to "sell" more cars, so you should be grateful for the option. If all car dealers required cash up front, there would be less car dealers in business, and your options would go down, down, down even if you are richie rich.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leasing costs work out to be nearly the same cost as buying, give or take $1,000 (in my case, a bit less than this).

 

So if you can afford that extra amount, spread out over three years (hint, I can) it makes it possible to easily switch cars should I want to (hint, I do), or buy it out at the end of the lease (there is a fixed cost to buy it at the end of the lease, baked into the initial cost of buying vs leasing, mentioned above).

 

Maybe you can't afford to lease?

 

Maybe you buy your car with cash (not many people do this).

 

Some people who could buy with cash don't, because their money invested is doing better than the finance cost on their cars.

 

In any case, leasing allows manufacturers to "sell" more cars, so you should be grateful for the option. If all car dealers required cash up front, there would be less car dealers in business, and your options would go down, down, down even if you are richie rich.

 

I buy. If I can't afford or don't want to afford it, I don't buy it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are someone that changes your car every 5 years:

Own - A 2014 Legacy 3.6 limited would have sold new for ~34k, its worth ~15k based on condition/ miles. If you want to get a new 2019, you'll need to cough up the ~19k difference.

 

If you had leased - 3k down + ~250/mo. for 3 years puts you at 12k; another 3k down and at the end of 5 years you'll be out ~21k, but you'd be in a MY17 and about ready to get a MY20.

 

If you are not someone that keeps their car for more than 5 years and don't put on a ton of miles, it pretty much costs the same which ever way you go.

 

I get that you don't get why someone would want a new car every 2-3 years. I don't get that part either. By the time you are done bitching about all the stuff that is different/don't like and actually start to enjoy it, its time to give it back and start over again :spin:

 

Or, you can do the sensible thing and keep your '14 for 150K miles, (10 years at 15K a year) not have a car payment and then buy a new one, or better yet, keep the '14 until it is not economically feasible to repair.

 

I paid 23K for my car, I have spent about $1300 in maint (tires, oil change, upgrades) and even if I budget 5K for repairs (based off of my CL-S I owned for the same amount of time) I am still at 233.33/month for the car over the life of the vehicle. this is better than the 235/mo lease for a legacy 2.5i and my car has MORE options (nav, LED fogs, rubber floor mats, trunk liner, tinted windows, etc all included in that budget above)

 

No reason a well cared for non abused car should not last that long, My 14 base model is 6 years old and does not even have 60K on it. Best part is, no car payment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Or, you can do the sensible thing and keep your '14 for 150K miles, (10 years at 15K a year) not have a car payment and then buy a new one, or better yet, keep the '14 until it is not economically feasible to repair.

 

I paid 23K for my car, I have spent about $1300 in maint (tires, oil change, upgrades) and even if I budget 5K for repairs (based off of my CL-S I owned for the same amount of time) I am still at 233.33/month for the car over the life of the vehicle. this is better than the 235/mo lease for a legacy 2.5i and my car has MORE options (nav, LED fogs, rubber floor mats, trunk liner, tinted windows, etc all included in that budget above)

 

No reason a well cared for non abused car should not last that long, My 14 base model is 6 years old and does not even have 60K on it. Best part is, no car payment.

 

I'm with ya. All I'm saying is if you are someone that "wants" a new car every 2-3 years, leasing is probably better financially. And a lot of people that lease only want to put gas and not do anything else. So its probably better for the car too.

 

One of my wife's colleagues didn't take her car for service until 2 years after she bought it. She just dismissed the starlink notification and moved on. I don't even want to know the state of her engine. So I kinda understand BMW building their engines to go on 15k OCI...

 

I have a '15 and plan to keep it till about 2023 and 100k miles. I put miles on mine, already close to 55k. I may however consider selling it a bit before the extended warranty expires at the 7yr mark if I get good value at that time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just because you don't understand the simple math doesn't mean others don't

 

as much as I disagree with KRB, I am quite sure his math is sound in this case...

 

Leasing aka fleecing aka renting a car only works if you drive a very limited amount of miles on your car each year and want to keep paying for the luxury of a new car every 3 years. Since leasing companies never lose money on the deal you are better off owning outright and taking proper care of your car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had to put tires on a '14 Honda Odyssey when we turned it in. Yes, I found used ones and they didn't even match brands but the dealer didn't care, so long as they had decent tread.

 

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not on-topic, but interesting:

 

I paid cash for my wagon and was lucky to get a good car. To date, it's cost me about $150/month to own and I'd hope to sell it for $5k, which would come down to $85/month (not including mods and maintenance).

 

My brother's 3yr leased Crosstrek will cost him about the same total as I paid if I'm not mistaken, but at well over twice the monthly payment and in less than half the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just don't get it. But to each his own.

 

What's to get? You get a new car every 3 years at a known cost with no hassles at lease end. Just turn it in and drive away with a new one. Of course it costs more than driving an older car. On average you're driving a car that's only a year and a half old and you're never out of warranty. You can easily fool yourself about the benefits and economics of driving an older vehicle. Unreliability and unanticipated repairs get old and expensive in a hurry, especially if you have no interest in fussing with DIY repairs and trouble-shooting and/or you do a lot of long distance travel in your car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.




×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use