Best lease for around $500 per month

[madoka]

My friend just got a new perk at his job. He's getting a $500 per month stipend for a new car. Having never leased a car, I'd like some suggestions I can give to him.

Relevant facts:

- He's looking for a sedan or SUV.
- He's willing to add more money for the right deal.
- He's got two young kids, so nothing small.
- He's somewhat concerned about gas mileage. Hybrids or diesels are okay.
- Reliability is important.
- No sports cars.
- He's open to buying the car after the lease is up.
- He already owns a minivan and a Lexus GS.

 

[MixMasterTang]

How many miles per year does he plan on driving the car?

 

[Kaido]

Dang, you could just buy a car for that - that's $18k over 3 years! For what he's looking for though, I'd vote the Honda Accord Hybrid:

http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-hybrid/

50 MPG city, 45 MPG highway. It is not a plug-in hybrid. Another one to look at is the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, which is a good-sized SUV (I think it's in the Ford Explorer territory) with 25 MPG city, 28 MPG highway:

http://www.nissanusa.com/electric-hybrid/pathfinder/

So it depends on if he wants a sedan or an SUV. No coupes or small cars like the fun-sized Mini Cooper since he has a couple little kids. He could also look into one of those new Ford F-150's, which has a ridiculous feature list:

http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/f15014.aspx

 

[pauldun170]

My friend just got a new perk at his job. He's getting a $500 per month stipend for a new car. Having never leased a car, I'd like some suggestions I can give to him.

Relevant facts:

- He's looking for a sedan or SUV.
- He's willing to add more money for the right deal.
- He's got two young kids, so nothing small.
- He's somewhat concerned about gas mileage. Hybrids or diesels are okay.
- Reliability is important.
- No sports cars.
- He's open to buying the car after the lease is up.
- He already owns a minivan and a Lexus GS.

If its work related, will he be dealing with clients? Will rear seat room and comfort be an issue?

 

[madoka]

He drives 20 miles to work each day. Good gas mileage would probably encourage him to drive more though.

I tried recommending the Accord Hybrid, but he doesn't want to look like a scrub at work. I think his job pays him around $300K, so he needs something that won't look too cheap, but nothing too fancy that would raise eyebrows.

I do not think he has to drive clients around. He's never mentioned that to me.

 

[Tweak155]

He drives 20 miles to work each day. Good gas mileage would probably encourage him to drive more though.

I tried recommending the Accord Hybrid, but he doesn't want to look like a scrub at work. I think his job pays him around $300K, so he needs something that won't look too cheap, but nothing too fancy that would raise eyebrows.

I do not think he has to drive clients around. He's never mentioned that to me.

I don't know why he'd worry about mileage when the vehicle is free, let alone a good salary on top. Just get something that is nice and not gaudy.

Edit:

A Buick? I always thought those looked sharp but didn't scream "look at me!".

 

[satyajitmenon]

He drives 20 miles to work each day. Good gas mileage would probably encourage him to drive more though.

I tried recommending the Accord Hybrid, but he doesn't want to look like a scrub at work. I think his job pays him around $300K, so he needs something that won't look too cheap, but nothing too fancy that would raise eyebrows.

I do not think he has to drive clients around. He's never mentioned that to me.

I think $500 per month would lease him a nicely specced BMW 5 series or Merc E Class. They're a dime a dozen around here. So unless he's in the boondocks, they won't be too flashy, and yet show that's he's doing ok.

 

[Insomniator]

Lol what? 300k? He's worried about gas mileage for a 20 mile commute with a free car? Makes no sense...

Just get a cookie cutter BMW or Benz. E350, 5 series, X3/X5 etc...

Buick... lol.

 

[Kaido]

He drives 20 miles to work each day. Good gas mileage would probably encourage him to drive more though.

I tried recommending the Accord Hybrid, but he doesn't want to look like a scrub at work. I think his job pays him around $300K, so he needs something that won't look too cheap, but nothing too fancy that would raise eyebrows.

I do not think he has to drive clients around. He's never mentioned that to me.

Even if I was making $300k, I would still be driving my Soul hamstermobile :wub:

 

[Kaido]

Not sure what the current lease on a Tesla is, but maybe some kind of higher-end electric car like the Cadillac ELR hybrid: (which is really just a repackaged Volt with a facelift)

http://www.cadillac.com/elr-electric-hybrid.html

If his commute is only 20 miles, he can just get an electric car & be done with it. Or maybe the new BMW i3 (with a range extender).

 

[jlee]

$300k/yr and $500/mo towards a car and he cares about fuel mileage?!

WTF.

Buy a 2013 CTS-V. Pulley, intake, and tune.

 

[pauldun170]

He drives 20 miles to work each day. Good gas mileage would probably encourage him to drive more though.

I tried recommending the Accord Hybrid, but he doesn't want to look like a scrub at work. I think his job pays him around $300K, so he needs something that won't look too cheap, but nothing too fancy that would raise eyebrows.

I do not think he has to drive clients around. He's never mentioned that to me.

BMW 528i
Roomy, under 500 a month lease payments. Ticks off the right boxes. BMW seems to be the popular option for leasing.

OR
G37's should be bargains at this point, well under the stipend.

Alternative
Caddy XTC or CTS. ATS if roomy enough.

A few friends lease Lincoln MKS's or have them as company cars. They all are satisfied with them.

For some reason, EVERY GUY I've known for the past 4 years has regretted leasing the Mercedes they happen to have at the time. Every wife who drives the thing has been happy. This is across the model range but mostly MLs and GLs.

Having said that, I've know a couple individuals in that income bracket and above rocking Toyotas\Fords\Honda's. They are usually between wives at that point.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

335i/E350/528i/A6, etc

That's pretty much the standard bearer in that price range.

 

[heymrdj]

I'd say my personal new favorite bishie, Infiniti Q50S Hybrid. Someone in our office park has a new one as of Thursday in Chestnut, so bootiful :$.

There's also the Chrysler 300 SRT, but we don't have the new 8spd until the 2015 model on the hemi or the hellcat motors .

Both are right at or just slightly north of 500$ on lease.

 

[halik]

Client facing or not?

 

[SparkyJJO]

Lol what? 300k? He's worried about gas mileage for a 20 mile commute with a free car? Makes no sense...

Just get a cookie cutter BMW or Benz. E350, 5 series, X3/X5 etc...

Buick... lol.

Not talking old man buick but modern younger guy buick

I like the idea of a Caddy though.

 

[_Rick_]

A high specc'ed Passat Diesel also fits the 500 dollar target.
Though personally, I'd never do that
And in the US you can't even get it with 4Motion and/or as a wagon.
I'm pretty sure an A6 diesel would go over budget, especially once you start playing with options.

Volvo has no Diesel or hybrid at all in the US, but new S60 is supposed to be quite a nice car, and it certainly gets you noticed, but much in the same way one of those new Buicks would get you noticed. AWD should just about make the budget, on a lightly specc'ed vehicle.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

lol...just lol.

Leasing, for the most part, never makes sense to me. But neither does buying a car/trading it every 3 years.

 

[jaedaliu]

lol...just lol.

Leasing, for the most part, never makes sense to me. But neither does buying a car/trading it every 3 years.

Well, of course it doesn't make sense for you. Your company isn't offering you $500/month towards a lease that you can't use in any other way.

OP's buddy should get a Tesla, and fork out the extra $500+/month.

Though, if he likes the GS, maybe sell that and lease a new one. It'll cost him money every month, but that way he won't have an extra car, can do something with the money for that, and always drive a newer car.

 

[nerp]

He should do the right thing and get the cheapest lease he can find to save his company money. Perhaps a Nissan Versa or Toyota Yaris.

 

[_Rick_]

He should do the right thing and get the cheapest lease he can find to save his company money. Perhaps a Nissan Versa or Toyota Yaris.

And demand that he gets paid the difference in stock!

 

[BlitzPuppet]

Well, of course it doesn't make sense for you. Your company isn't offering you $500/month towards a lease that you can't use in any other way.

No, my company gives you a vehicle, insurance, and gas that you can use in any way.

I'd buy a car so I wasn't just throwing money away, unless they specifically state that you can only lease. Same argument people use against apartments and for houses. At the end of the year you have X amount of money into owning the house (AND can resell it whenever) whereas the apartment you just paid rent for 1 year and have to decide to move out or stay.

But again, I'd check if they make you lease or if you can use it towards purchasing a car.

 

[Kaido]

lol...just lol.

Leasing, for the most part, never makes sense to me. But neither does buying a car/trading it every 3 years.

Depends on your situation & desires. I'm no mechanic and I work a lot (6-7 days a week), so I need a super-reliable car that isn't going to give me much downtime aside from quick oil changes & tire rotations. I've leased for the last 10 years or so, although I usually go for the $199 econoboxes hehehe.

 

[Kaido]

No, my company gives you a vehicle, insurance, and gas that you can use in any way.

I'd buy a car so I wasn't just throwing money away, unless they specifically state that you can only lease. Same argument people use against apartments and for houses. At the end of the year you have X amount of money into owning the house (AND can resell it whenever) whereas the apartment you just paid rent for 1 year and have to decide to move out or stay.

But again, I'd check if they make you lease or if you can use it towards purchasing a car.

Yeah exactly, purchase the car off-lease at the end for personal use...that's $18,000 towards a new car, which is a pretty great down payment if you're not shelling out for it, and of course, you know the previous driver personally

 

[smackababy]

Yeah exactly, purchase the car off-lease at the end for personal use...that's $18,000 towards a new car, which is a pretty great down payment if you're not shelling out for it, and of course, you know the previous driver personally

My own leased car is about the only off lease car I'd even consider. I know just how "bad" I treat my cars, I can't imagine how bad someone else would.