2012 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – April 2012

Published 2012/04/11 by G

April numbers remain the same as March. There is some customer cash on the C-Class and E-Class listed on Edmunds.com. In addition, it looks like there’s a four-month “pull-ahead” program available on select vehicles. They are calling it the “4 Payment Loyalty Accelerator Program”. If you are looking to get out of your lease early, ask your dealer about this program.

Another interesting topic that was brought to my attention is in regards to the “Super Tier” or A1 tier. Typically, the top tier requires a credit score of about 700+. However, select models that have the “standard” money factor (.00225) have a “Super Tier”. This tier provides a discounted MF (.00195). However, in order to qualify, MBFS will look at your credit as a whole, not just your credit score.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
MSRP – $38,095
Sale Price – $36,550
Monthly – $455+ tax
RWG Rating – 85.2

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Edmunds.com
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2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00177 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 Sport 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00169 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00175 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00177 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

24 Month – Residual 68% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00166 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00191 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 BLUETEC
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00136 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00165 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – March 2012

Published 2012/03/142012/03/14 by G

Bad News: TrueCar is no longer displaying factory/dealer invoice pricing. This will make negotiating a bit more difficult, but not impossible.

Worst News: MBFS kept the residuals intact, but bumped the MF on many of their vehicles including the C-Class sedans. To add insult to injury, MB also changed the loyalty cash from $2000 to $1000. The C250 Coupe just got about $30 bucks more expensive (see calculation below).

Good News: TrueCar seems to have reinstated the Dealer/Factory Invoice pricing back into their website. WooHoo! Looks like I celebrated too early. It’s offline again…*sigh*

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
MSRP – $38,095
Sale Price – $35,500 ($1000 loyalty cash applied)
Monthly – $424+ tax
RWG Rating – 89.5

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
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Edmunds.com
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2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00177 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 Sport 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00169 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00175 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00177 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00166 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00191 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 BLUETEC
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00136 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00165 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – February 2012

Published 2012/02/08 by G

I’m only seeing one big change this month and it’s on the SL550’s MF. It drops from .00225 to .00165. Significant, specially when you are looking at a car at this price range, but probably doesn’t affect too many of us since this isn’t exactly a “mainstream” vehicle.

I’m still liking the C250 coupe if you qualify for the Loyalty cash. The slight drop in sale prices has helped drop the payments about $9 per month, which doesn’t look like much, but every little helps. The cash is really huge because it boosts the discount off MSRP from 4% to 9.5%, which is really the difference-maker here. If I were in the market for the C250 coupe right now and qualified for the loyalty cash, I would ask for 4% off MSRP, then take the $2000 loyalty cash and use it to pay drive-offs. Then I would drop extra cash as MSDs in order to drop the MF since it’s pretty high.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
MSRP – $38,095
Sale Price – $34,500 ($2000 loyalty cash applied)
Monthly – $394+ tax
RWG Rating – 94.3

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
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Edmunds.com
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2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00146 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00157 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 Sport 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00158 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00162 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00167 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00131 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00135 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00155 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 BLUETEC
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00136 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00165 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedez-Benz Lease Rates – January 2012

Published 2012/01/092012/01/26 by G

Through the month of January, MBFS is offering $2000 in loyalty cash to existing lessees on the C-Class. You can even use that on the new coupe! Making this a pretty sweet lease. I still think MBs lease at a slightly lower monthly payment at 48 months, but 36-months is ideal if you want to keep wear and tear to a minimum. If you are currently leasing a MB and your lease is coming to an end, this might not be a bad month to get into a new one. The dealer isn’t going to discount a lot (I’m seeing a measly 3% off MSRP), but with the bonus cash, I think the deal looks pretty darn good.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
MSRP – $38,095
Sale Price – $34,800 ($2000 loyalty cash applied)
Monthly – $403+ tax
RWG Rating – 92.8

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2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00142 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00157 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 Sport 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00158 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00162 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00167 Base Rate
2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00131 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00135 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00155 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 BLUETEC
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00136 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – December 2011

Published 2011/12/092012/01/09 by G

MB numbers remain the same as last month. The C250 coupe is getting a lot of attention lately. The residual value is so high, it really helps offset the high money factor. Dealers have been selling the car for about 4-5% off MSRP. Keep in mind that you can get the car at 7% off MSRP via European delivery, which may or may not be worth it depending on your preference. If you can make a short vacation out of it, picking up your car in Europe wouldn’t be such a bad thing, specially when you can get an extra 2-3% off the sticker price. Another HUGE perk I’d like to point out is the $2000 loyalty cash that is available to those of you with active MBFS loans. Check out my calculation below for an example of what payments would look like in a “best case” scenario (without having to pick the car up in Europe).

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport Coupe
MSRP – $45,710
Sale Price – $41,784 ($2000 loyalty cash applied)
Monthly – $485+ tax
RWG Rating – 92.7

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2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00142 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 64% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 Sport 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00146 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00162 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00167 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00131 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00135 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00155 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes ML350 BLUETEC
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00112 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – November 2011

Published 2011/11/092011/11/10 by G

This month’s MB numbers look decent. I’m not seeing any rebates on the C250 on Edmunds this month, but the lease rates look better than usual. The average discount on TrueCar for the SoCal region is about 5% off MSRP, which isn’t all that great. However, you can get 7% off MSRP if you opt for the European Delivery program. This might be a good option if you’ve been itching for an European vacation and couldn’t find an excuse, until now.

The following information about the European Delivery option was taken from Edmunds.com:

Mercedes-Benz European Delivery Program is availables to customers who take delivery of a new vehicle in Germany. European Delivery Program includes 7% discount off total vehicle MSRP (excluding AMG models), One night’s hotel accommodations in one of 14 luxurious hotels, MBUSA personal travel concierge service for hotel and airline reservations, breakfast or lunch at the Sindelfingen Delivery Center restaurant, two taxi coupons for ride from airport or main railroad station to the Delivery Center or hotel, Sindelfingen factory tour, Two tickets to Mercedes-Benz Museum, Full tank of fuel, 15 days European road insurance, vehicle destination and delivery charge is waived, Conveyance from 12 European drop-off points to port of shipment, Marine insurance, Return shipment to U.S. port, VPC processing, transportation to selling/delivering dealer, 10% dealer commission.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

Euro Delivery Option
2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
MSRP – $35,675
Sale Price – $33,178 (7% off MSRP)
Monthly – $402+ tax
RWG Rating – 88.8

Without Euro Delivery Option
2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
MSRP – $35,675
Sale Price – $33,999 (5% off MSRP)
Monthly – $426+ tax
RWG Rating – 85.3

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2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00142 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 Sport 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00146 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00162 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00167 Base Rate
2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00131 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00135 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00112 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes Benz Lease Rates – October 2011

Published 2011/10/04 by G

I’m sure a lot of folks are curious as to what the payments look like on the brand new 2012 C-Class Coupe. Well, don’t expect too much. The residual value is fantastic. Unfortunately, the Money Factor and the Sale price is not. You can get a feel for how the payments look like by checking out the sample calculation below. Keep in mind that this is a “low” estimate. I expect the payments to be higher due since this is based on a “base” price.

Overall, I’m not fond of the lease rates, but MB has been lagging behind in sales, so pricing may improve over the course of the year. I personally think the C coupe shows a ton of promise due to its high residual value. Just have to wait for the money factor and sale prices to come down a bit.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 C250 Coupe
MSRP – $38,095
Sale Price – $36,491
Monthly – $454+ tax
RWG Rating – 85.4

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2011 Mercedes E350 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00192 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C300 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00182 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CL550 4matic 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes CLS550 4matic 4dr Sedan
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Coupe
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00162 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes E350 2dr Convertible
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00167 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GL450 4matic
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00131 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes GLK350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00177 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes R350 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00195 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes S550 4matic
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00092 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SL550 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes SLK350 Convertible
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

Monthly Round-Up: December 2010

Published 2010/12/182010/12/19 by G

As this year comes to a close, here is this year’s last Round-Up. There have been noticeable changes to the rankings, with the C300, ML350 and the CLS550 getting tossed out of the top-10 list and being substituted by cars such as the Mazda6 and the Acura ZDX, to name a few. This is mainly due to a higher sale price, so if you managed to get in on last month’s excellent MB leases, congratulations. Even though many of the lease rates carried over from November, some of the sale prices have changed, which resulted in a large number of cars jumping into the “Missing the Cut” group. There’s still plenty of time to cut deals right now, so make sure to take advantage of it. Most lease rates will stay the same through January 3rd, giving you a few extra days to get in on those last minute deals. January is notorious for being a bad leasing month, so I don’t recommend waiting.

Please enjoy my last post of the year. I am essentially done collecting lease rates for the rest of the month, so my apologies if I didn’t get the numbers you were looking for. Don’t forget to use my lease calculator during your negotiations. It’s rating system is a very good tool and there’s nothing else like it out there. Plus, It does a fairly accurate job at predicting how good a deal is, so take advantage of it.

With that said…HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! And if you missed out on a new ride this year, there’s always next year!

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Ground Rules

Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website during the corresponding month.
36-month/15k lease terms will used for all calculations unless a better term is available.
A $1500 drive-off fee is assumed for all cars. Since fees and taxes vary from region to region, your drive-off may vary.
Sale Price estimates will be based on Truecar.com sales data in the Southern California region, so your numbers may vary.
All estimates assume you qualify for the base rate. A minimum FICO® Score of 700 may be required.
Sales taxes are not included since different states handle taxes differently. Please refer to “Understanding Sales Tax” to learn how taxes affect your monthly payments.
The rating system used is based on RIDE with G’s Lease Calculator. The closer you are to the 100 rating, the better the deal. Anything exceeding a 100 rating is phenomenal.

Top Ten Finalists

click to view chart

First – 2011 Nissan Sentra S (136.7)

There has been a big buzz surrounding the Sentra’s lease program this month. Regardless of whether the cash rebate is applicable to leases or not, you can’t deny how great the rates are on this econobox.

Second – 2011 Honda Civic LX Sedan (131.3)

Just like the Sentra, the Civic is a red-hot lease right now too. I think the design and styling is a bit aged, but certainly a step up from the Sentra. The car costs a bit more (than the Sentra), but it’s still a smoking good deal.

Third – 2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (119.4)

The mid-cycle refresh of the Accord makes it slightly more bearable, but I think the low monthly payments should keep most lessees happy since it doesn’t really burn a hole in your wallet to drive one of these well-built rides.

Fourth – 2010 Honda Accord CrossTour EX (118.3)

Honda is still trying to move the CrossTour this month. Lowest price I’ve seen is several hundreds less than last month, this means lower monthly payments because the lease rates haven’t change since last month.

Fifth – 2011 Nissan Altima S Sedan (114.2)

The Altima, like the Accord, are pretty good deals this month. However, I would recommend going with the Accord since Honda has a better lease program and costs about $500 less to lease over a three-year period.

Sixth – 2011 Honda CR-V LX AWD (110.8)

I made the mistake of not including this ride on last month’s top-10 list. This is an excellent lease on one of the most popular crossovers around. The only issue I have with the CR-V is it’s engine. I can’t believe there isn’t a V6 option! Honda, wake up!

Seventh – 2010 Infiniti G37 Coupe Sport (107.6)

I’m am almost getting tired of listing the G37 Coupe Sport. Month in and month out, this ride is pretty much the sports coupe to get. If you are looking for a luxury coupe, look nowhere else.

Eighth – 2011 Mazda6 s Touring (105.0)

I think this is probably a better option than the Sonata if you are an enthusiast. In terms of driving dynamics, very few non-luxury brands can top Mazda. They don’t repetitively remind you of their “zoom-zoom” capabilities for nothing. This is a solid ride at a very good price.

Ninth – 2011 Nissan Maxima SV Premium (105.1)

Nissan seems to be back at it with the Maxima. Last summer and fall, we saw some insane deals on the Maxima, fully loaded! Right now, you are looking about the same thing. If you want a reasonable payment, four-doors, V6 power and lots of goodies, this is your car.

Tenth – 2010 Acura ZDX (99.5)

Acura didn’t do much in terms of lease rates, but it seems some dealers are becoming rather eager to unload remaining 2010 inventory. Once 2010 rolls around, this would technically be considered an “old-new” car. Which will probably be hard to lease. I think its a fine deal if you are into the whole “Crossover Coupe” thing.

Missing the Cut (90+ rating)

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan (99.5)
2011 Infiniti G25 Sedan (98.4)
2011 Acura TL (97.3)
2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited (95.7)
2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 (95.3)
2011 Infiniti FX35 (94.3)
2011 Honda Odyssey LX (93.7)
2011 Nissan Rogue SV AWD (93.7)
2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 (93.0)
2010 Acura TSX (92.7)
2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport (92.0)
2011 Lexus RX350 (91.7)
2011 Audi A3 (91.7)
2011 Hyundai Genesis V6 (91.2)
2011 Infiniti M37 (90.8)
2011 Hyndai Genesis 2.0T (90.5)

Parting Shots

This month’s best brand to lease is Honda/Acura. Their holiday lease programs are top notch and deserve a look (if you can past the old-fashion styling). Honda does need to “rework” their style a bit, but they still build some solid cars that are practical and easy to live with. Nissan/Infiniti have excellent offerings as well, as does Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz. Audi didn’t bring much to the leasing world this year (with the exception of the A3) and neither did VW for some odd reason. Anyway, I hope next year we get some American cars with great lease programs, that would be refreshing to see.