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2011 Ford Lease Rates – June 2011

The 24-month lease on the Edge Sport AWD isn’t exactly the best, but the discounts seem to be pretty good. Probably not the best lease around, but should you choose to buy, this isn’t half bad. I am not sure I would pay upwards of $600 a month on a Ford Edge. I would much rather have something else on the luxury side of things, maybe the MDX.


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.

2011 Ford Edge Sport AWD (24-month)
MSRP – $39,150
Sale Price – $35,621
Monthly – $540+ tax
RWG Rating – 80.8

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.

2011 Ford Edge Limited 4WD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00146 base money factor

‎2011 Ford Edge Sport AWD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00146 base money factor

‎2011 Ford Edge Sport AWD
24-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00031 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00146 base money factor

2011 Explorer Limited AWD
39-month | 15k miles | residual 50% | .00177 base money factor

2011 Explorer Limited 2WD
24-month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00094 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00167 base money factor

1102_nissan_cube

Monthly Round-Up : February 2011


Lease rates didn’t change much from last month, but sale prices dropped for most vehicles, which makes February a slightly better month than January. The were a few exceptions, such as in Honda’s case. Honda sales prices in the Southern California region seems to have gone up a bit, making the leases slightly more costly than back in December and January. You will see in the chart that certain Honda’s RWG rating have dropped slightly, but overall, still a very good lease compared to other brands and models.

I have been suggested to perhaps breakdown the Round-Up by class, which I think is a good idea. I will try to spend some time next month reorganize the list and rank the leases by class. In the mean time, enjoy February’s Round-Up!

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.

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 SR (116.1)

Seems like the Civic and the Sentra have been trading places these last few months, so no surprise here. The Sentra is a better deal as a purchase right now since there are some rebates that aren’t available to leases.

Second – 2011 Mazda3s Hatchback (114.5)

Sometimes I wish I could get my hands on Mazda numbers more consistently. If I did, we would see a 3-way competition between Mazda, Nissan and Honda to see which dominates the Monthly Round-Up.

Third  – 2011 Honda Civic LX Sedan (114.4)

Numbers took a dive this month because sale prices have gone up. Further proof that you can’t just rely on residual and money factors alone.

Fourth – 2011 Nissan Altima S Sedan (104.1)

Since the Accord isn’t looking as good this month due to a higher sale price, the Altima makes for a good substitute.

Fifth – 2011 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe (103.2)

If you are shopping for luxury sport coupes and don’t want to spend much money, this is your ride.

Sixth – 2011 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan (103.0)

Do you see a pattern? This is the most bang for the buck when it comes to luxury sport sedans.

Seventh – 2011 Honda Accord CrossTour EX (101.4)

Car is getting discounted quite a bit this month. Surprising for a 2011 model.

Eighth – 2011 Infiniti G25 Journey Sedan (100.7)

A sensible choice for those seeking reasonable fuel economy and performance.

Ninth – 2011 Infiniti M37 AWD (98.2)

If I am ever willing to pay upwards of $500+ a month, this would be the ride I’d get.

Tenth – 2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (97.5)

Dropped quite a bit, but mainly due to a higher sale. Nothing extra haggling with your dealer can’t fix.

Missing the Cut (Honorable Mentions)

2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport (97.3)
2011 Honda CRV LX AWD (97.2)
2011 Nissan Maxima S (96.4)
2011 Nissan Rogue S AWD (95.3)
2011 Nissan Versa S HB (95.2)
2011 Hyundai Sonata SE Turbo (94.7)
2011 VW CC Sport (92.7)
2011 Ford Edge SEL AWD (92.0)
2011 VW Tiguan S 4motion (91.9)
2011 Acura TSX (91.7)
2011 Acura TL (91.4)
2011 Volvo S60 T-6 (91.4)
2011 Lexus IS250 (91.3)
2011 Infiniti FX35 AWD (90.9)
2011 Mazda CX-9 Touring (90.7)
2011 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Premium (90.5)
2011 Audi A3 Premium (90.5)
2011 BMW 135i (90.0)

Parting Shots

If you didn’t notice, the bulk of the Top Ten List are Nissan made. This says a lot since the days of German cars being “great leases” is officially over. Nowadays, they are just good, not great. With BMW and Audi looking disinterested in providing any sort of “deal” to consumers.

On another note, I didn’t think I would see the day when a Volvo would “Miss the Cut”, but that day has arrived in the form of a S60 T6, which is on clearance due to the incoming 2012 model.

Lastly, many models received a price bump so payments may have gone up (or down) slightly. However, the overall feeling I am getting is that February is still a slightly better month than January. Expect bigger changes in March.

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Test Drive : 2011 Ford Edge SEL

Last month during the holidays, I got a chance to spend about 30+ minutes with the 2011 Ford Edge SEL. I played around with the Touch system, explored the interior and all it’s compartments, and took it around the block on a test drive. Here are my impressions of the Ford Edge, which my local dealer claims it’s selling like hot-cakes and justifies a $2000 mark-up (Yeah, right).

Drive – Plenty of torque and the engine was quite smooth. The suspension did a decent job absorbing the uneven pavement, like all CUVs should. The cabin is quiet and sound insulation is above average. Handling was a bit too floaty for my taste, but this may be biased since I prefer cars over trucks. The Edge drives like a car twice its size, but it’s still manageable in tight quarters.

Interior Features & Quality – Ford has improved their interior materials, however, it is still a notch below other brands it tries to compete with. Leather felt hard and cheap. Door panels are made of hard plastic, but you can still push these panels in without much effort, which makes them appear rather flimsy. The dash is made of soft rubber, which is pleasant to the touch. Panoramic moonroof is nice, but seems to require more involvement than the usual “one-touch” moonroofs I am accustomed to.  The voice-activated Sync system worked like a charm. My sales man had a very heavy accent and it still managed to set the correct temperature on the first try. MyFord Touch is feature-rich, but poorly executed. I consider myself  a tech-savvy individual, but after about 15 minutes dabbling in it, the only thing I managed to do is learn how to navigate through the radio. One of the features I did like was sharing your 3G-enabled device’s internet and turning the car into a wifi hotspot. Unfortunately, the interface was somewhat sluggish and it’s touch-sensitive screen required more than a few touches to navigate from menu to menu. The overall touch user-interface was not intuitive and I think the average person may find it too complicated and/or distracting to use while driving. I recommend waiting for the next-gen MyFord Touch and see if Ford address some of the shortcomings of the current system.

Cargo – Pretty decent cargo space, specially when rear-seats are folded down making it extremely practical. SEL model has one-touch release buttons to fold down the back seats, very cool.

MPG – 19/27 mpg, which is very good for a CUV of this size. The SE model gets 1 less MPG highway, which I can’t quite understand why.

Price –  Starting at $27k (SE model), this truck comes with a decent array of standard features. However, fancy features like Bluetooth, leather and Nav are optional. Opt for the top of the line Sport model and you will be paying upwards of $41k. The SEL model I test drive was priced around $36k, plus a dealer mark-up of about $2000, which bumped it up to about $38k.

Overall – In terms of value, I find the Edge overpriced, even without the dealer mark-up. Sure, the Touch system cannot be found in any other non-Ford vehicle at the moment, but it’s user-friendliness seems to negate all that wonderful technology. The qualify and craftsmanship is definitely a step above what Ford has produced in the past, however, it is still a step below some of the other CUVs it tries to compete against in this price range.

Recommendation – Despite it’s shortcomings, it is still a solid CUV and the Ecoboost engine should only make the Edge that much more appealing (for a price). If I were in the market for a CUV (which I sort of am at the moment), I would probably opt for the SE which tops out slightly above $29k. You still get a nice set of standard features and it doesn’t exactly break the bank.

edgemain

2011 Ford Lease Rates – December 2010

logo_fordMy Take: I know, the Monthly-Round was supposed to be my last post of the year, but I couldn’t help but look around at the Ford Edge’s lease rate’s since I plan to go test drive one next week. To my surprise, there’s what I found…

2011 Ford Edge Sport FWD

MSRP $40145
Sale $35690
Monthly $429 + tax
Rating 92.04

Not bad huh? This deal effectively qualifies the Edge as a “Missing the Cut” candidate, which is pretty impressive for a domestic brand. Now the debate isn’t really about whether this is a good deal or not. Instead, one has to ask oneself whether they really want to lease a $40k Ford Edge over a luxury brand. I will have that answer after I’ve driven it.

Happy Holidays!

FIND A FORD DEALER NEAR YOU

2011 Ford Edge Sport FWD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 53% | 0.00052 base money factor

2011 Ford Edge Limited FWD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 54% | 0.00052 base money factor

sonatamain

Replacing the G – Round Two

I’m not quite sure how many rounds I will need in order to narrow the list down to my “top five” choices, but I can tell you that I have come much closer thanks in part to the 2010 OC Auto show and the test drives I have done so far. Here is an update of my “Wish List” along with some extra comments:

The Large SUV Group

  • Honda Pilot – This is barely making the cut right now.  Not overly impressed nor extremely disappointed.
  • Mazda CX-9 – It’s nice, it’s roomy and depending on the test drive, it could really be a contender.
  • Chevy Traverse – This car is relatively new, but it feels aged compared to Chevy’s newer offering. Even the GMC Acadia, which is practically the same SUV feels newer.
  • Toyota Highlander – Cheapness, is it’s weakness. Even a newly redesigned exterior can’t overcome the cheapness.
  • Ford Explorer – Much uglier in person, but I didn’t get to see the interior since they didn’t have a display model on the floor for people play with. Either way, I don’t think the lease will be attractive enough for it to warrant any consideration at this point. I may consider revisiting it down the road if an attractive lease pops up.

Overall, this group is starting to look really bad. I suspect the Pilot might get booted due to it’s styling and less-than-exciting interior, leaving the CX-9 as the top choice in this category.

The Compact SUV Group

  • Toyota RAV4 – Cost-cutting has really made this SUV hard to love. The hard plastics reeks of cheapness and the interior dash is uninspiring. Even if its inexpensive to lease, I don’t think I want one since Toyota’s lease program leaves much to be desired.
  • Ford Edge – This is a well-built SUV with a better-than-average interior. I haven’t seen any special leases on it, but it’s still early in the model year.
  • Infiniti EX35 – Test drove it a few weekends ago and my impression is that it’s a  solid crossover. It’s smooth over bumps, powerful, quiet and it drives like a G with higher ground clearance. There is also a lot of dealer cash on this car right now, which potentially knocks off a lot off the MSRP, making it a really good lease. Unfortunately I think it falls really short in two areas, cargo and MPG. It is still fairly practical since folding down the rear seats exposes quite a bit of cargo room, but I think of this car as a hatchback with poor MPG more than a true crossover.
  • VW Tiguan – Saw it at the show and I’ve driven it before; my folks also own one. Cargo wise its slightly better than the EX, but not by much. No Wolfsburg edition planned just for 2011 (yet) so my only choices would be the S and the SE trims.
  • Acura RDX – Test drove this as well and found it to be a serviceable crossover. I will not wow you, but it is all you should expect from Acura; Roomy and reliable with above average performance. The 4-banger turbo does not have a very noticeable lag which is impressive. Comes well-equipped, but it doesn’t have it all unless you go with the Tech. In my case, I can’t justify the cost. The exterior styling doesn’t really impress me much, but I think having an excellent lease program does.
  • Subaru Forester – I think it has a slight edge against the Outback. After looking at them side by side, I like it a little better.

If I had to guess, the Forester, Tiguan and the RDX will end up battling it in the payment department. I just don’t think Ford provides enough lease incentives to make the Edge a contender.

The Wagon Group

  • Audi A3 – I am a big fan of  TDI model, but I am willing to settle for a FrontTrak Premium. It’s driving dynamics shouldn’t be too different than my wife’s Jetta so I think it will end up coming down to a price war between the other finalists.
  • VW Jetta Sportwagen – Saw the TDI version at the show, love the Pano sunroof. Thankfully, it retains the nicer interior of the older Jettas, which is a plus. I did see the “new Jetta” and if you have seen “older” models, you will notice a difference. The interior materials haven’t been downgraded much, but the cabin certainly feels more “simplified”. The exterior styling isn’t too bad, but it feels more “vanilla” compared to the outgoing model.
  • VW Golf TDI – As nice as expected, looks like a more civilized version of the GTI and gets crazy gas mileage. Big fan, hopefully the lease rates will look good when the time comes.
  • VW GTI – I have to say, I am not a big fan of those cloth seats, but I love everything else.
  • Subaru Outback – I like it, but I have to admit that there are better cars. AWD certainly helps it’s case.

The Wagon group shows a lot more promise due to the more reasonable payments, practicality and fuel economy. My first choice would be the A3, but at this point any of these are a possibility.

The Sedan Group

  • Acura TSX – Acuras hold a special place in my heart, so this is a no brainer. I will likely opt for the Tech, but it all depends on the price.
  • Acura TL – Ditto on the TL. If a TSX with Tech were to be around the same as a TL base, I’d take the TL.
  • Hyundai Sonata – Saw the 2.0 Turbo and the Hybrid at the show, lovely inside and out. I got around to test drive the Limited model and I came away impressed. Quiet, smooth and with ample power. It’s no G37, but I didn’t expect it to be. Inexpensive, well-built and easy on the eyes. The closest thing to a win-win situation if there was one.
  • Infiniti G37 – I’ve been plagued with battery issues on my G37 this past year, with yesterday being the latest incident (I couldn’t get my car started for the 3rd time this year and I didn’t even leave any of my lights on). I think I will be skipping Infinitis this time around.
  • Nissan Maxima – Being the G37’s cousin dooms it’s chances. See above.

This is the “fall-back” category. I don’t think I would pick a sedan over the other categories due to my need for “room”. However, money talks and sedans have better lease programs than anything out there right now. The Sonata is a perennial favorite here, with the 2.0T being my top choice. My fall back would be the TSX, with the TL close behind.

g37main

Replacing the G – Round One

I know I am jumping the gun by doing a write-up about my “next ride” considering I have another 10 months left on my lease. However, my wife has began dropping hints about what my next ride should be. “Something practical, something bigger…something that will keep your paws off my Jetta” she says.  Sadly, it looks like my G37 has become rather impractical and the wife has finally put me on notice.

I can’t say I blame her because in recent months, her car has become the designated “airport shuttle”. If that wasn’t bad enough, we have also been using her car to haul some furniture from Office Depot and weekly trips to Costco. Unfortunately, it seems that life has finally caught up with me and I can no longer ignore the other “needs” in life.

So now I am faced with a dilemma….what exactly can I get that will fulfill the following requirements…

  • seating for at least five people
  • practical cargo space
  • above average performance
  • similar or better MPG than the 18/24 I am getting now
  • costs no more than what I currently pay ($1300/$424 per month), preferably, less!

After careful consideration over the past month, I’ve come up with a general “Wish List” of potential cars/SUVs that may satisfy my needs.

The Large SUV Group

Honda Pilot
Mazda CX-9
Chevy Traverse
Toyota Highlander
Ford Explorer

The Compact SUV Group

Toyota RAV4
Ford Edge
Infiniti EX35
VW Tiguan
Acura RDX

The Wagon Group

Audi A3
VW Jetta Sportwagen
VW Golf TDI
VW GTI
Subaru Outback

The Sedan Group

Acura TSX
Acura TL
Hyundai Sonata
Infiniti G37
Nissan Maxima

For the next few months, I will take the time to do some test drives in order to narrow down the list some more. Keeping in mind the requirements listed above, I would love to hear your opinions and any recommendations you may have.

fiestamain

2010-11 Ford Lease Rates – September 2010

logo_fordMy Take: The last time I posted lease rates from Ford was back in March 2009 and they didn’t look anywhere near as good as what these look like now. I’m actually quite impressed with the 2011 Ford Edge. The auto magazines have given it pretty decent reviews so it seems promising. The lease rates are not too horrible, but certainly not as good as other luxury brands. I am a bit baffled as to why Ford would price the Edge around the same price as other Luxury crossovers. A Ford SEL FWD with all the bells and whistles costs just as much as an Acura RDX Tech. Which one would you take? I would take the RDX since Acura has arguably the best lease program around and has a longer warranty. Here’s some food for thought, if a “middle-of-the-road” Edge costs approximately $36k, how much is do you think the Lincoln MKX is gonna run? A heck more than it should.

FIND A FORD DEALER NEAR YOU

2011 Ford Edge SEL AWD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | 0.00156 base money factor

2011 Ford Edge Limited AWD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | 0.00156 base money factor

2010 Ford Flex SEL 2WD
36-month | 15k miles | residual 46% | 0.00135 base money factor

Ford Incentives from Edmunds.com