G25

1104_infiniti_g37_convertible

2011 Infiniti Lease Rates – April 2011

Published by G


As expected, Japan’s unfortunate disaster has begun hitting our pocketbooks this month. Glancing over this month’s lease rates, I am noticing higher money factors on practically every model. To make matters worse, the MSRP seems to have increased as well. The good news is that some of the rebates are still available, such as the $1000 loyalty cash on the G37 Journey Sedan (plus you have $1000 dealer cash you can try tap into). I believe the 4-month pull ahead program is still in effect (I haven’t been told otherwise), so if you have an existing Infiniti lease and want another one, you can probably take advantage of that (it should come with a $500 wear-n-tear credit). Compared to last month, you will be paying about $1000 more over the course of the loan ($30 per month) on a G37 Journey Sedan. Sample calculations are broken down below. No, it is not a typo. The G37 payments should be about the same as the G25. Decisions, decisions…


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 Infiniti G25 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $34,175
Sale Price – $30,748
Monthly – $348+ tax
RWG Rating – 95.4

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $36,675
Sale Price – $31,950
Monthly – $348+ tax
RWG Rating – 100.3

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE..


2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE IPL AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00149 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00142 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00147 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00116 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN SPORT MANUAL
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00116 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00149 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00141 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE SPORT MANUAL
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00149 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00168 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00168 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX35 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00135 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX50 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00145 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00184 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE SPORT 6MT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00184 base money factor

2012 INFINITI M37 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00176 base money factor

2012 INFINITI M56 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00177 base money factor

2011 INFINITI QX56 4WD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00220 base money factor

1103_infiniti_fx35

2011 Infiniti Lease Rates – March 2011

Published by G


As expected, Infiniti residuals have pretty much dropped across the board. The good news is that IFS did adjust the money factors to keep the payments at around the same range as last month. Not how the G25 is looking like the more expensive lease compared to the G37 Journey sedan. I suspect this is going to make leasing a 25 or a 37 a tough decision. Haahaa. Anyway, there are rebates available so be sure to ask your dealer about them.

Almost the entire Infiniti line-up leases well, so if you aren’t looking at the Gs, the Ms, FXs and EXs aren’t too terrible either.


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 Infiniti G25 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $33,675
Sale Price – $30,087
Monthly – $319+ tax
RWG Rating – 100.6

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $36,275
Sale Price – $31,232
Monthly – $317+ tax
RWG Rating – 106.7

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE IPL AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00121 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00106 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00111 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00084 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00107 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN SPORT MANUAL
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00084 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 66% | .00121 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00121 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00113 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE SPORT MANUAL
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00121 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00141 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00141 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX35 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00110 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX50 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00127 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00180 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE SPORT 6MT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00180 base money factor

2011 INFINITI M37 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00036 base money factor

2011 INFINITI M56 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00088 base money factor

2011 INFINITI QX56 4WD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00220 base money factor

01102_G37_IPL

2011 Infiniti Lease Rates – February 2011

Published by G


Update! Last week, I got an email from VC (a long time reader of this blog) and here’s the deal he got on a G37…

The MF was .00147(regular) and i put 9msd(max of .0001) reduction…..bringing a total of [.00147-.0009) = a reduced MF of .00057 Each deposit was $400(x9) = 3600.

Essentially I put 3600 due(100% refundable)…..plus $1180(registration…aqq fee…dealer fee)…plus another 1000(infiniti owner loyalty rebate). for a total of $ $5800 due upfront.

So essentially only $1180 due, since 1k is rebate, and the 3600 is completely refunded.

They took close to 5k off msrp, plus another 1k(infiniti owner loyalty bonus cash…used towards cap-cost reduction).

so with about 1180 due, plus the MSD. i got the payment to be $280 a month!!! i got this one fully loaded too. navi, premium, spoiler, etc.

msrp was 46,800. January had a $500 detroit auto show bonus cash, so that helped too. make sure you let people know, the G37x coupe is great deal, ESPECIALLY on 24month lease right now.

Wondering if February rates are still the same? They are! IFS carried over their lease rates from January into February, with the exception of the G37 Convertible Sport, that one gets a 3% bump in residual and a 0.00001 increase in the MF. Despite this “good news”, I am expecting IFS to modify their rates in March. It is rare that lease rates remain the same for more than two months, so if you like these numbers, make sure you cut a deal this month.

I think the G37 Journey gives you more bang for the buck, but if you don’t need the extra power, go with the G25.

As a special bonus from our sponsor, the G37 IPL rates are also posted. Enjoy!


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 Infiniti G25 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $31,825
Sale Price – $28,383
Monthly – $299 + tax
RWG Rating – 101.1

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $36,275
Sale Price – $31,282
Monthly – $317+ tax
RWG Rating – 106.7

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE IPL AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00123 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00123 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00146 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00100 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00125 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN SPORT MANUAL
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00100 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 67% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 65% | .00147 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE SPORT MANUAL
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00158 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD JOURNEY
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00158 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX35 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00129 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX50 AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00145 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE BASE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00180 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE SPORT 6MT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00180 base money factor

2011 INFINITI M37 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00054 base money factor

2011 INFINITI M56 SEDAN X AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00124 base money factor

2011 INFINITI QX56 4WD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00220 base money factor

civicRU

Monthly Round-Up: January 2011

Published by G


As you can see, the month of January is not as good as last December. Payments on cars in the Top Top list jumped anywhere from $20 to $50 per month, which translates to thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. The good news is that the Civic tops this month’s list for the third time in the last seven months. Impressive. Even more impressive is that fact that Honda and Nissan pretty much dominate this month’s Round-Up. As you all know, I highly recommend Hondas if you are a first time lessee. Their lease program is straight forward and economical compared to other brands. GAP coverage, damage waiver and no disposition fee simple blows the competition away.

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 Honda Civic LX (116.9)

Not as good as last month, but still reasonable enough for what you are getting.

Second – 2011 Nissan Sentra S (111.0)

The customer cash is still there, but it’s not available for leasing. Therefore, not as good of a deal. If you buy cash or using third party bank to finance, you should be able to tap into that rebate.

Third  – 2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (102.9)

I’m actually warming up to the mid-cycle refresh of the Accord. It gives it a “classier” look in my opinion, although the back look a little too much like the Hyundai Azera.

Fourth – 2011 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan (102.9)

Technically tied the Accord for Third, but since the G37 is a manual and a bit harder to find, it gets penalized a little bit.

Fifth – 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour EX (101.4)

Not a bad ride for the amount of cash you pay, but not the kind of car I’d like on my drive way. It’s like a failed case study on how to clone the BMW X6.

Sixth – 2011 Infiniti G25 Sedan (100.8)

Seems like a lot of folks are warming up to the entry-level G sedan. With lease numbers like this, I can’t say I blame them.

Seventh – 2011 Nissan Altima S (100.5)

For this price range, I would rather have the Accord. However, I cannot deny that this is still one heck of a deal.

Eighth – 2011 Honda CR-V LX AWD (100.3)

Good deal if you are looking for a crossover. I’m still waiting on Honda to introduce a V6 version of the CR-V. Until that happens, I probably won’t consider leasing one.

Ninth – 2011 Nissan Maxima S (100.2)

Most of you will probably opt for the SV, which will cost you more. But if you manage to find some S on the lot, you should be able to cut a pretty good deal on them.

Tenth – 2011 Infiniti M37 (98.8)

I got three words for you: One. Sweet. Ride.

Missing the Cut (90+ rating)

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T SE (93.1)
2011 Honda Odyssey LX (95.4)
2011 Infiniti FX35 (97.4)
2011 Acura TL (98.3)
2011 Mazda3 i Sport (96.0)
2011 Mazda CX-9 GT (97.4)
2011 Mercedez-Benz C300 Sport (90.9)
2011 Lexus IS250 (90.3)
2011 Audi A3 (90.0)
2011 VW Tiguan S (91.0)
2011 VW CC R-Line (90.2)

Parting Shots

As stated before, not the best time to lease a car, but certainly not the worst. Probably better than the past few Januaries I’ve seen and comparable to last November in most cases. I’d would like to see more VWs, Hyundais and Acuras on the Top Ten though. Nissan and Honda have been dominating the list these past couple months, while BMW didn’t even get close to Missing the Cut. A little more variety would be great.

1101infiniti

2011 Infiniti Lease Rates – January 2011

Published by G


Did you know that Infinitis are the second most popular leases on this website? Not surprising since they boast one of the best “bang-for-the buck” leases around. Like the 2010 model, this year G37 Sport Coupe MT has one of the best balances between residual value and money factor. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of TrueCar sales data to get a good idea of what the sale price will be. However, I am willing to bet that it remains a strong lease regardless. The G25 is also a great lease right now if you don’t need the power (and gas consumption) of the G37.


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 Infiniti G25 Sedan Journey
MSRP – $31,825
Sale Price – $28,383
Monthly – $299 + tax
RWG Rating – 101.05

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.

‘s Infiniti lease specials:

2011 Infiniti G25X Sedan w/ Moonroof (MSRP: $36,190)
Monthly: $323 + TAX
Term: 39 months
Mileage: 10k/year
$0 cap cost reduction with 1st month, bank fee, and motor vehicle fee due

2011 Infiniti G37X Coupe w/ Premium and Navigation (MSRP: $45,320)
Monthly: $391 + TAX
Term: 39 months
Mileage: 10k/year
$0 cap cost reduction with 1st month, bank fee, and motor vehicle fee due


2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN BASE
36month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00123 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN JOURNEY
36month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00123 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G25 SEDAN X AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00146 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN JOURNEY
36month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00100 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN X AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00125 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 SEDAN SPORT MANUAL
36month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00100 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE BASE
36month | 15k miles | residual 67% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE JOURNEY
36month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE X AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 65% | .00147 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 COUPE SPORT MANUAL
36month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00138 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00158 base money factor

2011 INFINITI EX35 AWD JOURNEY
36month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00158 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX35 AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00129 base money factor

2011 INFINITI FX50 AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00145 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE BASE
36month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00179 base money factor

2011 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE SPORT
36month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00179 base money factor

2011 INFINITI M37 SEDAN X AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00054 base money factor

2011 INFINITI M56 SEDAN X AWD
36month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00124 base money factor

2011 INFINITI QX56 4WD
36month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00220 base money factor

sentraRU

Monthly Round-Up: December 2010

Published 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!

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 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.

crosstourRU

Monthly Round-Up: November 2010

Published by G

I am hitting the November Round-Up real early this month! I know there are some missing numbers from other manufacturers, but I am planning to be off for the Thanksgiving weekend, so I won’t have time to work on this in the next couple weeks. Besides, the major players are in which makes this a fairly complete list.

One HUGE thing to note this month: 2010 lease rates are hard to find once 2011s are in, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t leasing well. If you are looking to get into say, the IS250, check a 2010 first since there should be some holiday cash available. Do this for every car that still has 2010 models available, because it is CLEARANCE time. Make sure to work numbers for the 2010 and the 2011 to see which is a better deal.

This month’s list is still pretty good, but not as good as last month’s. A lot of cars dropped off the list because their 2011 models don’t lease well right now. We are in a transition period, so as we cross-over to the 2011 model year, 2011s won’t lease well until the 2010 inventory dwindles.

Some of the leases calculations were based on a base models, therefore, the payment estimates are on the “lower” end. This was done to save myself some time as I crunch all numbers manually. Starting the next year, all vehicle estimates will be made at base price, so your payments should go up from that point and up.

Please read over the Ground Rules to get an idea as to how this estimates are calculated. I have also changed the format in order to provide a side-by-side comparison of the numbers using my lease calculator. Enjoy!

If you would like to support the website, please request your auto quotes from Yahoo! Autos. Thank you!

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 – 2010 Honda Accord CrossTour EX-L (111.1)

The CrossTour shoots to the top of the list this month due to big discounts off the MSRP. The Residual and MF are not half bad, but it’s the fact that it’s an outgoing 2010 model (and because not many people really want one) that makes this such a great lease.

Second – 2010 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe Manual (107.2)

After finishing Seventh last month on the Round-Up, the G37 Sport Coupe shoots back to a Second place finish by getting a lower MF and more discounts off the MSRP. Not even a lower residual can keep this ride down. I expect to see the 2011 G37 coupe rolling in at the end of the month, so I wouldn’t snooze on this.

Third – 2011 Nissan Sentra S (106.3)

The Sentra only gets a gentle downward shove from it’s older cousin (the G37), dropping it to Third on the list. Make no mistake, this is an econobox, so don’t come in with lofty expectations. It’s basic/practical transportation at it’s cheapest.

Fourth – 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4matic (104.0)

Since MBs lease best at 48-months instead of 36-months, the ML350 becomes a HOT lease right now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s well beyond my budget, but it certainly is cheap by luxury SUV standards. If you are in the market for a X3, Q5, FX35, RX350 or even a GLK350, consider the ML350 instead.

Fifth – 2011 Honda Civic LX Sedan (101.8)

The Civic took a nose-dive this month from leading the Round-Up for two consecutive months. There is a good reason however, the 2010s are on their way out and the 2011s are in showrooms now. This is actually a pretty good deal considering how new the 2011s are. Just remember to inquire about any remaining 2010s before jumping on a 2011.

Sixth – 2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (100.2)

The Accord has always been a very steady lease month-in and month-out. This month is no exception, even on a 2011 model. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend leasing a EX or EX-L at the moment since the residuals are lower and the MF is probably a bit higher than the base models.

Seventh – 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport (97.3)

The C300 made the “Missing the Cut” list last month on a 27-month lease. This month, that residual value tanked, so I had to resort to 48-months, it’s more “ideal” term. As you can see, this proved to be a good idea since the C300 can now be had in the low $400s at 15k miles per year (before taxes), quite comparable to the G25, 328, A4 and IS250.

Eighth – 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 (96.9)

This is NOT a cheap car in terms of payments. However, relative to it’s price tag, its is a smoking good deal. Good enough to snatch the Eighth spot, besting every single Acura, Lexus and BMW.

Ninth – 2011 Nissan Maxima SV Premium (96.8)

Looks like Nissan is picking up where it left off a few months ago and decided to move 2011 Maximas on the cheaper side. If you want a cheaper alternative to the G37, this could be your ride.

Tenth – 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited (94.9)

Sneaking back into the top ten is the Hyundai Sonata. The payments may be significantly higher than the Accord LX, but this one comes fully loaded. I mean, NAV, backup cams, Bluetooth, the works! Kinda tough to overlook it if you want a family sedan that’s roomie and loaded.

Missing the Cut (90+ rating)

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan (93.9)
2011 VW Golf S (93.7)
2010 Acura ZDX (93.0)
2011 Lexus RX350 (92)
2011 Audi A3 Premium (91.7)
2011 Infiniti M37 (91.5)
2011 Nissan Rogue SV AWD (91.3)
2011 BMW 328ix (91.2)
2011 Infiniti G25 (91.0)
2011 Hyundai Genesis (90.6)

Parting Shots

If you don’t see any 2011 Acuras, don’t be surprised. That’s because they don’t lease well right now. The 2010 TSX is a border-90 lease, if you can get a lower price than $27,219 then you’ll have yourself a 90+ rating (currently a 89.9 at that price). A good chunk of newly-introduced 2011 models do not lease well right now. If that’s what you are looking for this month, I recommend waiting a few more months or going with any remaining 2010.