Monthly Round-Up : July 2011

Published 2011/07/262011/07/26 by G

Sorry for being MIA with the Round-Up. In order to save time, I will be skipping the usual commentary, but I will categorize the cars into different classes. Please read the GROUND RULES to get an idea of how the numbers are calculated.

This month’s participants include: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nissan, Acura, Hyundai, Infiniti, Honda, Lexus, Jeep, Volvo, Audi and BMW.

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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 Credit Score of 700 may be required to secure Top Tier credit in most cases.
Sales taxes are not included since different states handle taxes differently.
The rating system used is based on RIDE with G’s Lease Calculator. Only cars with a 90 rating or higher will be included on this list.

SEDAN

2011 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V (106.1)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00003 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Journey (103.4)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00058 base money factor

2011 Nissan Maxima SV (102.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00022 base money factor

2012 Nissan Altima 3.5SR (102.1)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00081 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37x (100.0)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00083 base money factor

2011 Volvo S80 3.2 (97.9)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 46% | .00001 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Sport (96.2)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00058 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G25x (95.0)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00091 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G25 Journey (93.9)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00067 base money factor

2011 Volvo S80 T-6 (93.0)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 49% | .00001 base money factor

2011 Honda Accord EX (91.4)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 Honda Accord LX (91.2)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 MB C300 Sport 4matic (90.2)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00109 base money factor

2011 MB C300 Sport (90.0)
48 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00109 base money factor

CONVERTIBLE

2011 BMW Z4 3.5i (109.1)
24 month | 15k miles | residual 79% | .00190 base money factor

2011 BMW Z4 3.0i (106.1)
24 month | 15k miles | residual 77% | .00160 basemoney factor

2011 BMW Z4 3.5i (104.3)
24 month | 15k miles | residual 77% | .00175 base money factor

2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport (94.0)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00005 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Sport (92.6)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .000146 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 (92.6)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .000146 base money factor

2011 Volvo C70 T-5 (90.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00001 base money factor

COUPE

2011 Infiniti G37x (103.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00086 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Journey (102.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00076 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 Sport (101.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00076 base money factor

2011 Infiniti G37 IPL (96.6)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00076 base money factor

HATCHBACK/WAGON/SUV/CROSSOVER

2011 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL (96.4)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00003 base money factor

2011 Acura ZDX (95.4)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00085 base money factor

2011 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD (92.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00072 base money factor

2011 Infiniti FX35 AWD (92.7)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00076 base money factor

2011 Honda Pilot LX 4WD (92.5)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .000107 base money factor

2011 Honda CrossTour EX (92.2)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 Honda CR-V LX 4WD (91.9)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00078 base money factor

2011 VW Tiguan S 4motion (91.3)
36 month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00079 base money factor

Rare Sight. The Z4 takes top honors this month for being the highest rated lease. However, I caution you when dealing with BMW dealers. It is common practice for dealers to PAD the money factor. BMW also is known for those weird MACO/Training fees that I despise. It is your job to be informed and shop around. There are a lot of great incentives available for returning customers, so do not overlook them! With that in mind, BMW has done a great deal introducing the best lease this month. The number should remain through the month of August so plan accordingly.

Unusual American. I don’t remember the last time an American car made it on the list. What’s even more unusual is the fact that this car is coming from Chrysler. When is the last time you saw a good lease from Chrysler, right? Kudos to US Bank for making the Wrangler an attractive lease. Not sure I would want one since the ride is quite rough, but it should be a budget friendly ride for those looking for some fun under the sun.

The Only Swede That Matters. Sorry Saab, but for us regular folks, the only Swedish brand of any consequence is Volvo. The S80 and C70 are making strong leases this month with great rebates/discounts despite the crummy lease rates.

What Tsunami? While Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura are reeling from the earthquake/tsunami one-two punch, Nissan/Infiniti has been reaping the benefits of having a better supply of cars. This translates to PURE DOMINANCE by Nissan/Infiniti on this month’s Round-Up because they can discount cars a bit more and provide great lease program for them.

2011-12 Mercedes Benz Lease Rates – July 2011

Published 2011/07/05 by G

MB residual remain steady for the most part. One notable change is the Ml350 gets a slight reduction in money factor. 2012 SLK seems to have pretty good lease rates for a 2012 model. Sale price may be a problem since the car is so new. Edmunds has not released any incentive information for MBs this month so you will have to check with your dealer to see if there is any cash or special financing available. Overall, not a lot of changes this month.

For those shopping for the entry model C300s, the lease rates are exactly the same as last month. My best local price is only about 5% off MSRP (accourding to TrueCar), but it looks like NE customers can get up to 10%. That’s a pretty high big range if you ask me. With that in mind, I would probably find out what your best local price is via TrueCar, but start your negotiation from about 10%-11% and cap it at your best local TrueCar sale price.

FYI – I do have residuals for 30, 42 and 54 lease. MB is pitching 33 month lease rates, which I do not have. If you need these unusual terms, leave me a message and I will share them with it. I would post them, but that just takes way too long.

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 Mercedes C300 Sport (48-month)
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $33,146
Monthly – $376+ Tax
RWG Rating – 90.0

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.

This month’s lease rates have been brought to you by Number1Leasing.

Tel: 866-254-9930
info(at)number1leasing.com

2012 Models

2011 Models

2011 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – June 2011

Published 2011/06/20 by G

There has been a drop in residual, but nothing too significant (about 1% on 36-month leases). Another bit of bad news is that it seems MB has jacked up the sale prices recently. I’m seeing only a 5% discount off MSRP on the C300 Sport here in SoCal (based on TrueCar numbers). Last month was more like 14%. Not sure what changed, but I can’t see how this can hold up in the long run. 2012 models should be arriving later this year, so I’m hopeful that sale prices will improve.

Remember that when it comes to Mercedes-Benz, the 48-month lease usually yields lower monthly payments. However, sometimes, MBFS will introduce a 27-month lease that is a pretty good deal too. Be sure to check with your dealer to see if that’s available.

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 Mercedes C300 Sport (48-month)
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $33,146
Monthly – $376+ Tax
RWG Rating – 90.0

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.

This month’s lease rates have been brought to you by LeaseCompare.

2011 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – May 2011

Published 2011/05/11 by G

April numbers were not released by LeaseCompare last month, so I wasn’t able to post them. However, it doesn’t seem to have mattered since May numbers look similar to March numbers. So I am assuming April was the same as March. This is a good thing because the sale prices have come down significantly since then and the lease rates remain the same.

Just compare the lease between the C300 Sport’s March and May leases and you will see what I mean.

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 Mercedes C300 Sport (36-month)
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $30,786
Monthly – $368+ tax
RWG Rating – 93.0

2011 Mercedes C300 Sport (48-month)
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $30,786
Monthly – $324+ Tax
RWG Rating – 100.4

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.

This month’s lease rates have been brought to you by LeaseCompare.

2011 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – March 2011

Published 2011/03/102011/04/15 by G

Like everyone else, MB dropped the residual and the money factor to keep things around the same ballpark the last couple of months (Feb numbers were the same as Jan). In So Cal, the C300 Sport is enjoying 10% discount off MSRP, which isn’t half bad, but I am willing to bet that come summer time, it will get better. In any case, The C300 is a very good lease if you can hit those numbers. Plus, if you opt for the 48-month term, your payments would get even lower. Of course, you gotta deal with the cost of wear-n-tear items since the lease is longer. Sometimes, MB does provide an attractive 27-month lease by taking advantage of that high residual value and reasonable money factor. Since I don’t deal with “unconventional” terms, you will need to speak to your dealer in order to get the 411 on that.

One thing to keep in mind is that my estimates are based on “base” models, therefore, the more options you add, the pricier your payments get. Generally speaking, for every $1000 borrowed, the monthly payment increases by about $30 per month.

Couple of other notable leases include: SLK (low money factor), E350 conv (lower than usual money factor), ML350 (low money factor).

The S has a low money factor too, but the residual value is far too low to make it a good deal.

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 Mercedes C300 Sport (36-month)
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $31,286
Monthly – $382+ tax
RWG Rating – 90.5

2011 Mercedes C300 Sport (48-month)
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $31,286
Monthly – $335+ tax
RWG Rating – 97.9

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.

This month’s lease rates have been brought to you by LeaseCompare.

Monthly Round-Up : February 2011

Published 2011/02/232011/02/23 by G

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.

Monthly Round-Up: January 2011

Published 2011/01/242011/01/24 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.

2011 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – January 2011

Published 2011/01/192011/02/03 by G

Here’s a partial list of Mercedes-Benz lease rates. I’ll add more as they become available. Clearly last December was the better month to lease a C300. I believe the C300s are due for a mid-cycle refresh, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see prices drop as we approach summertime.

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 Mercedes C300 Sport
MSRP – $34,865
Sale Price – $32,786
Monthly – $426+ tax
RWG Rating – 83.94

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.

This month’s lease rates have been brought to you by LeaseCompare.

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