Monthly Round-Up: October 2010

Published 2010/10/192010/10/26 by G

This month is a very competitive month for leasing. Many of the great leases of the past few months have been pushed off the Top Ten due to heavy discounts on remaining inventory. 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!

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Ground Rules

Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website during the corresponding month.
Ideally, 36-month/15k lease terms will be examined. If not available, other terms will be used.
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‘s 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 Civic LX Coupe (114.9)

A combination of discounts and solid lease rates makes this a top-notch lease for those who seek to spend little on basic transportation. The Civic Sedan also made the list, but to prevent redundancy, I decided to just list the coupe and sedan together.

Second – 2011 Nissan Sentra S (108.7)

When cheap cars with height residuals and solid money factors get discounted, the end result is usually an excellent lease.

Third – 2010 Honda Accord CrossTour EX-L (108.4)

I’m not a bit fan of this crossover but I can’t deny how good of a lease it is. I love the concept though. The execution? not so much.

Fourth- 2010 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan (105.7)

Please note that the 2011 model is out, but not leasing as well yet. Once 2010 models have been moved, you should see 2011 models MFs drop.

Fifth- 2010 Honda Odyssey EX-L (101.9) x4

With four of the top five leases this month, Honda is really trying to move remaining inventory. I know most people love the new Odyssey, but don’t expect that one to go cheap any time soon. Instead, opt for the 2010 and save some green in your wallet.

Sixth – 2010 Infiniti EX35 Journey RWD (101.5)

A large amount of dealer cash available on this model is enabling dealers to cut prices extensively. 2010 models are still arriving in dealer lots, which is somewhat surprising considering it’s so late in the year. Nevertheless, this deal may not last long. The question is, do you really want one?

Seventh – 2010 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe Manual (101.2)

The top-pick for two of the last four months remains a strong lease. 2011 sedans are out, therefore I anticipate the 2011 coupes to arrive shortly. This probably means that this deal’s days are numbered. The G37 Sedan Manual is also a great lease right now in case you need two extra doors and a usable trunk. Stay away from the Journey ATs because they will cost you more.

Eighth- 2010 Lexus ES350 (100.8)

I wouldn’t be surprised if the ES had made the Round Up last month too. Lexus is providing lots of dealer cash on their 2010 left-overs, so don’t get discouraged by the high money factors, these cars still lease very well.

Ninth – 2010 Lexus IS250 (98.9)

Remaining IS250 inventory should make great leases right now due to the cash available on them. The 2011s are out though, so I expect Lexus to start winding down the cash and push purchases on whatever is left.

Tenth – 2010 Infiniti FX35 (97.9)

Like Lexus, Infiniti is also dropping tons of cash to move remaining inventory. If you had your eyes set on the FX all year long, this is not a bad month to move in on one.

Missing the Cut (90+ rating)

2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 (97.6)
2010 Acura TSX (97.4)
2010 Mazda CX-9 Touring AWD (96.8)
2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4matic (95.6)
2010 Acura TL (94.4)
2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited (94.3)
2010 Lexus IS250 Convertible (92.4)
2011 Audi A3 2.0T Premium (91.5)

Parting Shots

If you are in the market for a 2010, this month is probably the best time to get one because availability should still be decent and the prices are very competitive. As we approach the end of the year, it may be more difficult to find a 2010 that fits your specifications since production of 2011s should be in full swing for most models.

2011 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – October 2010

Published 2010/10/072010/10/07 by G

My Take: Well that didn’t last very long…MBFS decided to bump the money factor up this month. Talk about short-lived! Not sure what the 27-month lease terms look like on the C300 Sport, but if the MF is anything like we see right now, your payments will be more expensive. Not all is lost however. The ML and CLS still have very good lease numbers right now so it is certainly a worth a look if they fall within your budget. With that said, here’s a shocker for ya….

2011 GLK350 4matic on a 48mo/15k term.
MSRP – $39575
Sale – $35966
Monthly – $480+tax

2011 ML350 4matic on a 48mo/15k term.
MSRP – $50883
Sale – $45036
Monthly – $498+ tax

Sick huh? Here you have a ride that costs $10,000 more leasing for only $18 more than the cheaper model!!! That’s the magic of leasing folks, more car for the money. If you are looking to get into a GLK this month, I would recommend the ML instead.

FIND A MERCEDEZ-BENZ DEALER NEAR YOU

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FIND A MERCEDEZ-BENZ DEALER NEAR YOU

FIND A MERCEDEZ-BENZ DEALER NEAR YOU

Mercedes-Benz Incentives from Edmunds.com

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

2011 Mercedes-Benz Lease Rates – September 2010

Published 2010/09/092010/09/14 by G

My Take: Looks like MBZ is pushing for some sales this month as well. They have dropped the money factor on the C300s and kept the residuals the same. The savings should be quite significant compared to last month. The E sedans also have a reduced money factor, not so on the coupe. The CLS550 got a major reduction in MF (from 0.00260 to 0.00023) due to the fact that the 2012 model is getting a major face-lift. There are other MF reductions as well, so be sure to look over them. Lots of savings to be had this month. I get the feeling MBZs might make an appearance in the Round-Up later this month.

Here’s a quick post on 2010 C300 lease rates for those looking at 2010 Cs.

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2011 Mercedes Benz Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

2011 Mercedes Benz Lease Rates – August 2010

Published 2010/08/112010/08/17 by G

My Take: Looks like MB decided to drop their money factors on some of the 2011 Cs this month. That’s great news for those who stuck it out until this month. I think the rates could use some more dropping before taking the plunge though. I know you always run the runs of losing residual value, but I think the MF could use some dropping. MBZ is also known to throw cash rebates at their cars during holiday seasons, so I think we might see something sweet this coming Winter. Of course, this is all speculation, so don’t flame me if I am wrong. But do praise me if I am right!!

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2011 Mercedes Benz Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

2011 Mercedes Benz Lease Rates – July 2010

Published 2010/07/112010/07/14 by G

logo_benz My Take: I know you are going to ask me about the 2010 numbers and the only answer I have for you right now is that I don’t have them. Please refer to the June numbers if you are curious. The 2011 numbers are BAD, so leasing a 2010 is probably in your best interest right now since dealers will be more inclined to discount them over the 2011s. I would at least wait until Fall before you begin to see improvements on 2011s numbers.

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2010 Mercedes Benz Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

2010 Mercedes Benz Lease Rates – June 2010

Published 2010/06/072010/06/08 by G

logo_benz My Take: Numbers are unchanged from last month, which were pretty much the same as the month before. I think there’s going to be a rate change for July/August so if you don’t like the quotes you are getting now, I would wait to see what July has to offer. There are a few models worth looking at due to the low money factor. These include: CLS550, ML450 Hybrid and to an extent, the SLK300 and SLK350.

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2010 Mercedes E550 Coupe

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2010 Mercedes Benz Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

2010 Mercedes Benz Lease Rates – May 2010

Published 2010/05/122010/05/12 by G

logo_benz My Take: Sorry to dump all the MBZ numbers in one post. I figure this would be the quickest way to get the info to you in one shot. It’s going to take some time to sort out, but at least everything right in front of you. There has been a drop in residuals on most MBZs so the bank adjusted their money factors to keep the payments similar to last months. If you where paying around $479 a month for a C300 Sport, you would be looking at around $478 this month. Other notable changes are the residuals on the popular E-Class and GLK. There isn’t any cash available right now, but good discounts can be had, so don’t feel too discouraged by the lack of rebates.

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2010 Mercedes Benz Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

2010 Mercedes Benz G, GL, GLK, ML, R Lease Rates – April 2010

Published 2010/04/162010/04/16 by G

logo_benz My Take: GLK 4matic and maybe some of the MLs look good to me this month (which is pretty much the same thing as last month). I really want a GLK, but I really don’t want to pay more than what I pay now ($424). I remember the days where I was getting shafted by BMWFS, paying $550 a month on a 3-series. Never again.

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

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