Welcome to the “Monthly Round-Up”!!! Starting this month, I will begin examining the Top Ten Deals of the month based on the information I have collected throughout the month. Since this segment is meant for those who enjoy cutting deals last minute (in order to get in on those last-minute deals), expect these series to be posted sometime during the last week of each month.
But before I kick start this month’s Round-Up, here are some ground rules:
- Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website throughout the corresponding month (and limited to a price range of $20,000 to $50,000 range). I encourage you to share the information you’ve gathered during your research so we can make The Round-Up more robust down the road.
- Only 36-month/15k lease terms will be examined.
- A $1650 drive-off fee will be assumed for all cars. Remember, this is ONLY an estimate, the drive-off could be lower or higher depending on the car.
- Estimates will be based on the Southern California region, so your numbers may vary.
- All estimates assume you qualify for the base rate.
- Sales taxes not included in order to keep things simple. Please refer to “Understanding Sales Tax” to learn how taxes affect your monthly payments.
- The rating system used is based on my Lease Calculator, which assumes that 1.00 or a monthly payment of 1% off the MSRP is a GREAT lease deal. Anything lower than 1.00 is even better.
Before we begin, I’d like to ask that you consider using Yahoo! Autos to obtain your free online quotes. Since they are an affiliate, each quote request helps pay for this website’s operating costs. Thank you for your support!!!
So without further ado, lets get this list rolling!!
2010 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe
36-month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00131 base money factor
MSRP $44,595
Sale Price $39,500
Monthly $405 + tax
(0.91) This month’s biggest winner is the G37 Sport Coupe. I mean, this deal simply rocks your socks off! In order to get in on this, you need to qualify for the Conquest or Loyalty cash that’s available on both the Sedan and the Coupe. Since the residuals and money factors are really strong this month, I think we can all agree that this ride gives you the best bang for the buck.
2010 Nissan Maxima SV
36-month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00047 base money factor
MSRP $39,230
Sale Price $32,746
Monthly $367 + tax
(0.94) There may be some discrepancies with this estimate due to the fact that I included almost all of the incentives going on right now. This shouldn’t change the fact that the Maxima is still a fantastic lease deal right now. You will need to contact your local dealer and have him/her clarify which rebates are applicable. Regardless, I think that there are enough rebates available so you will definitely get a decent deal out of this. Don’t forget the 0% financing that’s also available should you choose to buy instead.
2010 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00107 base money factor
MSRP $40,065
Sale Price $35,300
Monthly $387 + tax
(0.97) A bit higher than the Coupe, but still a very good deal. Again, this deal is dependent on the cash rebate and your ability to secure a low sale price. The rebates will be around until September, but there is no guarantee that the residuals won’t drop next month.
2010 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00106 base money factor
MSRP $22,690
Sale Price $19,500
Monthly $222 + tax
(0.98) Expect your payments to be more since the model I picked is bare bones. Nevertheless, this car has an excellent residual and money factor so if you negotiate a competitive sale price, you will drive off with a great car at a great price.
2010 Honda Accord Sedan 4-cylinder EX-L
36-month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00121 base money factor
MSRP $27,580
Sale Price $22,800
Monthly $279 + tax
(1.01) With or without Navi, the Accord Sedan in both the 4 cyl and V6 trim are a solid deal this month. Keep in mind that Honda’s doing this promo were you pay nothing up front (gets rolled into payments) and they lower your MF, so your payment will probably be a bit higher that what I just estimated, but still a good deal.
2010 Acura TSX
36-month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00100 base money factor
MSRP $30170
Sale Price $27,500
Monthly $322 + tax
(1.07) There is $750 dealer cash that is applicable to leases so be sure to take advantage of that during your negotiations. Since production of the 2010s should be pretty much over, availability may be spotty. Still, one of the finest entry level sedans out there with one of the best lease programs in the country. Can’t go wrong with that.
2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00050 base money factor
MSRP $28,200
Sale Price $26,000
Monthly $304 + tax
(1.08) I would personally choose the GLS due to it’s lower price-point and monthly payments. However, if you can fit slightly higher payments into your budget, go with the better equipped Limited trim because it’s still a great deal.
2010 Acura TL
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00097 base money factor
MSRP $35,965
Sale Price $31,900
Monthly $386 + tax
(1.08) The cheapest of the TL line up also boasts the best residual value. There is $1750 dealer cash that is applicable to leases. Folks in the Midwest may be out of luck on the low money factor. Remember that Acura is currently offering a “special” MF that you can only get if you opt for the $0 drive-off deal (this will make your monthly payments a bit higher than my estimate).
2010 Audi A3 2.0T Premium
36-month | 15k miles | residual 50% | .00012 base money factor
MSRP $30,715
Sale Price $27,200
Monthly $332 + tax
(1.08) This ride barely makes the cut because it’s got the highest residual and lowest money factor of all A3 2.0Ts. In most cases, Audi does not offer great lease deals because their residual values are very low and they aren’t to be heavy discounters. Despite this, I think you can still walk away with an excellent deal on an A3 if you can negotiate a low sale price before the month ends.
2010 Volkswagen CC DSG Sport
36-month | 15k miles | residual 47% | .00021 base money factor
(1.16) I know, I know. What’s a car with just a “Good” rating doing on this list? Well, this is my “Sentimental” choice. There are many factors that simply can’t be measured on a lease calculator. For starters, VW offers a three year maintenance program when most brands don’t. Yes, BMW has been offering it for years and their 1-series are probably just as deserving to be on this list. Unfortunately, BMW does not offer 0% financing for up to 60 months on their vehicles, VW does.
Parting Shots
As we wrap up the Monthly Round-Up, I’d like to add that there are many cars listed on this website that get a “Good” lease rating as well, so be sure to do some research on those. I would also like to point out that Toyota would probably dominate much of this list had I bothered to post any of their lease numbers (specially the Camry and Prius). But when it’s all said and done, Toyota is still reeling from some safety issues and bad PR, so I don’t want to openly recommend them at the moment. Of course, that will change as time goes by. Lastly, keep an eye out on the new Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Both cars will get a lot of government and state rebates which will bring down the cost of their leases well below what was recently advertised, making them fantastic leases.
Hopefully, you have enjoyed the first edition of the Monthly Round-Up. Feel free to chime in with your opinions on what you think this month’s Top Ten should be.
My Take: As I was saying earlier on the Honda post, this month’s numbers should be the same as last months. As we near the end of the 2010 model year now, you will start having difficulty finding the car you want because production has already ended. You may be forced to take on a 2011 model, which will more than likely be more expensive to lease in it’s first few months of introduction. I recommend shopping a few months before the end of your lease or finding a way to weather the “mark-up” months when new models first arrive in showrooms.