Vehicle & Comparison
MSRPUsed for residual calc
$
Negotiated PriceActual selling price
$
Trade-in Value
$
Rebates / Incentives
$
Sales Tax Rate
%
Annual Miles Driven
mi
Compare Over
yrs
Investment ReturnIf savings invested
%/yr
Lease Terms
Lease Term
mo
Money Factor≈ — APR
Residual Value %% of MSRP at lease end
%
Lease Down PaymentCap cost reduction
$
Acquisition Fee
$
Disposition FeeCharged on return
$
Security Deposit
$
Deposit Refundable?
Mileage Allowance
mi/yr
Overage RatePer excess mile
$/mi
Wear & Tear ChargeExpected at return
$
Repeat Down at Renewal?
Lease Payment Breakdown
Adjusted Cap Cost—
Residual Value—
Depreciation Charge / mo—
Finance Charge / mo —
Tax / mo—
Monthly Lease Payment—
Tax applied monthly on lease payment. Rules vary by state; some states collect differently.
Loan Details
Down Payment
$
Loan Term
mo
Loan APR
%
Origination Fee
$
Dealer Doc Fee
$
Registration / Title
$
Sales Tax Applied OnRules vary by state
Buy Cost Breakdown
Vehicle Sales Tax—
Doc + Registration—
Total Loan Amount—
Total Interest Paid—
Upfront Cash Required—
Monthly Loan Payment—
Staged Depreciation Schedule
Year 1: 20% | Year 2: 15% | Year 3: 12% | Year 4: 10% | Year 5: 8% | Year 6: 7% | Year 7-8: 6% | Year 9+: 5%
Based on Edmunds/KBB industry patterns for average vehicles.
Based on Edmunds/KBB industry patterns for average vehicles.
Running Costs
These flow directly into the month-by-month cash comparison. Leases typically require higher insurance coverage (gap + lower deductibles). Buy maintenance is stepped: lower in warranty years, higher after year 3.
Lease Maintenance / yrUsually under warranty
$
Buy Maintenance / yrStepped: rises after yr 3
$
Lease Insurance / yrHigher coverage required
$
Buy Insurance / yr
$
Annual Reg RenewalSame for both
$
Monthly Comparison
■ Lease■ Buy
Buy maintenance uses a stepped model in the engine: 55% of base in years 1-3, 100% in years 4-5, 145% in year 6+. Average shown above.
Lease Economic Cost
—
total paid minus invest gains
Buy Economic Cost
—
total paid minus car value minus invest
Lease Invest Balance
—
from monthly savings
Buy Invest Balance
—
from monthly savings
Estimated Resale Value
—
staged depreciation
Net Lease-End Settlement
—
disposition + wear/tear
How This Is Calculated
Every month, both scenarios' actual cash outflows are compared. Whoever spends less invests the difference — symmetrically for both sides. Upfront cash differences are handled the same way at month 0. Economic cost = total paid minus investment balance minus car value (buy only).
Net Economic Cost Over Time
Lower = better. Includes opportunity cost of every dollar spent.
Investment Balance + Car Value
Monthly savings are invested symmetrically. The dashed line shows the car's remaining value.
Key Insights
Economic cost = total paid minus investment gains minus car value (buy). Bolded = winner that year.
| Yr | Lease Paid | Lease Invest | Lease Cost | Buy Paid | Car Value | Buy Invest | Buy Cost |
|---|