Compare the total cost of leasing versus financing the same car.
A lease's total is the down payment plus the monthly payments over its term. Buying is compared as a loan amortized at the finance rate over the loan term. Leases look cheaper monthly but end owning nothing, so a total-cost comparison is what makes the decision honest.
Car Lease vs Buy
Lease total = down + payment x term; buy total = amortized payments + down
Lease total = down + payment x term; buy total = amortized payments + down A lease's total is the down payment plus the monthly payments over its term. Buying is compared as a loan amortized at the finance rate over the loan term.
Leases look cheaper monthly but end owning nothing, so a total-cost comparison is what makes the decision honest.
This calculator takes 6 inputs: Vehicle price, Down payment, Lease term, Lease payment, Finance rate, Finance term. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.