An advantage to leasing that is not often considered is that I think it is one of the least expensive ways to buy a car! Since you don't need a big down payment, and the interest rate on a lease is often lower than on a buy, the payments are lower, and you can save during the life of the lease to pay off cash for the residual payment at the end.
Also if the car turns out to be a "lemon," you can typically get a warranty for the car that gives "bumper to bumper" coverage for the life of the lease, so the repairs are the dealer/manufacturer's problem. At the end of the lease, if you have had a lot of problems, turn the car in and get another car on a new lease. Typically if a car is reliable with normal maintenance for those first 3-4 years, it will be a reliable car to buy at the end. Typically the residual cost is lower than what you would need to pay for used car the same age off a dealer's lot, and after you have owned the car from new, you should know how well it has be maintained.
Also if the car turns out to be a "lemon," you can typically get a warranty for the car that gives "bumper to bumper" coverage for the life of the lease, so the repairs are the dealer/manufacturer's problem. At the end of the lease, if you have had a lot of problems, turn the car in and get another car on a new lease. Typically if a car is reliable with normal maintenance for those first 3-4 years, it will be a reliable car to buy at the end. Typically the residual cost is lower than what you would need to pay for used car the same age off a dealer's lot, and after you have owned the car from new, you should know how well it has be maintained.
