just about everyone i've known who got a lease wasnt happy with it.

 

Yeah my mom had a lease on a car that turned very bad. You end up paying more for the car in the long run, if you decide to keep it.... if not, they tack on a whole bunch of charges if there is ANY nicks or dings

but then again I know people who shuffle through cars like its nothing, when the lease is up they get a new car

 

I dunno, I'm pretty happy leasing my daily. I like the idea of trading up every couple of years. It's more financially sound to lease if you plan to do that.

Just my $.02

-N

 

Nabbs- How much is your Jetta a month, if you don't mind me asking. Plus, what kind of hp numbers does that VR6 pull? Taken it to the track? Is it roomy inside? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get as much info before I make a decision.

 

You really should have taken advantage of the 0% or rebates from GM and got a new $9K cavalier. Low payments, low insurance, dependable transportation.

I personally would never lease. Large downpayment, similar to monthy car ownership payments, pay all that money out, give car back at the end and THEN they charge you to buy the car that you just shelled out a ton of money for over 2-3 years.

 

Its a 2.8L rated at 200hp. Is it a performer? Well, for a 6 banger tiptronic with 4 doors it holds its own. It's the closest darn thing I've ever owned that was semi-luxorious. It has real leather, a climate control sys (digi display that you dial in the temp), heated seats, moon roof, traction control/ASR, 17" wheels, automatic wipers, all sorts of fun little doodads. It can fit 5 pretty comfortably, and when the rear seats fold down you have a *ton* of space. For us it is the perfect city car, roomy, not terrible on gas, relatively inexpensive to insure, and incredibly safe. Plus we take it from Boston to NYC pretty frequently so its perfect for those longer trips (quiet and comfy), plus I can park it on the NYC streets without worrying about it getting broken in.

I think it was like $3,500 out the door for a monthly payment of $242/mnth.

I looked at the WRX, Saabs, Audis, and the Matrix. The Jetta was perfect, the only thing I wish it had was AWD. In fact when the lease is up in a year and a half, I plan to either get another VW or go to an Audi. They really are great cars.

Overall, I say its just the right amount of lazy man comfy stuff, a little sportiness, and price (they go for around $25K loaded...less if you don't get the 6cyl).

You can buy and off-lease older Jetta for alot less...

Oh, one thing about leasing, you better make sure that the mileage you put on it a year is not obscene. I only do about ~7K a year, in fact my 1 year old Jetta just hit 5,500 miles.

hth,

-N

 

Only prob with that Chris is that the 0% APR ends today

Lease monthlys can be alot less then the monthly for a loan, and there actually is alot less down up front. It's just that at the end of the lease you don't own anything.

It's not for everybody, but for some it can work out pretty well.

-N

 

Yeah, I'm thinking a lease isn't for me, I want to know that when the payments are over the car is mine and I can do whatever I want to it. Plus I wouldn't be able to come up with the down payment a lease requires, I'll be lucky if I can come up with over $2k because of my health problems.