Best Car Leases August 2010
BMW No Money Down Lease
2010 Cars Offer Best Lease Value
August is a great time to lease cars. Since the 2010 models with high residual values are nearing their end, both car dealers and factories are motivated to sell them to make room for the new 2011 models. When a car is still within it's 4-year design phase, there is really no advantage to getting a newer year - the car is basically the same design. If you lease a car at the end of it's 4-year design stage, like the Toyota RAV-4, you will get a great deal because of the long-term residual track record. As the new 2011 car models are becoming more popular, there is some great remaining inventory on 2010 models with great resale values. This is the time to get a great car lease on a 2010 automobile. Surprisingly, the 2011 and 2010 leases have very little difference on the prices of the Subaru leases. On the other hand, not one of the Subaru models makes the top-5 Lease Offers this month.
No Money Down Leases
I've always made the point that there is no reason to put any money down on a lease. Every thousand dollars you put down lowers your payment about $25 - $35.00, but look at how many months it will take to recoup that downpayment? Honda is now illustrating this point, by offering a 'no-money-down' lease option on most of its August Car Lease Offers. For instance, you can lease a Honda Crosstour EX V6 for either $259 a month with $2,969 Down or you can lease it for $340 a month with no money down. Lease a Honda Civic for $210 a month with no money down or for $159.00 a month and $1399 down. I've included both options on the Honda Lease Specials this month so you can compare the LVR (Lease Value Ratio). As you can see, the money you put down makes very little difference in the lease value you're getting or the bottom line total cost of the lease after 3 years. Whether or not you put money down on your lease is a psychological matter: Would you rather preserve your cash up front and make a slightly higher payment, or would you feel better putting several hundred dollars down to secure a much lower monthly car payment? What a great idea on Honda's part to give you that Lease Offer option so you can compare what works best for your own psyche.
Honda Civic Leasing Makes Sense
For the 4th time in the last 5 months, The Toyota RAV-4 tops the list as the best Lease Offer. This time, however, Honda has positioned itself ahead some of the Corolla with its Civic and Civic Hybrid leases which are excellent deals. If you're interested in lowering your monthly expenses as much as possible the No Money Down, $270 a month payment for the Civic Hybrid makes a great deal of sense. In the 3 year term, you will not only save several hundred dollars on a downpayment, but at the gas pump as well.
Improved BMW Leasing
In other big news this month, BMW is doing something I've never seen them do before. They are offering no money down (1st Payment Only) Lease Offers on a few of their models: 328i Sedan, 328i XDrive Sedan and 335i Sedan. These are not just mind games with enticing low payment numbers, but really are good values. The LVR on these BMW Lease Offers is as low or lower than I've seen in the past. All in all, there are some very good deals this month. Below, are the top-25 car leases for the month of August. Keep in mind that cars with no-money down lease offers are listed twice so you can compare the difference.
Top-25 Car Lease Offers for August 2010
| # | Car | Term | Payment | Down | MSRP | LVR |
| 1 | 2010 Toyota RAV4 4x4 | 36 | $199.00 | $1,399.00 | $24,019.00 | 0.97% |
| 2 | 2010 Honda Civic Sedan | 36 | $159.00 | $1,399.00 | $18,255.00 | 1.06% |
| 3 | 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid | 36 | $270.00 | $0.00 | $24,550.00 | 1.07% |
| 4 | 2010 Toyota Prius | 36 | $199.00 | $2,299.00 | $23,718.00 | 1.08% |
| 5 | 2010 Honda Crosstour EX V6 | 36 | $340.00 | $0.00 | $30,450.00 | 1.09% |
| 6 | 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid | 36 | $219.00 | $1,999.00 | $24,550.00 | 1.09% |
| 7 | 2010 Honda Crosstour EX V6 | 36 | $259.00 | $2,969.00 | $30,450.00 | 1.10% |
| 8 | 2010 Honda Civic Sedan | 36 | $210.00 | $0.00 | $18,255.00 | 1.12% |
| 9 | 2010 Toyota Corolla | 36 | $169.00 | $1,599.00 | $18,328.00 | 1.14% |
| 10 | 2011 Subaru Legacy Sedan | 42 | $199.00 | $1,899.00 | $21,020.00 | 1.14% |
| 11 | 2011 BMW 335i Sedan | 36 | $519.00 | $519.00 | $45,500.00 | 1.14% |
| 12 | 2011 Toyota Sienna LE | 36 | $279.00 | $2,799.00 | $30,464.00 | 1.15% |
| 13 | 2011 BMW 328i Xdrive Sedan | 36 | $459.00 | $459.00 | $40,050.00 | 1.15% |
| 14 | 2011 Subaru Impreza Sedan | 42 | $179.00 | $1,478.00 | $18,220.00 | 1.15% |
| 15 | 2010 Nissan Altima 2.5S | 39 | $199.00 | $2,999.00 | $22,900.00 | 1.18% |
| 16 | 2011 BMW 335i Xdrive Sedan | 36 | $459.00 | $5,284.00 | $49,450.00 | 1.20% |
| 17 | 2011 Subaru WRX Sedan | 42 | $279.00 | $1,578.00 | $25,690.00 | 1.21% |
| 18 | 2010 Acura RL | 36 | $650.00 | $0.00 | $51,310.00 | 1.23% |
| 19 | 2010 Volkswagen Jetta LE | 36 | $199.00 | $1,999.00 | $20,145.00 | 1.24% |
| 20 | 2010 Nissan Maxima S | 39 | $329.00 | $2,999.00 | $31,790.00 | 1.25% |
| 21 | 2011 BMW 128i | 36 | $319.00 | $4,194.00 | $34,050.00 | 1.25% |
| 22 | 2010 Honda CR-V 4WD LX | 36 | $249.00 | $2,099.00 | $23,575.00 | 1.27% |
| 23 | 2010 Volkswagen Routan | 36 | $279.00 | $2,499.00 | $26,700.00 | 1.28% |
| 24 | 2011 Subaru Outback | 42 | $279.00 | $1,979.00 | $24,220.00 | 1.32% |
| 25 | 2010 Nissan Versa Sedan | 39 | $199.00 | $1,999.00 | $16,080.00 | 1.52% |
Tagged with: August Car Lease Specials • Best Car Leases for August
Filed under: Car Leasing • Monthly Car Lease Offers
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tried posting earlier … don't think it went through. sorry if this is a duplicate
2011 Camry LE with MSRP of $23,325 12k miles per year
Nothing down
35 payments of $211 before tax / $223 after tax … covers title, etc – nothing else due
Good deal?
Jason, sorry it took me so long to reply.
$223: Great Payment.
Nothing Down: Even Better!
If your figures are accurate that means your LVR (Lease Value Ratio) is under .90%. This is one of the best car lease deals I've ever seen. Nice work!
Your low monthly payment combined with "nothing down" is better than any of the advertised car lease specials on the manufacturer's website. This is why I recommend always asking for a better deal. Thanks for writing.
Rob
Thanks Rob. Ultimately negotiations brought it down much further – to 188 before tax; 198 after with nothing down (including no first payment). Glad to hear I got a great deal.
Jason