Lease Car Advice

[Trevor]

After being out of work for a year, I've secured a new job starting a week on Monday . It's a 6 month contract to perm and I need to get a lease vehicle as I can't afford to buy one outright.

It's a bloomin minefield out there and wondered if anyone might be able to point me in the right direction from their personal experiences.

Estimated mileage is 50k per year and I'm looking to lease for 3 years including servicing, I'm looking to eliminate the risk if the contract period ended early (doubtful but have to plan just in case) of having to stump up wads of cash to hand the car back early. I know BMW do a scheme where you can hand back early with no penalties at all.

Any and all advice would be most appreciated.

 

[Crispin]

Not sure if they would do anything for 50k a year?

Some things to ensure:
Servicing is included free (only raise this right at the end. Gives them no chance to hide it in the other numbers) They want to resell a car with a full history so it is always in their best interest.
Make sure there is a buy-back at the end of the period.
Also nice is a give-back clause during the term. During the term you can just hand the car back. Conditions apply of course.

Remember that they want to sell a car more than you need to buy one

 

[Gary Stockton]

No idea about leading - but congrats on the job!! Hope it all goes well.

Cheers

 

[Trevor]

Well looks like leasing is a no go for me. Think I'll run the next few months in my tired Mondeo and hope it holds together, then trade it in against something else when I go perm.

So do I then go for high mileage diesel Merc versus diesel 2 year old Mondeo? Second hand car market looks like it's taken a dive since I last looked 8 years ago.

 

[Graham]

If it was me,,,,,,,,

the 2007 onwards diesel Mondeo every time.

I would be right down to BCA with £4k, and probably come home with a 2008 - 2009.

They are very good value for money.

If your just blatting up and down the motorway, then get a high miler, say more than 100,000 miles that has lived it's whole life on the M1, M6, M everything
I wouldn't bother with the 140, just the 125 is more than enough.

If it does go wrong, they can normally be fixed for easy money.

Mondeo gets my vote every time.

Gra.

 

[J66P]

have to say i favour the VW Passat quite considerably, from experiance

i am on my 5th one in a row, i do between 50 and 70k a year, have them on 3 years contracts and i have had only one roadside breakdown, mpg is getting better i currently have a Passat highline Plus Estate 140 bhp bluemotion, if i drive it sensibly i can get 65mpg, drive it hard and i mean as hard as you can on todays roads I dont get it any lower than 48mpg. They do hold their money very well to buy but dont forget they sell well when you have done with them. People will buy with high mileage, as an example my last one went to auction and my mate wanted to buy it so we traced down which auction it went to and it sold to a guy that was going to use it as a taxi in the Nottingham area, that had 160k on it when I had done with it, bear in mind it was just going to start life as a taxi this really does say something in my eyes

By far the car of choice for me but have to say I am getting a little fed up of seeing the same badge for 10 years so might be time for a change but to god knows what, maybe an Audi next ?

 

[Chris Mann]

Congrats on the job Trevor.

 

[fridayman]

... if i drive it sensibly i can get 65mpg, drive it hard and i mean as hard as you can on todays roads I dont get it any lower than 48mpg.