Lease a Car

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Buy a Car the Web Way

When buying or leasing a car, impulse is your enemy. Given the financial commitment required to buy a car, a purchase not shown proper consideration could leave you regretting your decision for a long time. Luckily, the Web's resources are perfect for getting you the information you need and moving that perfect car from the showroom floor to behind your garage door. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.

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Advice and Overviews on Car Buying

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Buy a New Car

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Buy a Used Car

If thoughts of buying a used car conjure up the stereotype of a cheap suit-clad salesman equipped ... read more »

Lease a Car

Leasing a car is similar in nature to renting an apartment: you inhabit it for a set period of time, make monthly payments, incur penalty fees for breaking the contract, and pay for any damage you cause during your occupancy. Essentially, a car lease is a way of paying for a car where a lessee agrees to make payments to the lessor over a specified period of time. At the end of the lease period, you usually have an option to buy the car or to return it to the dealer. Leases can't be terminated prior to the end date without the lessee incurring large costs. In this section we'll direct you to resources covering everything you need to know about leasing a car.

Dulcinea's Insight

Not sure whether to buy or lease? Automotive.com has a side-by-side comparison of buying versus leasing with respect to issues of ownership, monthly payments, up-front costs, mileage, and more.

Lease payments are generated based on a complex equation. Two software programs, which we describe below, analyze lease payments to help you get the best deal. For more information on the complex formulas used to calculate lease payments, check out this breakdown from LeaseGuide.com.

If you want to end your lease before the contract date but want to avoid the steep fees that typically result, consider trading your lease. A lease trade allows you to transfer your lease to a third party, freeing you of the remainder of your lease obligation. Two prominent Web sites with services that assist you in the lease trade process are Swapalease and LeaseTrader; read more about them below.

Dulcinea's Picks

For overviews of leasing ...

LeaseGuide.com , the "consumer car leasing guide," is a comprehensive site dedicated to leasing a car. On the left side of the page you'll see a list of topics covered. A good place to start, particularly for a beginner, is the site's "Lease Guide". Another useful aid is the glossary, which has easy-to-understand definitions of terms related to the car buying and leasing process.

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LeaseCompare.com helps you get instant lease quotes on the car of your choice and allows you to compare payments from different banks for new and used cars.

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For lease trading ...

Swapalease is a car lease trading marketplace with two main purposes: it allows users interested in getting out of their car leases prematurely to do so without incurring any costs, and it lets users take advantage of inexpensive, short-term lease possibilities.

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LeaseTrader , like Swapalease, is a site designed to help you transfer your lease. LeaseTrader is a central marketplace where lease sellers can meet up with lease buyers. The listings are pretty extensive and cover the entire United States.

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For lease analysis software ...

Expert Lease Pro is a software program designed to assist you in negotiating better agreements when leasing a car so you save money. Order online or by phone. The software download options start at $69.95.

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LeaseWizard is a car lease and loan analysis program for Windows. You can order the product online or via fax and the basic download is available for $24.95.

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