Garlan Garner
Banned
';p0
I would lease a leaf, but it does not have the range I need to get back and forth to work.
Fair point..
Lot of really low 2-3 year lease options. I have leased a corolla for around $150ish/mo all in and its a great even back up car. Esp if you get a deal on end of year stuff
I am in a lexus ct200h right now and get 45+MPG but almost $500 but I got a Zero down 2 year lease with maintenance included.. so overall happy with the deal and car.
physicsfita
Member
Nope -- still on both the original traction battery and the original 12-volt battery!
Oh me either, generally my view is if you can't afford the product upfront you shouldn't get it. However, if you're financially disciplined enough and your investments make you more than the interest it might work out. Also didn't mention that I own my own business so a large portion of the lease can be deducted from my company's pre tax income... (Although so can the depreciation). Also again it's technology we're buying now not a car it seems.
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Garlan Garner
Banned
I m aware that ultimately leasing is more expensive. What makes leasing for me more difficult is that I have the funds to buy one outright. What's going to make or break leasing for me is to find out how upgradable it is. Looking at how fast technology is advancing it will be difficult to determine how upgradable something is....however that's one of my most determining factors as to whether I am going to lease or not.
Yeah, but leases suck. Constantly feeling like you gotta budget your miles. What's the point of having a car that's fun to drive if you're afraid to drive it?
Garlan Garner
Banned
I hear ya. I'm with you 100% on that.
I leased my wifes car and its a pain trying to constantly watch the odometer and swap out cars due to mileage.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm weighing my options. I may call Tesla tomorrow and see if I can snag an end of quarter steal on a 2013 P85 - not likely but I may give it a shot. Of course that's really not the financially responsible option 
but really I've been wanting to get into a Model S since 2012. I constantly fight with myself because I know if I go for it the euphoria will only last a couple weeks and then it will be "just a car", albeit a very cool and fun to drive one. Most likely I'm going to sell my truck and pick up a cheap 4DR, likely Honda or Acura. I was surprised how cheap you can pickup a Leaf but I can't get over the range or looks - or lack there of rather.
I have also wrestled with the lease vs. buy on Model 3. Like others have said, leasing wouldn't even be a consideration if it weren't for the technology pace which is warp speed compared to the rest of the industry. I still think I'll end up purchasing outright but haven't fully written off the lease.
but really I've been wanting to get into a Model S since 2012. I constantly fight with myself because I know if I go for it the euphoria will only last a couple weeks and then it will be "just a car", albeit a very cool and fun to drive one. Most likely I'm going to sell my truck and pick up a cheap 4DR, likely Honda or Acura. I was surprised how cheap you can pickup a Leaf but I can't get over the range or looks - or lack there of rather. I have also wrestled with the lease vs. buy on Model 3. Like others have said, leasing wouldn't even be a consideration if it weren't for the technology pace which is warp speed compared to the rest of the industry. I still think I'll end up purchasing outright but haven't fully written off the lease.
So while waiting for the Model 3, I have decided to buy a Model S 60 now. I figure my reservation for the M3 might turn into an actual delivery around late spring of 2018, maybe earlier as I have also decided to purchase a MS now. If I take delivery of the MS-60 before the end of the year, which is entirely doable, I'll get the $7,500 fed tax credit for sure, and whatever crumbs the state of California might throw me later or maybe never due to the politics in here. I'll also itemize my federal tax form instead of taking the standard deduction, which yields a much larger refund.
Heck, the MS-60 might be so nice that I may cancel the M3 order later. My driving needs are well within the MS-60 range capabilities. My pretty firm configuration for the MS-60 is sitting at $76,450 right now without credits, rebates, state taxes, and DMV fees. My budget for the M3 fully configured is perhaps $5,000 less.
So the way I see it, I could drive the MS-60 for 18 months or more, sell it, and perhaps recoup enough to pay for a nicely equipped M3, which most likely will not qualify for any federal credit by then.
Heck, the MS-60 might be so nice that I may cancel the M3 order later. My driving needs are well within the MS-60 range capabilities. My pretty firm configuration for the MS-60 is sitting at $76,450 right now without credits, rebates, state taxes, and DMV fees. My budget for the M3 fully configured is perhaps $5,000 less.
So the way I see it, I could drive the MS-60 for 18 months or more, sell it, and perhaps recoup enough to pay for a nicely equipped M3, which most likely will not qualify for any federal credit by then.
This. The name of the game is to limit depreciation on whatever vehicle you get. Accord/Civic/Camry/Corolla all fit the bill. Get one that's 3-5 years old so that it isn't seen as an "old" car when it comes time to sell it in a couple years and recoup your money.
SΞXY P100D
$ Trillion Musk
By purchasing the Model S you are buying a fast pass to the front of the reservation line. You should be able to get the tax credit after all, twice.
Canuck
Well-Known Member
Poor Car and Driver, still trying to pose as objective 26 years after the Wall Street Journal outed them on the front page.
The article is actually quite funny how they don't charge it, and leave it outside for the weekend in 20F weather, drive it a bit, and then say it doesn't get the EPA range. Ha! I wonder if they've ever once, in their long but now threatened existence, subjected an ICE vehicle to that kind of test and made that comment in relation to EPA fuel economy rating? Do I need to even ask that question? Or did the WSJ tell us decades ago that objectivity is not their strong point? It's like asking North Korea to write an article on Western democracy. I bet they can find a lot of fault, some of which is justified, especially if you look for weak points, and exploit them as much as possible. Seems to me that's what C&D did to Tesla.
I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise. Perhaps Penzoil, STP, Exxon, and all sorts of other ICE related businesses that may advertise on their pages are no longer needed if Tesla type vehicles are deemed superior. And, perhaps, it even goes further since Tesla doesn't advertise and can't be bought. So they get their hands on one, and hand it around their staff, who rely for their livelihood on ICE vehicles and related businesses, and this article results. If you ask me, under those circumstances, Tesla came out smelling like a rose.
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