Financial Tools
Lease vs Buy Calculator
Compare the cost of leasing versus buying a vehicle over the same number of months. Buying gets credit for what the car is still worth at the end.
Vehicle
Vehicle Price
Sales Tax (%)
How Long You Will Keep It
Buying
Down Payment
Trade-in Value
Loan Rate (% APR)
Loan Term
Resale Value at the End (% of price)
Extra Monthly Costs When Owning (repairs out of warranty, optional)
Leasing
Lease Payment (per month)
Drive-off Payment
Lease Term
End-of-lease Fees (disposition fee, per lease)
Extra Monthly Costs When Leasing (optional)
Return on Cash Not Spent Upfront (% per year, optional)
Values shown are examples. Mileage penalties and wear charges are not modelled, add them to the end-of-lease fees if you expect them.
Lease vs Buy
| Verdict | n/a |
| Over | n/a |
| Buying: Net Cost | $0 |
| Loan Payment | $0 |
| Cash Upfront | $0 |
| Interest Paid in the Period | $0 |
| Loan Balance Still Owed | $0 |
| Resale Value Credited | $0 |
| Leasing: Total Cost | $0 |
| Lease Payment | $0 |
| Drive-off Payments | $0 |
| End-of-lease Fees | $0 |
| Lease Cycles in the Period | n/a |
For illustration only, not financial advice. Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and do not constitute an offer, rate quote or approval.
Questions people ask
How does the page compare leasing with buying?
It totals each option over the same number of months you plan to keep the car. Buying adds your cash upfront, the loan payments made in that period and any extra owning costs, then subtracts the resale value minus any loan balance still owed. Leasing adds drive-off payments, lease payments, end-of-lease fees and any extra leasing costs.
What happens if I keep the car longer than one lease term?
The page assumes you lease again, so it counts a new drive-off payment and end-of-lease fees for each lease in the period. Lease Cycles in the Period shows how many leases that takes.
Why does buying get credit for resale value?
At the end of the period you still own a car you could sell. The page takes the resale value as a percentage of the price, subtracts any loan balance still owed, and credits the rest against the cost of buying.
Are mileage penalties and wear charges included?
No. The page does not model them, so add what you expect to the end-of-lease fees.
