Lease Buyout: 5 Tips for Purchasing a Leased Vehicle

For many drivers, leasing is awesome. The ability to drive the vehicle you have always dreamed of, with less expense and hassle and with the chance to replace it with something newer and equally profitable in a few years is regarded as a heavenly gift. However, when a lessee wants to keep the model at the end of the lease it is not uncommon. If you are in the club and want to know how to buy out your leased car, our tips will come in handy.

What is a Lease Buyout?

In fact, the purchase of a car that you use under a leasing agreement implies that you buy it during the period of the contract or at its end. In this case, a lessee pays an amount equal to the car residual value, as well as sales tax on your purchase, disposition fee to the dealership, and lease payments remaining.

At the same time, you may still want full ownership of your leased make and model, for one reason or another. In this case, you will have to weigh all the pros and cons, understand how lease buyout works and learn more about the pitfalls and possible problems.

Buying Out a Leased Vehicle: 5 Helpful Tips

Before you initiate the process, make sure that the buyout option is provided by the leasing contract. Some dealers and brokers are very reluctant to meet lessees who want to take the car for their ownership, while others see nothing wrong with it. Anyway, the contract or direct conversation with the leasing company managers will provide you with a clear answer.

The next thing is an assessment of your upcoming payouts. You can find the purchase amount in your agreement, if the option is provided in the contract, use a calculator on the leasing company website, or consult with the broker.

So, what else do you need to consider in order to start working on the car buyout and to make a really good deal?

Tip 1. Sooner or later – what about the terms?

Before you decide on buying a vehicle you leased, you have to answer a lot of questions. And among the key requests are not only “Yes or No”, but also “When”. It is both a matter of your personal preferences, and the ability to save your dollars.

Let’s say you like the car so much that you want to own it as soon as possible. Although, there may be other reasons for this. Anyway, the contract is on the run, though you are thinking of the buyout at the moment. This is called an early buyout, and it can be provided by your agreement.

However, extra charges, including additional payments, interest, or fees are possible. If they are too big for you, perhaps you should hold your horses and wait until the lease expires.

According to experts, the best possible car buyout deals are most often made after leases are done. When a model is released, the dealer and broker need to decide on its future, and the offer from the lessee becomes a very convenient outcome. That is why you can hope for some discounts and preferences. So, it makes more sense to have patience and get a leased vehicle at the very end than make an early deal.

Tip 2. Estimate the Buyout Price of the Car from Your Broker

To understand whether the deal will be a benefit to you as it is, estimate the retail value of this make and model. This term refers to the amount you would pay for it if you bought from a dealer or otherwise. After that, just compare the buyout offer in your lease contract with the average retail price on the cars of this brand, model, year, and mileage on the market.

Then, compare the amount to the buyout provided in your contract if it is listed there. Typically, it comprises a car residual value plus the so-called purchase option fee. Simple calculations will show whether it is advantageous for you to buy this car or a used unit with the same characteristics, bought elsewhere, will be a much more tempting offer.

Tip 3. Let the Leasing Company Lead Your Dance!

This advice is directly related to our first tip on the terms of the car buyout, as well as another reason to do it post-lease. Here, the laws of the market work as well: the more interest you show, the less chance of benefiting from the deal you have.

That is why the experts recommend showing restraint and waiting for the so-called countdown. As a rule, it is about 90 days before the expiry of the lease, when a car broker or a leasing company calls to notify you. Often, managers are interested in your plans for renewal or new leasing and can even offer some initiatives or bonuses for the purchasing of the vehicle at your disposal. Let the company make the first step, as the best deals appear just a few weeks before the finish line.

Tip 4. Decide on the Financing

So, the decision to buy out the car becomes almost tangible, and now, you need to find funds for the deal. You will have several options, so here you have a lot of work to make up your mind on this.

It can be easier if you have an excellent credit score. Banks and other finance institutions usually welcome the loyalty of such customers and are often willing to offer very affordable rates. In general, you have to do some kind of research about credit unions, online lenders and the like to find what suits you.

Besides, turning to lenders who work with car loans and often have the purchase of leasing engines in their offers makes sense as well. On the one hand, it may be convenient as you do not need to look further, but the interest rates may be even higher than for purchasing a new vehicle from the dealer.

Also, do not forget about the leasing company, which can also finance your buyout, if it is stipulated by the charter of the broker. First, by referring to your lessor, you add points to yourself, even if the company is not initially inclined to greenlight the buyout. Second, the chances of getting nice discounts increase manifold.

At the same time, experts recommend putting the leasing company at the end of your list and contacting it after receiving offers from other financial institutions. If the broker is interested in you as a party to the deal, they will try to beat them, and you will just need to skim the cream.

Tip 5. Negotiations Are Appropriate!

Your lease agreement may have clear terms for the buyouts, but even that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to work with it in your favor. Indeed, some companies do not accept any price speculation; here, you can just act on the principle of “take or leave”.

Despite the force of the contract, exceptions do occur, and your questions are not binding. After all, this is the time when it is better to do than not to do. Leasing companies fight for the loyalty of customers, and therefore may well make concessions if you raise this subject.

As a rule, lessors may offer the following:

• making some discounts on your financing;
• giving up the purchase-option fee;
• providing some initiatives on your deal (discounts, extra car service, etc.)

It must be said that the second option is often a concession, so it is worth trying.

To Sum It Up

The reasons to buy a leased car can vary. That may be lack of time for searching for a similar vehicle to purchase, unwillingness to pay huge fines for the violation of the lease agreement (damage, dents, exceeding the allowed mileage, etc.), and just love for this very auto. Weigh the pros and cons, assess the prospects of this very vehicle for the further use and resale, and decide on financing. According to the experts, a reasonable approach will provide all chances to turn the buying into a deal of the century!