jps wrote:


$18,308 to have the privilege of driving a Cadillac for 39 months. I'd
rather make payments on a boat or summer cabin and have the 2nd home
write off.

Name me a single car with an MSRP over $40k that you could drive for less
than $18,500 over 39 months. Don't forget to include tax!


That's dependent on leasing. Most people don't lease.

More people are all the time. There is a surplus of out-of-lease cars
and many leasing companies have exited the business.


Driving a vehicle over $40k for 39 months isn't a function of the value
of the car, it's a function of how many they've sold and how aggressive
the financing rates they're willing to offer to get you in the car.

The real value in a car is after you've paid it off and drive it another
50,000 miles. That's when the cost/mile goes down. Your cost/mile has
to be astronomical.

I like leases since the car is always fairly new, less likely to break
down, is always under warranty, and routine maintenance is covered (some
cars). There are other considerations due to business use, but I have
leased my last seven cars, only two of them since I started my business.

And, in order to purchase that car post-lease, you'd be buying a car
that's worth 2/3 of the residual. Cadillac will have to write off the
loss when it's incurred.

I don't know why anyone would purchase their car after the lease is up.
In some states you will pay sales tax twice. I have had very good
offers to keep cars, but not good enough to move to the next, new car.

Welcome to American cars.

jps