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Car Lease vs Buy Calculator (2025)
Last verified: May 2025
Should you lease or buy your next car? Compare total cost of ownership, monthly payments, and residual value to make the right decision.
Vehicle & Common
Financing (Buy)
Lease Terms
APR ÷ 2400. E.g. 3% APR = 0.00125
Lease vs Buy Comparison
Lease Wins
Better Financial Option
$685/mo
Buy Payment
$578/mo
Lease Payment
$46,089
Total Buy Cost
$25,790
Total Lease Cost
Buying saves $20,299 over financing over the term. Leasing has lower monthly payments.
Analysis & insights
Your buy payment is $685, based on the inputs above. Loan and credit decisions compound over years. Small rate or term changes have outsized lifetime impact.
Calculation summary
Result derived from 3 inputs. Adjust any one to test sensitivity.
Risk & benchmark gauge
Current band
Strong
Buy Payment: $685
Industry benchmarks
- Buy Payment$685
- Lease Payment$578
- Total Buy Cost$46,089
- Total Lease Cost$25,790
- Excess Miles0.000
- Residual Value$22,000
Key insights
Time + rate compound
In long-horizon money math, small changes in rate or time produce outsized changes in the final number. Try ±1% on the rate to see sensitivity.
Sensitivity testing
Adjust each input by ±10% to find the most impactful variable — that's the one to focus your real-world decisions on.
Recommended actions(4)
Test the realistic range of each input
High priorityTry the lowest and highest realistic value for each input. The spread of results is the range you should actually plan for — point estimates lie.
Impact: Reveals which inputs matter most and where uncertainty hides.
Compare against published benchmarks
Medium priorityWhatever you're calculating, there's likely an industry benchmark for it. Google "[topic] average" or "[topic] median" to sanity-check the result.
Save or download a copy
Medium priorityFor calculators that offer it, use "Download report (PDF)" to keep a snapshot. Otherwise screenshot the inputs + result before navigating away.
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This tool is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified financial professional for advice specific to your situation.