I'm thinking...and sometimes that's not a good thing!!

It costs about a grand a month plus around $7K down to lease a nicely equipped 2012 535xi, which works out to around $43K for the 36-mo lease.

For another $20K, I can buy the car.

Is a grand a month too much for a lease?

That is expensive, but it is a 535xi which costs quite a bit more than the 528i.

If you want to get under the 1k mark. Get a 528i I suppose.

If you are leasing to make it easier to handle vehicle expense and taxes you are probably well aware how to leverage a lease to maximize write-offs / write-downs. For the average consumer, leasing is a way of driving a car that might be prohibitively expensive to buy.

But, consumers need to pay attention to the details! There are several legitimate website that will permit you to compare leases and understand exactly what it costs to "rent" vs "buy" a car. Your bank or credit union might also have tools on their website. Lots of different ways to leverage the money factor(s), up-front fees, disposition fees, "penalties" for excess mileage/damage, lease-end purchase prices, etc etc etc.

My advice to anyone thinking about leasing a car - DON'T focus on the monthly price ... there are too many ways for lease writers to fool uninformed consumers!! Instead, know and evaluate the total cost of "acquisition".

I would wait and maybe just look at buying. They will keep dropping in price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2011-...item2c60bab9f3

Check that out, 5k miles for 46k and its a 2011, you put 7k down and own it for 39

Yes, it is too much. I am leasing a nicely equipped 2012 535xi made to order for about $4,500 a month down and $780 per month here in Minneapolis.

cost of leasing has a few variables that can be changed/manipualted to decrease your monthly...

money factor, residual, sale price, money down., lease terms (miles per year and length of lease)

some variables can be used to offset your monthly payment, msd's to decrease the money factor, less miles per year to increase residual....depending on time of year/current deal lease rates, prices/payments will vary as residuals and mf's can be better or worse at times. november and december tend to have good holiday incentives, but will vary from model to model..


7K down seems like a lot to put down on a lease, what exactly does that include? If it's money to decrease the sale price, i'd think about putting the money towards msd's (multiplt security deposits) to decrease the money factor which will ultimately decrease your monthly, the good thing about msd's is that you get your money back at lease end.

a little more info might help others chime in as to if you are getting a good deal or not: sale price, options, residual, money factor, lease terms..

more about msd's here: http://www.fairbmwle...guide.html#cMSD


honestly it's hard to say how much per month is good or fair..as we are all in different financial situations.....but for 1K a month you should consider what else you can get. And in terms of financing vs. leasing, it also depends on your financial situation and what you are comfortable with....

your estimated monthly does seem high for a mid level model IMO. I built a 2012 535xi with m sport pkg, prm pkg, cold weather pkg, nav, and bmw apps on bmwusa.com, total cost 65, 825...monthly calculated to 936/month with 2500 down......again, please post more info about the lease deal you are considering

agreed with what luigi stated above, do not go into a lease deal primarily focused on the monthly payment. The monthly payment should not be the driving factor, but just one of many factors to consider when leasing IMO. take some time and research car leasing, it's definitely in your best interest and you will be able to make a more informed decision

$1K per month to lease a 535 with a $7K cap cost reduction? That is a complete rip off. BMW is offering huge incentives now for leasing.

I just did a 15K miles lease on a loaded 2012 F10 550x Drive M Sport with tons of options (M Sport package, cold weather package, premium sound, active roll stabilization, sport automatic transmission, side and top view cameras and more), Dinan Stage 2 tune, New York taxes and acqusition fee all rolled into the lease (15K miles per year) and zero down. My payment will be under $1200 per month. Yours should be in the $800 range with nothing down. For $7K down, your payment should be in the $600 range. If I had put $7K down, my payment would have been in the $800 range.

Someone is trying to rob you.

And in any event, never ever put a penny down in a cap cost reduction on your lease. Roll everything: state taxes, acqusition fee, etc. into the lease. This way, if you car gets totaled or stolen, you don't lose those upfront payments.

Your story does illustrate the perils of leasing for those who do not understand the finances of leasing. Do some reading on the net about how a lease works. Dealers make big bucks by ripping off those who don't understand leasing because the finances are so much more complicated than buying.

Great Link Gene! And thanks for the profs too :-)

Thanks dear for share your nice information....