Finance

FINANCE

A car loan has been the more traditional car financing method. After the final payment of a finance term, you will own the car and may choose to do whatever you wish to it. A car loan is beneficial to those who plan on keeping the car for a longer period, who drive more than 20,000 miles a year and those who don’t like to change cars frequently.

The disadvantage to financing a car is that the monthly payment will be substantially higher than that of a lease for the same vehicle. Most vehicles are financed for an average period of five years. This means that if you decide you don’t want the car before you have finished paying it off, it will be difficult to trade or sell the car for a profit. Lastly, your car’s warranty will likely have run out by the end of four years or 48,000 miles, leaving your wallet in charge should you run into any problems.

LEASE

A lease has become an increasingly popular option for many. You may lease a vehicle with minimal or no money down. Monthly payments are minimized because you only pay for the amount of the vehicle’s value that you will use, which is the length of the lease term. Therefore a better and more expensive car becomes more affordable. On a purchase, the monthly payments as well as the down payment are considerably higher on an identical vehicle.

Additionally, an average lease of two to four year term allows you the flexibility to drive a new car more frequently. Also, if you own a business or are an independent contractor, the tax benefits of leasing are greater than if you purchase a vehicle.

Unlike a purchase, a lease allows you to enjoy a new vehicle for a given term without having to worry about additional expenses after the factory warranty expires. You simply return it back at the end of the lease. However, you always have the right but not the obligation to purchase the vehicle at the end of you lease. Further, unlike real estate, the value of a purchased vehicle depreciates from the minute you drive the car off the dealership lot. On a lease, you will not spend a lot of time and effort trying to sell the vehicle when you no longer want it.

The disadvantage of a lease is that you will not own your car at the end of the specified term unless you choose to exercise your option to purchase the vehicle. There is a maximum mileage for the total lease term and you will be charged a fixed number of cents for each additional mile. However, there are certain tax advantages to leasing a vehicle as they can provide you with write-offs.