Leasing?

Redsky wrote:
Leasing or renting a vehicle is the most expensive way to go. The only time it is advantageous is with a business where you can write off the entire lease payment amount for the year which is more than can be deducted using depreciation instead with a vehicle that is purchased.

I have spent in 100,000 miles of use less than $2,000 in repairs on any of my trucks and SUV's. To drive them 36,000 miles on a lease and then turn them back in would be foolish if my intention was to save money.
Each lease payment also includes sales tax for the new vehicle so each time you lease a new car or truck you are paying more sales tax as well. The registration fees and insurance are much higher on a new car or truck as well.

Leasing is good for the auto companies and the banksters but not for the individual.

Much of what you write is simply not true. A business vehicle driven 15,000 miles a year will usually yield a larger deduction than the lease price if you simply take the standard mileage rate. If the business itemizes expenses and takes standard depreciation, the deduction will usually be even larger. Corporations normally lease so as to not make vehicles a balance sheet item but simply an expense.

In most states, sales tax is charged on the monthly lease payment. This means you will never pay the full sales tax that you would pay in a purchase/finance scenario.

It is true that buying and driving a vehicle for ten years and well over a hundred thousand miles can be very efficient. Unfortunately most people are not comfortable with the risk of reduced reliability and potential mechanical expenses. A $2,000 maintenance cost in 100,000 miles would be the exception not the rule.

Leasing can be advantageous to many individuals and stating that leasing is only good for the manufacturer and the lender is rather short-sighted and uninformed.