[CPAJIMOHIO]

ok i decided to buy my mini vs leasing
purchase price, including tax is 18,974.
could have leased it for 1,220 down and 35 more payments at 296.11 and a disposition fee of 300.
i shopped leases around at over a dozen leasing companies
i could have gotten the lease price down a bit
but funny think happened
through all this i decided just to buy it
i put about 8,500 miles a year, take good care of my cars
i use it in business. i know people say "you can deduct lease payments ".. they fail to say "with limitations sometimes" and other tax quirk laws which may include an income inclusion on certain leases.. they fail to point out in their promotion of leasing that owners of cars can depreciate the car (again with limitations)..
so bottom line, i am just going to buy this car.
i feel good about it but i analyze things too much sometimes and a part of me is saying i should have leased..
i hope i made a good decision.

[Gas O]

I was sort of thinking about leasing also. But then I realized... You lease Fords, you own Mini's Seriously, the Cooper is the only car that I am sure I will enjoy ten years from now. So I bought mine. I think you made the right choice!

[stryder]

Check out edmunds.com evaluation of the MINI used market. It seems they expect it to hold its value quite well. So if you're nice and friendly to it, you should get a reasonable return when you upgrade to your next MINI.

As soon as you get in the car and drive it, you'll quit worrying about all the finances. Its made to be driven, not made to be futzed over small financials.

[NEMINI]

if you did 8,500 miles before MINI you'll be wanting to do 15k after at least so be happy you'll own it instead of agonizing over those extra miles you'd have to pay for.

[cooper4us]

I agree with others...the MINI is such a special car...you configure it according to taste/budget, anxiously wait for it and then you take delivery (Makes you feel like a 10 year old during Xmas day).

You lease other cars, but the MINI is most definetely a keeper!.

Don't worry one bit, you have made the absolute best choice there is!

[Little Big Mini]

Leasing is for suckers, why do you think dealers push it so hard, because it's good for customers ? Not hardly.

Leasing was an OK deal when it first started. In the begining leases required no down and offered considerable lower monthly payments.Now they require a down payment and the montly nut is not much different. The difference is that in three years you don't own squat.

A decade ago I bought a Corvette for $25,995 brand new. I put 10% down ($2600) my payments were $512 a month for 5 years and I still drive that car (paid for for 5 years now) About the same time I saw ads for a Corvette lease, a real "special" deal. It was $4500 down and $479 a month for 3 years. Then, you give the car back. Corvette is but a distant memory for those folks not the daily occurance it is for me. Why in the world would anyone want to make 3 years car payments just to give it back to the dealer who will re-sell for about the same money as his cost was in the first place.


Regards

Steve

[chiph]

CPAJIMOHIO -
I think you made a good choice. I just came off a lease of a ML-320 (no SUV driver jokes please!), and I was never totally happy with the car or the lease. Always worrying about the turn-in inspection, excess miles, etc. etc.

Chip H.