$35K Luxury Car — Lease or Buy in 36 Months?
A $35,000 vehicle compared two ways over 36 months: a 6% auto loan versus a lease at 0.0025 money factor with 60% residual. A pre-filled lease vs buy calculator scenario.
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Your comparison inputs
Results
Buy net cost
$22,179
Lease net cost
$23,373
Winner
Buying wins
Savings: $1,194
Buy monthly payment
$1,048
Lease monthly payment
$566
Final equity
$21,000
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Cumulative cost & equity
Cost breakdown
| Buy | Lease | |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Monthly payments | $37,729 | $20,373 |
| Fees | $0 | $0 |
| Sales tax | $2,450 | $1,333 |
| Final equity | $21,000 | $0 |
| Net cost | $22,179 | $23,373 |
Features
- Buy vs lease net cost comparison
- Money factor & residual analysis
- Winner with total savings
- Cumulative cost & equity chart
- Shareable result card + CSV export
Scenario Benchmark
Key figures for $35K Luxury Car — Lease or Buy in 36 Months?.
Buy net cost
$22,179
Lease net cost
$23,373
Winner
Buying wins · $1,194
Buy monthly payment
$1,048
Lease monthly payment
$566
Final equity
$21,000
Frequently asked questions
How the maths works
Leasing pays only for the vehicle you use (depreciation plus a finance charge); buying pays for the whole car but leaves you with equity you can sell. The comparison nets both to the same point in time.
- 1Buy: add sales tax to the price, subtract the down payment and amortize the loan; after the holding period, sell at the resale value and deduct the equity.
- 2Lease: residual = MSRP × residual%; monthly rent = depreciation + (cap cost + residual) × money factor, plus sales tax on each payment.
- 3Net buy cost = down + tax + payments + remaining balance − resale value.
- 4Net lease cost = down + fees + total rent — no asset at the end. The lower net cost wins.
Figures are illustrative and exclude insurance, maintenance and mileage penalties. Not financial advice.
Everything you need to know
What decides lease vs buy?
The biggest lever is depreciation: if the car loses value quickly (EVs, luxury models), leasing can cap your loss; if it holds value (trucks, SUVs), buying lets you bank the equity.
Your rate also matters — a subsidized money factor can make the lease cheaper even with fees, while a low loan rate favors buying.
Reading the result
Net cost puts both options on equal footing: everything you pay out minus what you get back. Buying usually shows higher monthly costs but a strong final equity line.
The winner is the lower net cost — if the gap is small, other factors like mileage, maintenance or owning the car matter more.
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