There are a few different ways you can go about leasing a personal car. With the Internet at your fingertips, buying a new car has become easier than ever. With a little bit of research and a few clicks of the keyboard and mouse, you can be on your way to driving your brand new car in no time.
Do as much research as you can before even making an offer on your new lease. Use sites such as edmunds.com, cars.com and carsdirect.com to find out what current incentives are being offered by the manufacturer. (See Resources) Depending on the time of year, they might be offering cash back bonuses, special lease rates or APRs for the model that you are looking for.
Find out the car's MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) and invoice price (the price the dealership pays for the car). Use the invoice price as a starting place when you begin your negotiations.
Email several different dealerships and have them present lease offers to you. Be specific: make sure to include what colors you are interested in, what options you are looking for, how many miles per year you need, how many months and how much money down you are comfortable with putting toward the lease.
Collect all of the offers you received from your correspondence with the dealers and choose the best deal you found. Schedule a day and time to come in and pick up your new lease and fill out all of the paperwork.
Go to the dealership and pick up your new car. Be sure to bring in your email that the dealer sent you to insure there is no confusion regarding the terms. Make sure they have completely detailed the car and that it's free of scratches and blemishes. Ask for a free tank of gas.
Ask if the maintenance is covered by the manufacturer, if you will have to pay for it or if they offer some kind of package that will cover all of your scheduled maintenance. Also, ask what is covered under "scheduled maintenance." Generally, new brakes, windshield wipers and other wear and tear items are not covered by most manufacturers.
