BudweiserŽ

Does anyone know if AHFC does one year leases? Or any other financial company for that matter?

micvog

I used to work for a captive finance company in their lease department. We did 1-year leases but the residual value was the same as a 2-year lease.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

A 1 year lease is about the worst idea possible. The value of the vehicle falls the most during the first year. If you just need a car for 1-year, I recommend buying used or if you can find a good broker, some of them will help you lease a pre-owned vehicle for 1-year. Leasing a new car for 1-year just does not make sense no matter how you look at it.

super4

i think i saw infinity had one year lease on the fx once, maybe im wrong. if there is no down payment i think one yr lease is great for someone who can afford it

BudweiserŽ

I was just wondering because I might be moving in exactly one year and might not need a car then, so I figured the flexibility to buy/lease a car or not have one at all at that point in the future would be ideal.

Theoretically, it doesn't matter how much the car's market value depreciates in a lease, the residual value set by the lessor is what matters. If a car's market depreciation is more than the residual, then the way I see it its a deal because the sum of the payments would be less than the hit I'd take if I actually owned the car.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

What the heck do you think residuals are based on? Residuals are simply estimated market values of the vehicle. So the residual value at the end of the first year is still going to be the most substantial one time drop in the vehicle's value.

A 1-year lease on a new car just does not make sense unless someone else is picking up the tab. Look for a broker who might be able to get you a lease on a lightly used car if you must lease for the year. Otherwise, if I were you, I would settle for an inexpensive used car for the year and then once you've decided if you're staying or going, you can decide to get a different car or you won't have to worry about it.

STL

Dude, buying a used car (maybe an '04 TSX -- or something even older) then resale it next year if you no longer need a car. Getting a new car (for just one year) is a really bad idea financially.