Lease vs. buy car calculator
Compare total cost of a lease to buying and keeping the car for the same period — including equity you'd have at the end.
Lease
Buy
Over 36 months, buying saves
$1,964.36
Side-by-side
| Lease | Buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total cash out | $20,490.00 | $24,200.94 |
| Equity / resale | — | +$5,675.29 |
| Net cost | $20,490.00 | $18,525.64 |
| Avg / month | $569.17 | $514.60 |
Buy equity assumes you sell at the residual estimate after 36 months. Insurance, taxes, and maintenance are the same either way and excluded.
What this models
Leasing total = down payment + acquisition fee + (monthly × term) + disposition fee. Buying net = down + loan payments over the same period, minus the car's resale value. The residual slider sets what the car is worth at the end of the lease term.
This excludes insurance, taxes, and maintenance — they're roughly equal either way. Miles-over-limit fees and buy-out options at lease end are also not modelled.