Honda

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2011-12 Honda Lease Rates – July 2011

Published by G


Honda dropped some of their money factors in response to depreciation. Some models did not suffer a drop in residual, but most did. Honda didn’t really adjust the sale price too dramatically in my area, hopefully they dropped their prices in yours. You can check out TrueCar to see your local sale prices.

This month, I would like to bring to your attention the Honda Pilot. In SoCal, it is getting about 12% off MSRP. The residual value is still fairly high and the money factor is reasonable at .00107 (2.57%). You may find it tough to find a LX 4WD model (I know I couldn’t back in April), but if you find one, you could be looking at a nice lease. The EX model should retain the same MF, but may suffer slight drop in residual value (I’m guessing about 2%). Be sure to adjust that in your calculations.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
MSRP – $29,130
Sale Price – $25,509
Monthly – $308+ tax
RWG Rating – 92.9

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE LX-S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00049 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 2WD EX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00049 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00049 base money factor

2012 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00185 base money factor

2012 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00185 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00078 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-Z HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00185 base money factor

2011 HONDA ELEMENT 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00185 base money factor

2011 HONDA FIT HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00144 base money factor

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00107 base money factor

2011 HONDA RIDGELINE CREW CAB RT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00185 base money factor

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2011-12 Honda Lease Rates – June 2011

Published by G


Numbers remain the same as May. Sale price has shot up quite due to Japan’s production woes. Expect to pay a lot more this month compared to last month. Check out the CrossTour’s calculations this month compared to last month. Ouch! It went from a great lease to a crappy one in a matter of a few months. Expect the same thing to happen for other Honda models.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

May Calculation
2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
MSRP – $34,920
Sale Price – $30,996
Monthly – $366+ tax
RWG Rating – 93.4

June Calculation
2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
MSRP – $34,920
Sale Price – $32,541
Monthly – $410+ tax
RWG Rating – 86.2

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE LX-S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 2WD EX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00077 base money factor

2012 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00200 base money factor

2012 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 65% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00078 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-Z HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ELEMENT 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA FIT HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00161 base money factor

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00125 base money factor

2011 HONDA RIDGELINE CREW CAB RT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00200 base money factor

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2011-12 Honda Lease Rates – May 2011

Published by G


Numbers look like they have gone up to higher MF and lower residual values. Tack on the shortage of vehicles and you are looking at higher overall lease payments. I’ve been hearing a lot about how the tsunami has affected production and so pricing has gone up a bit. I don’t know if it’s just a ploy to get you to pay more for your car or not, but I imagine there is some truth to that. The problem is that it’s starting to sound more like a scare tactic which I find kind of annoying. Nevertheless, don’t expect any breaks on the 2012 Civic. My cousin was trying to pick one up last month but wasn’t very successful negotiating with them. They wanted sticker price and wouldn’t budge. With gas prices inching up, dealers know that Civics are going to be hot commodities in the near future.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
MSRP – $34,920
Sale Price – $30,996
Monthly – $366+ tax
RWG Rating – 93.4

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE LX-S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 2WD EX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00077 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00077 base money factor

2012 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00200 base money factor

2012 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 65% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00078 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-Z HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ELEMENT 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA FIT HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00161 base money factor

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00125 base money factor

2011 HONDA RIDGELINE CREW CAB RT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00200 base money factor

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2011 Honda Lease Rates – April 2011

Published by G

If you have been watching TV lately, you probably have seen Honda’s “Really Big Thing” promotion going on now. It’s actually a pretty good deal still, but not as good as the past few months due to a slight increase in sale prices. Hondas and Infinitis are EXCELLENT leases in generally. The “bang-for-the-buck” factor is off the charts in some cases.

Lauren actually got me thinking about getting a CrossTour (Noooooo!). I don’t really like the car aesthetically; however, it’s practicality, cost and Honda’s fabulous lease program is really got me considering one.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR EX
MSRP – $30,570
Sale Price – $26,322
Monthly – $266+ tax
RWG Rating – 107.1

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
MSRP – $23,725
Sale Price – $22,063
Monthly – $242+ tax
RWG Rating – 95.2

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.


2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE LX-S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00113 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 2WD EX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00062 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00062 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00113 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00062 base money factor

2011 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00057 base money factor

2011 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00057 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00069 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-Z HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ELEMENT 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA FIT HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00138 base money factor

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00187 base money factor

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00145 base money factor

2011 HONDA RIDGELINE CREW CAB RT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00200 base money factor

1101replacingtheg

What’s Going On – April 2011

Published by G

Last Friday, I became a first-time homeowner! Woo Hoo! That’s been the biggest reason why I’ve been completely out-of-it in the past month. Unfortunately, I am in fixing-n-packing mode this month, so I have to continue keeping my comments short. I will continue to do what I can and drop a few lines here and there to help out. Lease rates should also be coming in the next couple days. I have already sent out request for some numbers and will focus in finding some numbers for you all in the coming weeks. Your patience is appreciated.

Working with the house this past weekend has opened my eyes to how inconvenient having a coupe really is. Hauling things from Home Depot or Lowe’s has been next to impossible (unless its just a few paint cans and brushes) so it has really been causing a lot of confusion as to what I want to be driving next. Clearly, the visits to home improvement stores won’t be stopping any time soon, therefore, I feel the need to get into something more practical this time around.

To recap, (Replacing the G – Party 2) I have been”casually” shopping for my next ride since November. I test drove a handful of cars/suvs and got a good feel for what I wanted next. However, this home ownership business has really thrown a curve ball at me recently. Not only do I have a strict budget to adhere to, but I also have to factor in operational costs ( gas has been creeping up into the $4+ territory. Yickes!). Just last night, I was at Costco and it cost me $67 to fill up 16 gallons on the G. CRAZY. Doing that 3-4 times a week has me feeling like my wallet has lost some of that plumpness!

In any case, due to these circumstances, I decided to trim down my list even further by narrowing it down to the following cars.

  1. Hyundai Sonata Turbo SE
  2. Hyundai Sonata Turbo Limited
  3. Subaru Forester X
  4. Subaru Forester XT
  5. Acura TSX
  6. Audi A3 Premium
  7. VW GTI
  8. VW Tiguan S
  9. Honda Pilot LX 4WD

At the moment, I find myself leaning towards leasing the Sonata Turbo SE with the Nav/Sunroof package. It provides me with the best equipped vehicle and the lowest payment. It lacks the practicality of having that “5th door”, but it’s easy on the pocketbook. I’m also toying with the idea of getting a GTI or going all out and getting the Pilot. Tough decisions to be made in the coming months! I have about 4 months and three payments left on my G37, so the hunt for my next ride will be shifting into high gear really soon!

So which car did you think I will be driving in a few months? Care to guess?

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2011 Honda Lease Rates – March 2011

Published by G


Gas prices has probably been affecting Honda sale prices or something because I have seen the price of Hondas increase over the past couple of months in my area. I can see that paying upwards of $4 bucks a gallon would entice people to go with more fuel efficient cars, but come on!!! We are still in a recession people!!!

The CrossTour is still dirt cheap for a $34k car. The Civic is still as affordable as it’s always been and the CR-V is probably the best crossover SUV around (no I don’t consider the CrossTour a crossover…I don’t exactly know what it is). All is still well in Hondaland.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 Honda Civic Sedan LX AT
MSRP – $19,305
Sale Price – $16,129
Monthly – $152+ tax
RWG Rating – 115.2

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
MSRP – $34,920
Sale Price – $29,763
Monthly – $295 + tax
RWG Rating – 109.5

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
MSRP – $23,725
Sale Price – $2,1913
Monthly – $238+ tax
RWG Rating – 96.4

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE LX-S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00113 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 2WD EX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00062 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00062 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00113 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00062 base money factor

2011 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00057 base money factor

2011 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00057 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00069 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-Z HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ELEMENT 4WD LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA FIT HATCHBACK AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00138 base money factor

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00187 base money factor

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00145 base money factor

2011 HONDA RIDGELINE CREW CAB RT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00200 base money factor

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Monthly Round-Up : February 2011

Published by G


Lease rates didn’t change much from last month, but sale prices dropped for most vehicles, which makes February a slightly better month than January. The were a few exceptions, such as in Honda’s case. Honda sales prices in the Southern California region seems to have gone up a bit, making the leases slightly more costly than back in December and January. You will see in the chart that certain Honda’s RWG rating have dropped slightly, but overall, still a very good lease compared to other brands and models.

I have been suggested to perhaps breakdown the Round-Up by class, which I think is a good idea. I will try to spend some time next month reorganize the list and rank the leases by class. In the mean time, enjoy February’s Round-Up!

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.

Ground Rules

  • Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website during the corresponding month.
  • 36-month/15k lease terms will used for all calculations unless a better term is available.
  • A $1500 drive-off fee is assumed for all cars. Since fees and taxes vary from region to region, your drive-off may vary.
  • Sale Price estimates will be based on Truecar.com sales data in the Southern California region, so your numbers may vary.
  • All estimates assume you qualify for the base rate. A minimum FICO® Score of 700 may be required.
  • Sales taxes are not included since different states handle taxes differently. Please refer to “Understanding Sales Tax” to learn how taxes affect your monthly payments.
  • The rating system used is based on RIDE with G’s Lease Calculator. The closer you are to the 100 rating, the better the deal. Anything exceeding a 100 rating is phenomenal.

Top Ten Finalists

click to view chart

First – 2011 Nissan Sentra SR (116.1)

Seems like the Civic and the Sentra have been trading places these last few months, so no surprise here. The Sentra is a better deal as a purchase right now since there are some rebates that aren’t available to leases.

Second – 2011 Mazda3s Hatchback (114.5)

Sometimes I wish I could get my hands on Mazda numbers more consistently. If I did, we would see a 3-way competition between Mazda, Nissan and Honda to see which dominates the Monthly Round-Up.

Third  – 2011 Honda Civic LX Sedan (114.4)

Numbers took a dive this month because sale prices have gone up. Further proof that you can’t just rely on residual and money factors alone.

Fourth – 2011 Nissan Altima S Sedan (104.1)

Since the Accord isn’t looking as good this month due to a higher sale price, the Altima makes for a good substitute.

Fifth – 2011 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe (103.2)

If you are shopping for luxury sport coupes and don’t want to spend much money, this is your ride.

Sixth – 2011 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan (103.0)

Do you see a pattern? This is the most bang for the buck when it comes to luxury sport sedans.

Seventh – 2011 Honda Accord CrossTour EX (101.4)

Car is getting discounted quite a bit this month. Surprising for a 2011 model.

Eighth – 2011 Infiniti G25 Journey Sedan (100.7)

A sensible choice for those seeking reasonable fuel economy and performance.

Ninth – 2011 Infiniti M37 AWD (98.2)

If I am ever willing to pay upwards of $500+ a month, this would be the ride I’d get.

Tenth – 2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (97.5)

Dropped quite a bit, but mainly due to a higher sale. Nothing extra haggling with your dealer can’t fix.

Missing the Cut (Honorable Mentions)

2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport (97.3)
2011 Honda CRV LX AWD (97.2)
2011 Nissan Maxima S (96.4)
2011 Nissan Rogue S AWD (95.3)
2011 Nissan Versa S HB (95.2)
2011 Hyundai Sonata SE Turbo (94.7)
2011 VW CC Sport (92.7)
2011 Ford Edge SEL AWD (92.0)
2011 VW Tiguan S 4motion (91.9)
2011 Acura TSX (91.7)
2011 Acura TL (91.4)
2011 Volvo S60 T-6 (91.4)
2011 Lexus IS250 (91.3)
2011 Infiniti FX35 AWD (90.9)
2011 Mazda CX-9 Touring (90.7)
2011 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Premium (90.5)
2011 Audi A3 Premium (90.5)
2011 BMW 135i (90.0)

Parting Shots

If you didn’t notice, the bulk of the Top Ten List are Nissan made. This says a lot since the days of German cars being “great leases” is officially over. Nowadays, they are just good, not great. With BMW and Audi looking disinterested in providing any sort of “deal” to consumers.

On another note, I didn’t think I would see the day when a Volvo would “Miss the Cut”, but that day has arrived in the form of a S60 T6, which is on clearance due to the incoming 2012 model.

Lastly, many models received a price bump so payments may have gone up (or down) slightly. However, the overall feeling I am getting is that February is still a slightly better month than January. Expect bigger changes in March.

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2011 Honda Lease Rates – February 2011

Published by G


Not too much to say here. Lease rates for Hondas remain unchanged from January.  So Cal sale prices have gone up a bit, but nothing too significant that would make it a bad deal. The Civic, Accord, CR-V and CrossTour remain  strong leases this month. The Odyssey isn’t half bad, but I think the MF is a tad high in my opinion. Expect rates to change next month.


Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2011 Honda Civic Sedan LX AT
MSRP – $19,305
Sale Price – $16,029
Monthly – $149 + tax
RWG Rating – 116.9

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE LX-S AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00123 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 2WD EX
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00123 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR 4WD EX-L
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00123 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN LX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00123 base money factor

2011 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00068 base money factor

2011 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00076 base money factor

2011 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN LX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00076 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD LX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00071 base money factor

2011 HONDA CR-Z HATCHBACK AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 65% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ELEMENT 4WD LX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA FIT HATCHBACK AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00200 base money factor

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY LX AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00190 base money factor

2011 HONDA PILOT 4WD LX
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00145 base money factor

2011 HONDA RIDGELINE CREW CAB RT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00200 base money factor