LeaseCompare Covers Consumer Payments

Cincinnati, OH – April 22, 2009. LeaseCompare.com, a leader in online direct-to-consumer auto leasing and financing, today announced a program to help protect consumers with car payments who lose their jobs.

LeaseCompare.com’s Guaranteed Payment Program is the first of its kind that covers any new or used vehicle model, from any dealer or private party. Customers are automatically enrolled in the program at no additional cost when they finance, lease or refinance a vehicle through LeaseCompare.com.

The program pays a customer’s monthly car payment up to $600 per month for 12 months of coverage. Payments are made directly to the lien holder.

“Consumers who are unsure about their current employment situation are hesitant about buying a new or used car,“ says Tarry Shebesta, President of LeaseCompare.com. “Our Guaranteed Payment Program gives them peace of mind knowing they’ll still have their vehicle should they lose their income.”

“Programs like these can help spark auto sales and the economy by giving consumers confidence in buying a new or used car,” Shebesta added. “For many, owning a reliable vehicle is critical to earning a living at all.”

Details of the Lease Compare.com Guaranteed Payment Program:

Have peace of mind knowing you’ll still have your vehicle should you lose your income.

The program pays the monthly payment up to $600 per month for 12 months. Payments are made directly to the finance source.

PROGRAM DISCLOSURE

The Involuntary Unemployment coverage has been provided in conjunction with the finance or lease of your vehicle by LeaseCompare.com for the protection of your loan or lease should you become involuntary unemployed. The job loss protection may provide for payments to the Lender toward the loan obligation for a maximum monthly benefit of $600 per month for up to 12 months in the event of Involuntary Unemployment.

Eligibility resulting from a borrower’s involuntary unemployment may qualify for amounts equal to the number of days of qualified unemployment. A ninety (90) day Vesting Period applies from the loan closing date in which no benefits are paid for an unemployment occurrence during this period. A thirty (30) day waiting period from the date of Involuntary Unemployment applies before any payments will be made. Borrowers of covered loans have no third party beneficiary rights, individually or jointly, under the terms and conditions of the Dealer or Lender Policy. The Purchaser of the Vehicle/Borrower has paid no consideration with regard to this coverage. The Purchaser of the Vehicle/Borrower may be requested to cooperate to provide certain information necessary to determine the payment eligibility.

In order for payment benefits to be paid, the Borrower of the Covered Loan:

* Must have been continuously employed for wages or salary for twelve (12) consecutive weeks prior to the date of unemployment on a full time basis (minimum 30 hours per week)
* Must not have knowledge of any impending Involuntary Unemployment as of the Effective Date.
* Must not be self employed, work for a family member or own greater than ten percent (10%) interest in their Employer’s business, be an independent contractor, or active military.
* Must be of legal age.
* Must file for and be eligible to receive State unemployment benefits.
* Must provide four (4) weekly copies of Unemployment Benefits payments. Failure to provide this information on a consistent monthly basis may reduce or void eligibility for future payments.

This program does NOT cover loss of employment due to: (1) Voluntary resignation; (2) Insubordination, performance-based separation, willful misconduct, a transgression of some established and definite rule, a forbidden act, where such transgression is willful, improper or wrongful behavior, which behavior is not mere negligence nor carelessness; (3) Normal seasonal

My Take: In terms of duration and coverage amount, this program tops GM’s and Hyundai’s, but not Ford’s. If you plan to lease a GM, it may be better off going with LeaseCompare for those two reasons alone. What’s even better is that they probably offer leases than GMAC (since GMAC isn’t providing a lot of lease support these days). Of course, you can also use them for any manufacturer that is currently not offering good lease support and doesn’t have a payment protection plan.

Ford and GM Step It Up, Hyundai Style.

In an effort to bring back some customers in this recession, GM is introduction the “Total Confidence” program for the next 30 days.  Essentially, GM will pay up to nine payments (of $500 each) for customers that lose their jobs.  In order to qualify for the program, you must be eligible for state unemployment. The program begin April 1st, 2009 and will run through the end of April.

In similar fashion, Ford will make payments of up to $700 per month for up to a year on all Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicles. This program will run through June 1st, 2009.

Compared to the Hyundai Assurance+ program, the American manufacturers’ program run much longer, with Ford’s program being the better of the three.

Not a bad time to jump into a Ford. Factor in all the great incentives PLUS government assistance for domestic auto purchases, the time to buy is NOW. Or should I say, April 1st!

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Lease Rates – March 2009

logo_hyundaiMy Take: The long-awaited Hyundai Genesis Coupe is here and doesn’t seem to disappoint. The sweet-spot on this lease is the 36-month term. The car has been getting fairly good reviews and dealers seem to be able to sell them, even in this economy. Now, those of you who read about my post on the “LA Auto Show” know I’m not thrilled about the fact that Hyundai pretty much got the Genesis styling by cloning the G37. However, I can’t deny the that the car looks promising performance-wise and it also goes easy on the pocketbook. Not a bad time to jump into the coupe if that’s what you are looking for. The question is, can you get over the “Hyundai” logo on your steering wheel? I think a few laps around the block during your test drive should answer that question.

At Invoice At MSRP
Make/Model Invoice MSRP 24-month 36-month 24-month 36-month
2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 $25,645 $27,250 $467 $358 $539 $405

NOTE: Estimates assuming the following conditions:

  • Inception fees (1st month payment, DMV, doc fee, bank fee, tire tax and possible security deposit) due at signing.
  • Local Taxes not included.
  • 24-month/15k and 36-month/15k terms.
  • All cars are stock, without any options.
  • No rebates/incentives applied

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T
24-month | 15k miles | residual 67% | .00340 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00170 base money factor
48-month | 15k miles | residual 46% | .00340 base money factor
60-month | 15k miles | residual 37% | .00340 base money factor

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T
24-month | 15k miles | residual 68% | .00340 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00170 base money factor
48-month | 15k miles | residual 46% | .00340 base money factor
60-month | 15k miles | residual 37% | .00340 base money factor

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8
24-month | 15k miles | residual 66% | .00340 base money factor
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00170 base money factor
48-month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00340 base money factor
60-month | 15k miles | residual 36% | .00340 base money factor

09 Hyundai Genesis Lease Rates for February 2009

My Take: The Genesis Sedan V6 is probably the better lease compared to the V8 model. There is supposed to be a $1000 cash incentive floating around so please take that into account during your negotiations. There is also a $500 rebate for those who are in the military. The lease, at invoice, is still a bit more expensive than I prefer (due to the 27-month term, you have less months to spread the depreciation across). However, I feel that there’s a decent amount of room for negotiation here, so dipping below invoice is certainly possible. You probably want to stay away from the V8 model since the residual drops another 3% and the car is pricier. If you choose to lower your mileage to 12k per year to save some money, keep in mind that it only increases the residual by 1%.

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  At Invoice At MSRP
Make/Model Invoice MSRP 24-month 27-month 24-month 27-month
2009 Hyundai Genesis V6 $30,993 $33,000 N/A $470* N/A $545*
2009 Hyundai Genesis V8 $35,271 $38,000 N/A $568* N/A $670*

NOTE: Estimates assuming the following conditions:

  • Inception fees (1st month payment, DMV, doc fee, bank fee, tire tax and possible security deposit) will be paid at signing.
  • Local Taxes not included.
  • 24-month/15k and 36-month/15k terms.
  • All cars are stock, without any options.

*27-month Lease.

2009 Hyundai Genesis February Lease Rates

2009 Hyundai Genesis V6
27-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00015 base money factor

2009 Hyundai Genesis V8
27-month | 15k miles | residual 53% | .00015 base money factor

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Hyundai Assurance, a Good Idea in Uncertain Times

If you haven’t already seen the commercials, Hyundai is offering it’s customers the following offer:

“Finance or lease any new Hyundai, and if in the next year you lose your income*, we’ll let you return it. That’s the Hyundai Assurance.

*See your participating dealer or the program certificate for complete coverage details. Hyundai Assurance is valid on any new Hyundai model financed or leased, for up to one year after purchase. Restrictions apply.”

You can click here to learn more.

My Take? In these tough economic times, I think that this is a VERY refreshing to see an auto maker offer a  security blanket for it’s customers. Folks that need/want to get into a new car but are finding it difficult to do so because of the uncertainty of their jobs, so this certainly a good incentive to visit Hyundai dealerships. The beauty of this offer is that in the event something does happen to you, your credit won’t get killed. Time and time again, I hear of people getting into leases or purchases they can no longer afford due to loss of employment. Many also make the mistake of not making their payments and letting the car get repossessed. Please, don’t EVER do that. Credit is of the at most importance here in the U.S. (more so than other countries). When you destroy your credit, you essentially kill your purchasing power for years to come.

Moving on…

The Hyundai Assurance:

  • On all NEW Hyundai models
  • Purchases or Leases
  • Covers up to $7500 in negative equity for up to 12 months

Coverage:

  • Physical disability
  • Involuntary unemployment
  • Self-employment bankruptcy
  • International employment transfers
  • Loss of driver’s license due to medical impairment
  • Accidental death

You do need to register to get these benefits however. To do so click here an follow the steps outlined on that page.

Not a bad deal if you ask me. Certainly worth a look if you are looking to get into a car and have been holding off because of the economy. I’m not a big fan of Hyundai’s Econoboxes, however, I would probably give the Genesis a chance.

2009 Top Safety Pick Awards by IIHS

From IIHS

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute’s frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can’t be positioned to protect many people.

ALL 72 WINNERS

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit

Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma

Shamefully, my G37 didn’t make the cut, but it made it into the “ALSO RANS” list:

ALSO-RANS
These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have ESC, standard or optional. They would be 2009 Top Safety Pick winners if their seat/head restraints also earn good ratings:

Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, Town & Country
Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan
Infiniti G35, M35
Kia Amanti
Lexus ES, GS,IS
Mazda CX-7, CX-9
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor
Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra
Saturn AURA
Smart Fortwo
Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna

Something sad to note here, no Chrysler cars made it to the top of the list. I’m starting to feel like Chrysler is one automaker that probably doesn’t need the bailout since they build such “average” cars.

October 2008 Lease Rate for 09 Hyundai Genesis

My Take: Shocking! This is my first Hyundai post. I wont deny that I’ve always viewed Hyundai with an eye of skepticism. Specially when it comes to the luxury-level cars they make. Hyundai has come a long way in terms of quality and reliability, but folks such as myself still need another 5-10 years of solid all-around quality cars to change our minds. With that said, I think Hyundai is making a strong case towards changing our minds with the introduction of the Genesis. The current 24-month lease rate for their V6 model is looking pretty decent, so it’s worth a look. They must be very confident of the Genesis to be leasing it for 2 years at practically no interest.

At Invoice At MSRP
Make/Model Invoice MSRP 24-month 36-month 24-month 36-month
09 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 $30,993 $33,000 $446 N/A $529 N/A

  • $500 cash incentive applied
  • Standard inception fees + tax not included
  • Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8
24 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00001 Base Rate

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QUICK LINKS:

LEASE CALCULATOR (requires MS Excel)

THE LIST, monthly list of car rankings on monthly payments

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

The Most Reliable Brand?

Consumer Reports’ most reliable brand is Honda, followed by Acura. No big surprise there. It is well-known that Honda makes great cars, so I won’t disagree with Consumer Reports on this one. A few brands seem out of place, like Buick rolling in at 10th.

Here is a quick summary of the top 10 most reliable brands.

  1. Honda
  2. Acura
  3. Scion
  4. Subaru
  5. Toyota
  6. Lexus
  7. Infiniti
  8. Mitsubishi
  9. Porsche
  10. Buick

Buick sticks out like a sore thumb here. Considering Buick is a GM, that’s some serious reliability there.
So who are the bottom-feeders of the list?

  1. Land Rover
  2. Hummer
  3. Cadillac
  4. Mercedes Benz
  5. Pontiac
  6. Volkswagen
  7. Chevrolet
  8. Jeep
  9. GMC
  10. Suzuki

What I find surprising is how GM has 50% of the crappiest brands out there. OUCH! I take back what I said about GM not making crappy cars. What is interesting to see is that only one Japanese automaker on the 10 worst list is Suzuki, which also happens to be 10th worst (not exactly bad if you ask me). We also see only 2 Germans and the rest are all American. That’s 70% of the of that list. Pretty sad.

Keep in mind that it doesn’t mean ALL cars of that brand are bad, the CR report gives you a visual range of how good/bad this brands models are.  For example, Pontiac has the widest range of good-to-bad models of any manufacturer, with the Solstice being pure garbage and the Vibe being their best model (It’s no coincidence since the Vibe is the Toyota Matrix’s cousin).

CR brand reliability report [PDF]

Your thoughts?