Nissan

1107_nissan_juke

2011-12 Nissan Lease Rates – July 2011

Published by G


2012 model seem to have some lease support this month. That means high residuals and reasonably low money factors. Special thanks to Kevin L for providing a list of rates for Nissan cars. The good news is that the list has numbers for all six lease terms, rates for their SignatureOne lease program PLUS minimum credit requirements for each credit tier. The bad news is that the list missing numbers for the 370Z and the GT-R and it has no information on any available rebates. You can see this list on my Facebook page.

Below, you will find few of the numbers from Kevin’s list. Please note that 39-month terms suffer a 1% drop in residual, but the money factor remains the same. I am really like the numbers for the Maxima, Altima and SPECIALLY the Sentra SE-R Spec V right now.


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.

June Calculation
2011 NISSAN MAXIMA SV Premium
MSRP – $38,510
Sale Price – $33,622
Monthly – $358+ tax
RWG Rating – 102.0

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA SV Premium
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00022 base money factor

2012 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN 3.5SR
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00081 base money factor

2012 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE 3.5SR
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00194 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO LE
36 month | 15k miles | residual 46% | .00041 base money factor

2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE 4×4
36 month | 15k miles | residual 44% | .00003 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE Krom AWD
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00154 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R Spec V
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00003 base money factor

2011 NISSAN TITAN SV KC 4×4
36 month | 15k miles | residual 39% | .00049 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 1.8 SL HB
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00003 base money factor

2011 NISSAN XTERRA S 4×4 AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 51% | .00078 base money factor

1106_nissan_maxima

2011 Nissan Lease Rates – June 2011

Published by G


With the exception of the Altima, most other Nissan models got a nice drop in money factor. Residuals remain steady (same as last month). I think sale prices have probably inched up a bit, but the drop in money factor should help keep payments reasonable. As for the Altima, it looks like sale prices dropped a tiny bit, but the bump in MF bumped the payments a few bucks north. Overall, I was expecting higher increases than what I am currently seen. By no means is this going to stay the same through out the month. Dealers can (and sometimes will) adjust sale prices mid-month to compensate for any changes in delivery and/or market trends.


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 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
MSRP – $23,190
Sale Price – $20,588 ($1250 rebate not applied)
Monthly – $216+ tax
RWG Rating – 101.7

June Calculation
2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
MSRP – $23,190
Sale Price – $20,438 ($1250 rebate not applied)
Monthly – $219+ tax
RWG Rating – 100.8

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00128 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00055 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00078 base money factor

2011 NISSAN CUBE 5DR WAGON S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN JUKE 2WD S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 50% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN LEAF 5DR HATCHBACK SV
36 month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00204 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00111 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00185 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00083 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 5DR HB S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00064 base money factor

1105_nissan_cube

2011 Nissan Lease Rates – May 2011

Published by G


Surprisingly, Nissan leases are looking much better than I expected. There is the usual drop in residual value which is expected about every other month, but the MF has dropped enough to compensate for the lost in value. Factor in the relatively good sale prices and you get “better-than-expected” leases for the month of May.


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 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
MSRP – $23,190
Sale Price – $20,588 ($1250 rebate not applied)
Monthly – $216+ tax
RWG Rating – 101.7

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00136 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00034 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00078 base money factor

2011 NISSAN CUBE 5DR WAGON S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 52% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN JUKE 2WD S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 50% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN LEAF 4DR HATCHBACK SV
36 month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00204 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00161 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00194 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00103 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 5DR HB S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00075 base money factor

1104_nissan_murano

2011 Nissan Lease Rates – April 2011

Published by G


Nissan lease rates got a little bit worse than last month. The residual stayed similar to March, but the money factors went up a bit. This probably has something to do with Japan’s earthquare/tsunami/nuclear disaster. There’s also a markup of about $550 to the MSRP, so if you are looking for a Nissan right now, expect to pay slightly more than last month.

About rebates…If you see a cash rebate that cannot be combined with special financing, it probably means that it will not apply to leases either. Please speak to your dealer to confirm.

On a separate note, Just to be clear, the photos of cars I post do not represent the lease rates I obtain. I got a complaint last month as to why I have a picture of a GTR and do not have lease rates for them. If you don’t see them posted, you probably should contact your local dealer.

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 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
MSRP – $23,190
Sale Price – $20,788 ($1250 rebate not applied)
Monthly – $241+ tax
RWG Rating – 94.0

For Dealer Quotes, CLICK HERE.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00192 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00109 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00166 base money factor

2011 NISSAN CUBE 5DR WAGON S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN JUKE 2WD S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN LEAF 4DR HATCHBACK SV
36 month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00204 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00178 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00120 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 5DR HB S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00092 base money factor

1103_nissan_gtr

2011 Nissan Lease Rates – March 2011

Published by G


I think Nissan are looking like great buys this month since there is a good chunk of cash rebates available. As far as leasing, they are slightly worse than last month due to lower residuals, but dealers could still be discounting quite a bit off the MSRP to make the deals better, so I wouldn’t be too discouraged. There were reports over at Edmund’s leasing forums regarding folks getting $4000 in rebates for the Maxima. I don’t quite know how that happened, but can’t see how that can happen this month.  Of course, I would love it if someone proved me wrong.

Despite my skepticism, I do think the Maxima is still a good lease this month. The Altima numbers also look great, even without the $1250 rebate. The Sentra and the Versa should still remain excellent leases right now.

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 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
MSRP – $20,670
Sale Price – $18,348 ($1250 rebate not applied)
Monthly – $208+ tax
RWG Rating – 96.3

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00188 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00103 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00164 base money factor

2011 NISSAN CUBE 5DR WAGON S CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN JUKE 2WD S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 54% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN LEAF 4DR HATCHBACK SV
36 month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00204 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00178 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S
36 month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00203 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00001 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 5DR HB S AT
36 month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00023 base money factor

1102_nissan_cube

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.

1102_nissan_ellure_hybrid

2011 Nissan Lease Rates – February 2011

Published by G


Wow! check out how crummy the Leaf’s residual value is! That’s a shocker. The MF isn’t exactly what I call desirable either. However, if you live in a state where you get some big fat rebates (like we do in CA), you could get a pretty sweet deal on this car…if you can find one.

Overall, there are some good deals to be had here. The Sentra, as usual, is a great lease. The Rogue shows potential due to the high residual. The Altimate sedan is also a solid choice for those who need the extra room.

Nissan has done a great job positioning themselves as a lease-friendly brand by introduction great lease rates in the past couple years. Let’s hope they keep things up in the coming year.

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 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
MSRP – $20,360
Sale Price – $18,039 ($2500 rebate not applied to leases)
Monthly – $159+ tax
RWG Rating – 116.1

For Dealer Quotes, Click Here.


2011 NISSAN MAXIMA S
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00160 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 60% | .00097 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00143 base money factor

2011 NISSAN CUBE 5DR WAGON S CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN JUKE 2WD S AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00230 base money factor

2011 NISSAN LEAF 4DR HATCHBACK SV
36-month | 15k miles | residual 45% | .00204 base money factor

2011 NISSAN MURANO AWD S
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00148 base money factor

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S
36-month | 15k miles | residual 64% | .00180 base money factor

2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00011 base money factor

2011 NISSAN VERSA 5DR HB S AT
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00042 base money factor

civicRU

Monthly Round-Up: January 2011

Published by G


As you can see, the month of January is not as good as last December. Payments on cars in the Top Top list jumped anywhere from $20 to $50 per month, which translates to thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. The good news is that the Civic tops this month’s list for the third time in the last seven months. Impressive. Even more impressive is that fact that Honda and Nissan pretty much dominate this month’s Round-Up. As you all know, I highly recommend Hondas if you are a first time lessee. Their lease program is straight forward and economical compared to other brands. GAP coverage, damage waiver and no disposition fee simple blows the competition away.

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 Honda Civic LX (116.9)

Not as good as last month, but still reasonable enough for what you are getting.

Second – 2011 Nissan Sentra S (111.0)

The customer cash is still there, but it’s not available for leasing. Therefore, not as good of a deal. If you buy cash or using third party bank to finance, you should be able to tap into that rebate.

Third  – 2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (102.9)

I’m actually warming up to the mid-cycle refresh of the Accord. It gives it a “classier” look in my opinion, although the back look a little too much like the Hyundai Azera.

Fourth – 2011 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan (102.9)

Technically tied the Accord for Third, but since the G37 is a manual and a bit harder to find, it gets penalized a little bit.

Fifth – 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour EX (101.4)

Not a bad ride for the amount of cash you pay, but not the kind of car I’d like on my drive way. It’s like a failed case study on how to clone the BMW X6.

Sixth – 2011 Infiniti G25 Sedan (100.8)

Seems like a lot of folks are warming up to the entry-level G sedan. With lease numbers like this, I can’t say I blame them.

Seventh – 2011 Nissan Altima S (100.5)

For this price range, I would rather have the Accord. However, I cannot deny that this is still one heck of a deal.

Eighth – 2011 Honda CR-V LX AWD (100.3)

Good deal if you are looking for a crossover. I’m still waiting on Honda to introduce a V6 version of the CR-V. Until that happens, I probably won’t consider leasing one.

Ninth – 2011 Nissan Maxima S (100.2)

Most of you will probably opt for the SV, which will cost you more. But if you manage to find some S on the lot, you should be able to cut a pretty good deal on them.

Tenth – 2011 Infiniti M37 (98.8)

I got three words for you: One. Sweet. Ride.

Missing the Cut (90+ rating)

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T SE (93.1)
2011 Honda Odyssey LX (95.4)
2011 Infiniti FX35 (97.4)
2011 Acura TL (98.3)
2011 Mazda3 i Sport (96.0)
2011 Mazda CX-9 GT (97.4)
2011 Mercedez-Benz C300 Sport (90.9)
2011 Lexus IS250 (90.3)
2011 Audi A3 (90.0)
2011 VW Tiguan S (91.0)
2011 VW CC R-Line (90.2)

Parting Shots

As stated before, not the best time to lease a car, but certainly not the worst. Probably better than the past few Januaries I’ve seen and comparable to last November in most cases. I’d would like to see more VWs, Hyundais and Acuras on the Top Ten though. Nissan and Honda have been dominating the list these past couple months, while BMW didn’t even get close to Missing the Cut. A little more variety would be great.