2011 BMW Lease Rates – November 2010

Published 2010/11/04 by G

UPDATE: The first set of lease rates to kick-off the Holiday Season and BMWFS lays a REAL stinker. Residuals drop. Money Factors either drop slightly, stay the same or go up a little. Sure, there is “holiday cash” available now, but “fixed dollar” rebates rarely offset hefty drops in residual value. This means that the higher the price tag, the more insignificant that lease rebate becomes. If you don’t believe me, feel free to crunch the numbers yourself and compare it to last month’s lease rates. One has to wonder if last month’s “higher-than-usual” sales volume had anything to do with this. Anyway, it’s incredible how much residuals dropped this month. We’re talking 3-5% of many of the popular models! Crazy! Lets hope that at least sale prices drop a bit more this month compared to last.

FIND A BMW DEALER NEAR YOU

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Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

BMW Incentives from Edmunds.com

2010 OC Auto Show

Published 2010/10/182010/11/04 by G

Sorry for the delay in posting the photos. I’ve been busy this past week with work, nursing a sports related injury and spending time with family over the weekend. Anyway, the OC Auto Show was great and I got to spend a good four hours taking photos and “sampling” the goods. As far as concepts are concern, there weren’t many in this show. Then again, this show is a much small event than the LA, Detroit or NY Auto Show, so most of the cars on display were either models in production or soon to be released. Of all of the major manufacturers, only a few didn’t make the show (Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi); Not a huge loss if you ask me.

Here are some of my initial reactions about each manufacturer that showed up:

Acura – The TL’s “beak” really needs to go. The TSX wagon is hideous. The rest of the line-up gets a thumbs up.

Audi – Nothing new. I am personally targeting the A3 as a my possible “Next Ride”.

BMW – Nothing new. I didn’t spend much time there because it’s not different than last year with the exception of the new IS models.

Buick – The Regal looks nice and it’s cheap. A bit smaller than what I thought it would be, though.

Chevy – The Cruze was actually impressive. I think it should compete well against cars in it’s class.

Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep – JGC was probably the best looking offering they had (No surprise there). It’s a good looking SUV inside and out.

GMC – Probably the only brand that offered a “Concept”, the Granite. Interesting take on box-shaped transportation. Certainly better looking than the Cube or the xB.

Ford – I liked the Edge Sport and the Fusion. Not sore I would get the Fusion personally, but I would consider the Edge…as a matter of fact, I am.

Honda – They really did something funky to the tail lights of the Accord coupe; It flares out to the side. Really weird looking, not a fan of it.

KIA/Hyundai – Love the Sonata and the Optima. The 2.0T and the Hybrid look sharp. I’m highly considering the Sonata as my next car because of it’s combination of features and price.

Saab – Yawn.

Volvo – XC60 is freaking awesome. It’s too expensive, otherwise I would seriously consider getting one even if the quality/durability may be questionable (it is a lease after all).

Subaru – Nothing really new except a really pimped out STi. From a styling perspective, it doesn’t look any different than the one from last year.

Toyota – Cheap plastic all over the freaking place. It’s like Toyota took a page out of GMC and Ford’s “how to build a cheap car” manual. This is like Bizarro World. Seriously.

Supercars – I don’t keep up with the Maseratis, Ferraris and Lambos of the world so I didn’t know what to look for. I do know the Sesto Elemento wasn’t there. Not that ride is impressive.

Jaguar – New XJ looks pimping. It’s elegant and loaded with tech. I like how the dash and console look so clean and elegant.

Volkswagen – VW is changing the way they package their vehicles, which will be similar to what Honda/Acura does (which shoud simplify the shopping process). 2011 Jetta gets mixed feelings from me due to the simplified, “downgraded” interior. My wife wasn’t a big fan of the new exterior either (compared to her Wolfsburg) and I have to agree with her. I think the Jetta lost a lot of it’s “personality” in the redesign. I think of it as a jogger wearing a suit, not exactly the sporty/playful image I’ve come to love about the Jetta.

Mazda – Nothing new on this show, but I do know Mazda has a sweet new concept called the Shinari, which looks insanely good. I’m hoping they bring it in for the LA Auto Show next month. That would be spectacular.

Lexus – The IS gets a “F” option package which mimics the ISF in style but not in performance. It’s like the M package that’s offered on the 3-series.

Cadillac – Caddy has a good number of cars in the show and the best one of them all is the CTS-V coupe. I don’t know what C&D was talking about when they said the interior was “gimmicky”. Whatever, I think its a fabulous car if you have $500-$600 bucks to burn per month (or so).

Without further delay, here are some pictures from the show! Enjoy!

: Chevy Cruze

: Cruze interior

: Chevy Volt

: “American Pride” Camaro

: Ford Edge Sport

: Ford Explorer

: Jeep GC interior

: Jeep GC

: Caddy CTS-V Coupe

: Caddy CTS-V tail lights

: Caddy CTS-V interior

: Buick Regal

: GMC Granite Concept

: GMC Granite Concept interior

: Buick Regal interior

: VW Jetta SE

: Jetta SE front

: Jetta SE interior

: Jetta SE front 2

: Volvo XC60 front

: Volvo XC60 interior

: Volvo XC60 rear

: Jaguar XJ interior

: Jaguar XJ exterior

: Jaguar XJ front

: Infiniti M front

: KIA Koupe

: KIA Koupe interior

: KIA Koupe front

: KIA Optima front

: KIA Optima rear

: Honda Accord rear

: Honda Accord bulging tail light

: TSX wagon front

: TSX wagon side

: Lexus wannabe ISF

: Lexus wannabe ISF rear

: Nissan Juke rear

: Nissan Juke front

: Nissan Leaf. Hi.

: Nissan Maxima. Love the color.

: Maserati GT

: Maserati GT rear

: Toyota Lowlander side

: Toyota Lowlander front

: Hyundai Sonata Turbo rear

: Sonata Turbo interior

: Sonata Limited front. That would be the color I’d get, IF I got one.

: Sonata Hybrid front

: Sonata Hybrid rear

2011 BMW Lease Rates – October 2010

Published 2010/10/062010/10/06 by G

UPDATE: Looks like there are some changes to October numbers after all. There have been some drops (and one increase) on the 1-series. The 3-series and M3s get a nice drop in money factor on select models. The X5 gets a 0.00010 bump in money factor and most other models remain the same. Things just got sweeter in BMW land!

My Take: As expected, BMW numbers remained the same as last month. If you were looking for a BMW and couldn’t pull the trigger last month, you get another month to make it happen. This is an excellent month for the 3-series, so if you like the numbers, I would recommend getting some quotes sooner than later because I expect numbers to change come November.

FIND A BMW DEALER NEAR YOU

FIND A BMW DEALER NEAR YOU

FIND A BMW DEALER NEAR YOU

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

BMW Incentives from Edmunds.com

Monthly Round-Up: September 2010

Published 2010/09/25 by G

Welcome to this month’s Round-Up!

Towards the end of every month, I examine all of the lease data I have collected on this website and present you with the best lease deals of the month. This segment is meant for those who enjoy cutting last minute deals in order to get more competitive pricing. Therefore, this column is posted towards the last week of each month.

Here are some ground rules that I follow (these have been updated to reflect the new rating system):

Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website during the corresponding month.
Ideally, 36-month/15k lease terms will be examined. If not available, other terms will be used.
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‘s 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.

So wins this month’s Round-Up? Read on!

Tenth Place

2010 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan TDI
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00068 base money factor

MSRP – $28,089.00
SALE – $25,952.00
MONTHLY – $304.68

(91.2) The TDI’s lease rates are extremely attractive this month due to a lower-than-usual money factor. Throughout the year, VW Credit hasn’t really lowered the MF on their TDIs, so their leases were never low enough to warrant any attention. That is not the case this month. The trouble is availability, since we are nearing the end of the year, finding the right TDI at your local dealer may prove to be challenging.

Ninth Place

2011 BMW 328xi Sedan
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00125 base money factor

MSRP – $46,425.00
SALE – $43,180.00
MONTHLY – $502.17

(91.4) The 328xi makes it’s second consecutive trip to the TopTen Round-Up thanks to BMWFS keeping the residuals high and the MF low. The extra savings here is the lack of a security deposit, which will keep your drive-off costs lower than usual, making the lease attractive for those who love BMWs.

Eight Place

2011 Audi A3 2.0T Premium
36-month | 15k miles | residual 55% | .00035 base money factor

MSRP – $29,965.00
SALE – $27,524.00
MONTHLY – $322.16

(91.8) I think the A3 would have easily stayed on this list last month had I had the numbers for it then. I think AFS is trying to move the A3s because a newly-redesigned version is just around the corner. That’s good because I have the A3 on my watch list for next year, when I replace my G37. If the A3’s lease rates remain attractive through the 1st half of next year, I think I could easily get back into another Audi next year.

Seventh Place

2011 BMW 135i Convertible
36-month | 15k miles | residual 63% | .00150 base money factor

MSRP – $48,400.00
SALE – $44,875.00
MONTHLY – $512.58

(92.8) This was a surprise because BMWFS lowered the money factor on the 135s quite a bit. This is a great deal for lose looking for a fast and fun convertible. Sure, the payments look kind of high in this example, but keep in mind that this car is practically loaded. If you are looking for a more stripped down version, you should see payments drop below $500 a month. If I were in the market for another coupe, I would definitely consider this pocket-sized rocket, that’s how much I like this deal.

Sixth Place

2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited
36-month | 15k miles | residual 56% | .00050 base money factor

MSRP – $28,345.00
SALE – $25,574.00
MONTHLY – $290.19

(95.0) Hyundai’s Sonata Limited has stayed on this list for three-straight months! That’s quite a feat! What’s even more impressive is how you can probably get a fully-loaded Sonata with NAV for less than $400 a month with either your 1st month or nothing due at drive-off. That, to me, is a great deal. I also hear great things about the Sonata Turbo and Hybrid, so I can’t wait to see those lease rates once the cars begin arriving at dealer showrooms.

Fifth Place

2010 Infiniti G37 Sedan Sport Manual
36-month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00089 base money factor

MSRP – $39,725.00
SALE – $35,049.00
MONTHLY – $385.27

(98.8) If you are looking to get into the entry level luxury sedan segment, this car is probably the best one out there. However, you will need to know how to drive a manual because the Journey Sport (automatic) model sports a lower residual, which results in higher monthly payments.

Fourth Place

2010 Acura TSX
36-month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00064 base money factor

MSRP – $30,170.00
SALE – $26,919.00
MONTHLY – $290.11

(99.5) If you don’t want to spend G37 money and are willing to sacrifice horsepower in exchange for lower payments and higher fuel efficiency, the TSX is for you. 2010s are probably pretty scarce nowadays, so there may not be a lot of choices. However, if you do find one, snag it because it’s one of the finest cars on the road and it’s backed by one of the best lease programs in the industry.

Third Place

2010 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe
36-month | 15k miles | residual 61% | .00113 base money factor

MSRP – $44,275.00
SALE – $39,281.00
MONTHLY – $415.83

(101.2) Whatever I said about the G37 Sport Sedan pretty much applies here too, except for coupes. The G37 Sport Coupe topped the last two month’s Round-Up list, but this month’s rate change has made the payments have jumped a bit. Despite this, it is still the best bang for the buck for cars in this segment. No luxury sport coupe can touch the G37 right now when you add all it’s features, performance and price. Eat that Car & Driver!

Second Place

2010 Nissan Maxima SV
39-month | 15k miles | residual 50% | .00028 base money factor

MSRP – $37,500.00
SALE – $30,996.00
MONTHLY – $327.93

(106.2) The last couple of months, we saw the Maxima SV eat the G37 Sport Coupe’s dust in this competition. This month, the tables have turned. If you don’t mind driving a FWD, the Maxima is probably the more budget friendly deal compared the it’s cousin, the G37 Sedan. You pretty much get all the bells and whistles, but at a lower price point. Nissan has yanked the bigger cash rebate, but there seems to be a smaller one still around. Dealers are trying to move these cars because 2011s have started to arrive into dealerships, so now is the time to go test drive one of these.

FIRST PLACE

2010 Honda Civic Coupe LX
36-month | 15k miles | residual 58% | .00090 base money factor

MSRP – $18,955.00
SALE – $15,750.00
MONTHLY – $156.18

(111.6) You don’t have to be a near-luxury car in order to be considered a great deal and win this Round-Up. Despite it’s low price tag, it seem Honda dealers are willing to discount the car. Sure, its plain vanilla, but it does get great gas mileage and it’s an excellent commuter car; cheap, reliable and efficient.

Notable Absentees

The following vehicles’ were ranked in the Top Ten Round-Up last month but due to the lack of lease rates this month, their deals could not be confirmed.

Parting Shots

Notable models that barely missed the cut include the 2011 BMW 328, 2010 VW Tiguan S and the 2011 Honda CR-Z. The CR-Z has a high MF, but with it’s super-high residual and some minor discounts off MSRP, this lease can still be attractive. I recommend trying to knock down about 5% off the sticker price if you are interested in leasing this fun-looking hybrid, that should make for a reasonable lease that you won’t lose sleep over.

There is still plenty of time to take advantage of these deals, so I encourage you to contact your local dealer. If you don’t know your nearest dealer, you can request quotes using this link.

Got comments? questions? Disagree with my analysis? Please chime in with your thoughts on what you think this month’s Top Ten should be.

2011 BMW Lease Rates – September 2010

Published 2010/09/082010/09/08 by G

My Take: Looks like some of the lease rates have improved this month. Residual values look like they have remained steady, while money factors have dropped on select models. There are some models that got a bump on the money factor, but for the most part, they improved. I guess low sales in August really prompted the banks to do something to move cars. Looks like September will remain a good month to lease a BMW.

GET A FREE QUOTE FROM YAHOO AUTOS!

GET A FREE QUOTE FROM YAHOO AUTOS!

2010/2011 BMW Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

The Wall: PChukwura’s BMW 328i Coupe

Published 2010/09/012010/09/01 by G

Name: PChukwura
Location: Georgia
What He’s Got: white BMW 328i coupe.
What It Cost: N/A

My Take: Didn’t get any details, but it seems the lease was just not as attractive as buying a CPO. Good move. Buying CPOs are becoming a big business because more and more people are leasing. I guess folks like myself have made the CPO market more attractive for folks like PChukwura. Looks like we all win! Even the dealers since they charge a premium for CPO warranty! Haahaa.

Want your ride featured on RIDE with G? Send your pics over to thewall(at)ridewithg.com

What’s Going On – August 2010

Published 2010/08/172010/08/18 by G

Website Related Changes

If you are a “long-timer”, you will probably notice some changes to the website. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of a choice due to a little “blunder” I did last week so I hope you like it because it’s here to stay. About a week ago, I bravely decided to “upgrade” WordPress (the software that runs this blog) to their latest 3.0.1 version. Probably the dumbest thing to do when you don’t have a test site to toy around with and yes, I should have known better. Anyway, long story short, the old layout caused some problems, some stuff disappeared and I was left with little choice but to upgrade the look and feel of the site. I personally like it a little bit better because it’s easier to work with, but that’s just me.

Blog and Forum Users Unite!

In the coming weeks, I will be playing around with ways to unify the forum with the blog accounts, making the transition between the two more seamless and less of a drag. During the implementation, access to the website could be affected, but I hope to make the transition smoother so you won’t notice.

Lease Rates and Such

Starting next month, I would love to get some help from folks who talk to dealers and can get their hands on some lease rates. I will of course, continue to do what I do, but I would love to have some folks share their research as well. This will be beneficial to the community and provide added info for those seeking assistance with their lease.

If you are a dealer or have dealer connections, please see if you can share lease rates with me. I’d be more than happy to provide advertising and referrals to dealers who are willing to share. You can email me for more information.

What’s Up 328

BMW lowered the MF of the 328 sedans so much this month that the 328i and 328ix have become really hot right now. It is a fine car, but I’d much rather have a G37. Then again, that could easily change if gas prices start shooting up to the $4 range. Still, I wouldn’t really sleep on this if you’ve been in the market for one because they are looking mighty attractive right now. We have had quite a few people inquiring or leasing the 328 this month (just look at the BMW Lease Rates post), it’s crazy!

Lease Calculator

I’m sure some of you have already noticed that I’ve taken down the EXCEL file and replaced it with a link to a shared file on Google Docs. Please use caution when editing the file and try not to modify the formula. I am in the process of creating version 3.0 of the calculator, which will be simplified and will sport a new “rating” system to help you with your leasing decisions. I hope to have that in place by the beginning of September.

Upcoming

I’m quite eager to see the new Honda CR-Z (pictured) that its set to debut for the coming model year. It looks like a fun, sporty, compact and gas-sipping ride with lots modding potential. I would love to pick one up as my daily driver, but I don’t think my life has any room for another coupe (more on that later).

On a totally separate note, I will be heading off to Vegas next month to play a hoops tournament. You will probably see a Tweet on that when it happens which means that I won’t be available for questions until I get back.

2011 BMW Lease Rates – August 2010

Published 2010/08/092010/08/17 by G

Update: I just came across a news paper advertisement stating that “no security deposit” is needed to lease a 3-series. That is great news because more often than not, you need a security deposit to secure the base rate. This is a good month for a 3-series! the offer expires August 31st! So don’t sleep on this if you are in the market for a 3-series.

My Take: Some of the 3-series money factors droppped this month, making the lease significantly cheaper. Not too much of a surprise there since the 3-series is their top selling model, so discounts usually happen on that lineup. The rest of the BMW line up’s lease rates have remained the same. If you need help with payment estimates, be sure to provide the necessary information in your comments (i.e. MSRP, Sale price, sales tax and any fees your dealer is charging). This information is crucial in order to get an accurate estimate so be sure to get that from your dealer.

GET A FREE QUOTE FROM YAHOO AUTOS!

GET A FREE QUOTE FROM YAHOO AUTOS!

2010/2011 BMW Incentives

Lease rates provided by LeaseCompare.com

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