The percentage of people leasing cars was falling, but it is now back up to more than 20%. As leases increase, so do sales pitches for leasing. Clark believes leasing can be major trouble. Do not be a payment buyer, which means you only think about what it will cost per month. Think about the whole picture.

Positives of leasing:
-if you want a new car forever, and you can cycle in and out of a car every 24 months, leasing may work for you
-if there is a special deal on a lease from a manufacturer to help sell the car, a lease may work

Negatives of leasing:
-you don’t know your future and you don’t know where you will be in five years (children, new job, new home, etc.)
-the turn in of a leased vehicle can be ugly and brutal with lots of penalties for unusual wear and tear. You must make sure you photograph the car thoroughly before you turn it in. And make sure you are present for your car inspection and get a copy of the report.
As the leasing market increases, the used car market gets better and better. A used car customer, who buys a car that was originally leased, does not take the car’s depreciation hit because the original leaser has already paid.