I’ll know for next time! Thanks for the tips.
Back in March 2017, I got offer from a NJ Audi dealer for a Premuim Plus A4 with season of Audi package, for about $428 a month including tax with zero down. Due at signing is just first month payment, aqucision fee, and title. The term is 36 month/12k per month. The MSRP is around $46-48k, don’t remember exactly.
I ended up getting a BMW 340 with $510 a month (tax incl) and zero down, same 36/12k term and the MSRP of the car is $60k.
In general, you should always negotiate via email and use monthly payment with tax < 1% of the MSRP as a your bottom line, for a regular 36/12k lease. So if the car’s MSRP is 50k, don’t pay over $500 a month.
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It varies by county.
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8.875% is NYC, long island is 8.625%
While others will say the 1% rule is for 36/10, others that it’s before tax, etc…hence why the 1% rule is the most over-quoted, overrated fake “rule” of leasing.
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Was at Audi yesterday and loved the A5, but the same…I was told it doesn’t lease very well, payments come out to almost 700 lol.
I agree with you, the service was great. Their salesmen and managers are very polite, straight forward, not pushy, and very non-cocky/non-assholish lol.
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I think you got a pretty good deal. There’s a lot of noise on here - I saw an insane deal on a Q7 & a half dozen “that’s not good” replies - and it’s best to ignore it.
As someone who used to work for Audi I’d say you got a very competitive rate & the A4 is a beauty. Be happy with the whip! Audi’s don’t lease well and the profit margins ARE indeed rather slim. Sure the dealership makes cash off overall inventory & sales goals, but plenty of Audi’s only have a few hundred dollars of profit. I believe that $300 number; my sales people made more off bonuses than profit slices.
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I got the same car and I’m paying under $500
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Can you negotiate residual? I got quoted 54% just now.
Residual is set by the bank and cannot be negotiated. It can vary by the trim of the car and can also vary by month.
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Thank you, was curious about that. I get why Audis don’t lease well now.
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You def should, I learned a lot from here. I just got my first lease about 2 weeks ago as well. I went into thinking the same way as you “buying a car is just not really worth it any more”, at that I also had my old car’s negative equity carrying over to the lease so I really had to shop around. Before I set out to look, I spent an entire week(no sleep) here reading and reading and learning as much as I could. My original intention was to get an Infiniti QX60, but that was not going to work out based on my situation. I ended up at Audi where I got a great offer for the A4, it was a base model but I had realized that “I would have to sacrifice” during my first lease in order to compensate. Regardless of it being a base model i liked the car a lot, the dealer did work with me and they DID lower the payment to what I WANTED. They first offered me $565 a month, 10k a year, w 3k down, for 42 months, I said NO THANKS. Their final offer was 450(what I asked) for 36 months (I asked for), 10k a year, 2500 down. It was already late so I promised to go back the next day. On my way there my husband insisted that we stopped by Lexus to see what they offered, the lease was slightly less than the A4 and my insurance would only go up $8 vs the $30 that it would increase w Audi, so I went for it.
The salesmen at Audi were great though, they were very nice when I told them that I ended up with a Lexus, I hope that in 3 years the A5 leases better. This is a learning experience though, as long as you’re happy it’s cool, next lease you will know just the right thing to say 
enjoy your A4.
You offered to pay $450/mo with $2500 down for a base A4?
I was carrying over a little over 4k in negative equity
The oddest, yet one of the most helpful rules we seem to have. I am still juggling this idea around in my head on the daily.
Based on this rule, although not advised, you really don’t have to understand a single number in a lease doc other than monthly. Get < 1% MSRP, total out of pocket, for a monthly payment, and chances are you did not get royally screwed! 
That is unless the same deal is widely available for 0.5% of MSRP
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Indeed, you are correct. Although the 1% number has no basis, I.E. pulled out of peoples asses, it is still useful as a gauge. If you are too lazy, or manage to not understand anything else, this gauge will ensure you are not posting another infamous “how did I do on this Honda lease” thread…
I also live in Long Island and there are a ton of dealers to go to within a 1/2 hour ride. I’ve been told many times from these luxury car sales-people, they are not used to people negotiating. Some enjoy it, because its a lost art for them, some see it as fun, and others cant be bothered, I’ve leased everything from C-class’ and 3-Series to Escalades and S7’s. We are in a good situation because of all the competition, just need to find the sales person willing to play ball. If they let you leave you can be at another dealer in 10 miles and try again. Go everywhere and anywhere you are willing to travel. I usually take the best deal to the dealership I felt most comfortable with and hope they match, unless you are looking for something less common then you play the “in-stock game”.
anyway, enjoy the new car and good luck. Car leasing on Long Island shouldn’t be intimidating at luxury dealerships, shop around and get the deal, competition among dealers is our best asset here.
Why stay in LI when you can drive 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to NJ?