RX350 (base) would be a lease transfer I have negotiated the monthly payment to be $420/month, actual monthly is $535, will pay difference upfront. This will be for the remainder 33 months. Problem is the contract is for 7,500 miles/year and I need closer to 12k/year. Each mile over the 7500/yr is .25.
The BMW X3 is a demo and will be $499/month and $960 out of pocket. Almost fully loaded. 12k miles for 36 months.
To add to all this either car needs to be able to fit two car seats in the back as well as my wife so she can be with newborn. As currently have a 2yr old and one on the way.
To me this nearly knocks the X3 out of the equation. There’s a bit more room in an RX back seat, and with 2 car seats, every millimeter matters. Sometimes that last 1/8" can make the difference of getting your damn hand stuck every time you have to maneuver the seat.
If you end up over mileage, perhaps Lexus would forgive the charge if you lease another (new) Lexus.
I agree, two car seats and with room for your wife in the middle is going to be fairly tight in an X3.
A minivan is probably overkill for your needs and they don’t lease particularly well but I’d probably be more tempted to look into an XC90 at this price point.
I’m going to third the sentiment that fitting two car seats + wife in the middle seat (especially since you say it’s for the newborn, and those infant car seats + bases take up a good amount of rum) will be super tight in the X3.
I’d start going to dealerships with two car seats and the wife and testing stuff out to be sure.
IMO it’s not the best deal in terms of dollars and cents for getting a luxury SUV. However, it might be the best deal for you and your situation. 7,500 miles is a bit on the low side and it doesn’t feel like a good deal to me. Have you thought about something like a Volvo XC90? It might be a better fit and it tends to lease better than the RX350. A comparable BMW would be the X5 rather than the X3.
Why would you even consider that RX350 deal if you need 12k/yr? Considering the overage you would pay, the monthly payment comes out to $515/mo, which is a terrible deal for a base RX350.
