Just a very general question. In everyone’s experience with leasing or buying, what has been the easiest bank/finance co to work with? Example - equity, ease of trade, etc etc. Not specific to any manufacturer, just in general.
You’re unlikely to glean much useful info from this broad of a question.
There are lessors that many here avoid (US Bank, Ally, for example) for various reasons, and there are some that prohibit third-party buyouts or make them infeasible. So you might look at this from the reverse vantage point instead.
I’ve had experience with just one, BMWFS, and to me they were just the name on the contract and the name shown next to the payment that came out of my checking account every month.
Yea, just curious to hear out different experiences with different companies. Already know about US/Ally and their nonsense lol
I have leased/purchased a few VWs and and Audi. It used to be a horrible and painful experience. In 2020 I leased a Cross Tour. It was terrific overall. I moved from MD to NC and VW credit handled all of the paperwork/notary/tax refunds with very little required by me. When I sold the car last month I went to a dealership and they purchased the car giving me a good profit and cut me a check on the spot.
This line of questioning is a big red flag.
The baseline expectations of 99.99% people at the start of a lease should be to end the lease, ground it, and walk away. And walk away happy that the only equity was negative, ie the bank was underwater, as was the case for almost every great lease during the heyday.
If you’re expecting equity and ease of trade as of May 2023 you are either way late to the game and/or in over your head. You are probably going to make a very expensive mistake
had a great experience with chase auto (had a jaguar)…handled moving out of state, paying out refund after total loss, and etc super easily
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Not expecting anything, just trying to hear other people out. Unfortunately sometimes scenarios change when you dont expect them to
If that’s the risk you want to insure against, then finance something within your budget. Being the owner means you can sell to anyone, at any time. As a lessee wanting to exit early you’d be taking the same market value risk. So there’s no extra risk here to be the owner.
Whatever “ease of trading in” anyone tells you about a lessor today could be gone by tomorrow. As a lessee you don’t have any rights beyond exactly what’s specified in the contract and state law. Ability to sell is not one of them. You just don’t have that right.
Whatever courtesy policy exists today could be gone by tomorrow. Just ask people who thought they could transfer out of their MBFS leases.
Honda Financial Services was great, they let me extend my lease 3x for an additional 18 months (twice without even doing any paperwork) during all the covid nonsense and buyout through my CU was relatively easy. They do not allow lease transfers or third party buyouts though.
The captives who use Chase (JLR, Subaru, RIP Mazda) don’t offer transfers, but have never restricted or taxed third-party buyouts. AFAIK/IIRC for total loss they only collect payoff -not ACV or any excess. My loan added itself to my Chase account the day it funded. Chase Auto also gives perks to Private Clients if you are one.
VCFS (BofA) is an iron lung you are stuck inside for the entire lease term — but it does everything it claims 100%, and most of the staff operating it are competent, intelligent, and efficient. 
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