None of the vehicles mentioned lease especially well, except maybe Highlander and Pilot (if you can lease through a credit union). However, I would urge you to pick the right vehicle for your family needs vs. what may be a good deal.
Ascent is a great SUV and if we needed the space, it would have been our choice over the Outback. It was not, and still isn’t, leasing especially well but it is wonderful.
My guess is whatever the monthly nut increase is to get the right vehicle is going to pale in comparison to your other expenses…
Mazda also offers pull-ahead and lease loyalty - so maybe that would help cover the remaining payments. Could help you on a CX-9 deal as well as an acadia deal.
From what I’ve seen here, leasing in VA is rather punitive from a tax standpoint. You pay tax on the selling price (ouch), and then you continue to pay property tax annually on top (double ouch).
Have you considered making a long term purchase instead?
thanks. I don’t think I had the qx60 initially on my radar, but will take a look at that too. I am lucky to live in an area where I do not have to go far to test all of these vehicles.
I know you want to avoid minivan…my wife did as well…but man automatic sliding doors are so nice. Also don’t have to deal with a big door swing when buckling kids in with tight parking spots. I’m 6’2" with 4 kids in car seats…
Yeah minivans are not cool right now but they are certainly practical. We frequently take them from Enerald Aisle through National on vacation and they are just so superior to SUVs in terms of practicality. Sure you can fit everyone in a Pilot or QX60, but I hope you don’t also need a stroller plus luggage in the trunk with this row in use for passengers. I’ve only got a kid and a dog so can usually fit everyone in even an Accord but if we had another child I would definitely be the one pushing a minivan.
No way around this except driving older cars. But cars that don’t retain value well, like Infiniti and Volvo is one strategy. Helps reduce property tax pain for years 2 and 3. My bloody MDX is being assessed at 70% of MSRP for year three which sucks although is certainly in line with what Carvana/Vroom say it is worth.
Yeah pretty nuts getting everyone in & out these days! We have a Honda Odyssey 8 seater. Been very flexible for us. When it was just 3 in carseats, I took out 2nd row center to make a captain’s chair arrangement (1 carseat 2nd row outboard, 2 others in the 3rd row). Now with 4 I put the console back in and leave 2nd row driver side open for adult passenger and sliding access to the 3rd row (carseats in middle and outboard for 2nd and 3rd rows).
My only real disappointment has been that I couldn’t fit FF carseats 3 wide in the 3rd row and kept a captain’s chair arrangement adding the 4th. My wife hated the idea of a minivan but she is a total convert to the practicality. And I just like not having to pay the SUV premium for that amount of cargo space and features.
