First Lease - How to Improve Car Loan Limit? - Mercedes Benz GLE 350

My wife is trying to get her first lease through a broker and having some issues.

Being told that they can’t do it all as a lease as it’s her first car loan. I’ve never had a car loan either. We both have high credit scores, and can definitely afford the lease. Though self employment and thin credit files are making things difficult. Basically Is there anything that’d work other than having a relative co-sign?

Questions:

  • One pay lease didn’t work due to some kind of residual factor limit thing. Any ways to make this work with mercedes?
  • Any other solutions other than buying and financing separately, or having a co-signer, or doing a big down payment?
  • A co signer would work. How can I quickly assess which of my friends would be able to get us approved if they were a co-signer on it? (e.g. have a friend who has good credit, has 1 auto lease but it’s new, only started their lease 6 months ago. will that be enough?)
  • Do two people with no auto credit history add together to be enough for approval? e.g. would it be like my wife gets a 40k lease limit and if I’m a co-signer I get a 40k lease limit and together it’s 80k? or not how it works?
  • Any services for finding a co-signer (that I don’t know) that could actually work, and if so how much does the service cost and how much does the co-signer charge for something like this? - Unlikely?
  • If I got approved with a co-signer, would mercedes financial allow a one pay lease?

You could always try to do a one-pay lease might help with the approval. If not just finance the car through a credit union. The leasing program for this car is terrible better off buying it.

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Mercedes doesn’t like to be a first car loan, really for anyone. A co-signer with auto loan history would help, and is probably ideal. That loan would really help to get you more in the future as well. Leases are expensive right now with high money factors and some stores asking over MSRP. A big chunk of money down could help, but that is not ideal for a lease. so a less expensive car could help there to lower the overall loan amount.

I have met very few folks have gotten approval on a lease of a $65k Mercedes without prior auto loans. Even if income is there, MBFS can be a picky bastard…

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Would a shorter contract + higher payments be worth suggesting?

Good credit scores are only one component, with zero auto history you are on the wrong brand.

If your question is about getting your credit bureau to be as strong as your credit score to lease another car, look at financing some thing and paying it off in the next 1 to 2 years before you lease.

If you want this car now, you need a cosigner.

See also

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That comes back to your income and credit profile. Debt to income is certainly a factor but they also look at consistency with past accounts and length of time with open accounts. So that is something you would have to have a buyer at MBFS look at.

We pull the “what will it take card” a lot. Meaning getting in touch with MBFS directly and asking what they WILL approve you for. If they don’t have anything to offer, likely its best to start with a different brand. But a dealer’s finance manager has to make that call, not a broker or leasee.

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:point_up_2:t2::point_up_2:t2:

Just remember that the finance manager making the call to get this done is going to need to get paid on something for it. This is not a market where they need to call in favors to take any kind a loser deal or something that doesn’t pay.

I don’t see how that can help at all. How would that convince MBFS to approve you?

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Even aside from MBFS approval issues, this is the worst time to lease in the history of leasing.

And even before current crisis the GLE was one of the worst values in its segment. I’m sure it’s just gotten worse since.

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Hmm would this be a case where OP would apply via US Bank for the Benz lease? Of course the terms might not be so good.

Never seen anyone on here report any MB or BMW leases through a 3rd party bank before. I’d imagine it’s super hard to find a MB dealer that works with US bank.

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I mean, get a preapproved usbank and take the check to the MB Dealer?

Never seen any lease ever work like that.

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oh, I didn’t realize that a 3rd party LEASE has to be supported by the dealer.

One does not apply to us bank for a lease. A dealer with an existing relationship with usbank does.

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If you submitted your credit through them, you will be pressed to change dealerships. Co-signing is the only way of changing their decision or with more money down.

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Thanks Calvin. Do two people with no auto credit history add together to be enough for approval? e.g. would it be like my wife gets a 40k lease limit and if I’m a co-signer I get a 40k lease limit and together it’s 80k? or is this not how it works?

A have also tried to suggest a one pay lease but this didn’t help.

I may have a friend that could do the co-signing, he has good credit but currently has a 6 month old lease (his first lease). Is there an easy way to estimate if he will be suitable for the co-sign?

This has been said before, but you repeatedly mentioned that money is not the issue and you clearly seem to be in love with the car. Why do you insist on leasing and keep banging your head on the wall? Just finance (or buy cash if money is really really really not the issue)

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You got declined for a GLE350 so you then went and applied for a GLE53?

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I wouldn’t drag your friend or family member into your credit situation. That’s no friend at all.
You need to look at leasing a vehicle you’ll actually get approved for.
Or you can finance or buyout this car that you really want.

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