Hello all,
I’m completely new to the leasing game and I need your input. Firsts first, thank you in advance for taking the time to read. I am interested in leasing a 2017-2018 Mazda 3 Touring manual Hatchback. I got the following info from Edmunds and then I started e-mailing dealerships and brokers in the area.
.00001 MF and 54% residual
No lease cash
I got a couple offers. One dealership said they’d give me $500 below invoice on a 2018.
$300.00/ mo. including tax. With zero down @ 10k miles / year or;
$247 with tax with 2k down
I’m super nervous about this because I’m going into this alone and I’m not seasoned in leasing. I read that it’s probably a good idea to stick to zero down. Is the above a good deal, or am I getting taken for a ride?
I really would love to find a 2017 and lease that, but I guess they are hard to find. Any advice would be appreciated. What do you guys think a good deal is?
From reading through these posts I know that the dealer fee should be capped at $80.00 in California, the acquisition fee, tire fee, and registration fee are all valid and required. If they tell me there is a fee for the Mazda value package, it’s BS.
Leasing sounds complicated on the surface, but remember that all you care about is your total cost of leasing and comparing that to traditional financing and deprecation.
So in your case, add up the monthly payments with zero down, and you’ll see it’s probably exactly the same with the payments plus down payment. In fact it might be slightly higher with the DP. Don’t focus on the monthly cost, focus on the total cost.
My suggestion would be to then check kbb trade in value for a similar Mazda 3 that is 3 years old and the mileage you’d turn in. Compare that number to what your purchase price + taxes if you fixed and can figure out if it’s going to be a good idea to lease or not.
Mazdas in general are so-so leases, usually almost dead even to financing.
There haven’t been many changes to the Mazda3 since this generation came out aside from changing the trim lines a bit. Personally, I’d consider financing a used one because they are great cars and will last forever. My dad has a 2010 Mazda5 that has been very reliable and has never given us a problem. He’ll drive it until the wheels fall off
@MConte05, you say that Mazda 3’s are so-so leases. I’ve looked at the lease deals on the front of the page, and I’ve also google searched and talked to a bunch of my friends about this situation. I digress to you, what would be some good models to lease? I’m all over the place right now and need someone to point me in the right direction.
I test drove the Toyota Camary XLE and XSE and liked those cars. I looked at leasing a Ford Focus ST and that was an absolute joke as it was in the 400/month range. I know you said look at total costs, so here’s the ball park I’m thinking; $10,800 total for 36 months which breaks down to 300/mo.
I called over to BMW and Cadillac asking them if they had any demos to lease on their lot, I’m waiting to hear back from them. I’m thinking about going to an Auto Broker to help me out. What co you recommend I do, what cars are feasible in this price range?
I looked at what cars had the highest residual value, and I saw a lot of trucks. The top 10 on KBB are: Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Colorado, Honda Ridgeline, Subaru WRX.
When I start looking into cars like BMW, and Cadillac the totals go up very fast. Maybe I’m not looking at the right cars? I’d like something a bit nicer, but not so sure I can do it with that budget. My first choice was Hatchback, that’s why I was looking at the Mazda 3, Subaru Imprezza and Focus ST. My second choice is a wash between coupe or sedan. Then going SUV/ truck as last options.
Am I crazy with my budget? Where should I be looking? I’m editing this as I’m re-going over my budget. I should be able to do $14,000.00 over 3 years.
Honestly, I haven’t looked into the Q50. I saw it come up a couple times on the board, but I have not test drove it yet. I think I had something stuck in my brain telling me that I couldn’t afford brands the like of Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Audi etc. because that was out of my price range.
My favorite cars in those categories are Cadillac ATS/CTS, Lexus IS, Audi A3, A4, Volvo S60, BMW 2 or 3 Series, Mercedes C Class. Since people say there are pretty good deals on them, I’ll throw it into the mix. It looks really nice. I was a huge fan of the Infinit G35 coupe from way back when, so I’m sure the Q50 won’t disappoint. I’m going to head over to test drive some more cars. Any more recommendations would be very much appreciated. I hate to say that I’m looking for the best bang for the buck, but I want something that is a great car to lease. My #1 main thing is getting a car that I don’t have to worry about as far as repairs and reliability goes. I figured getting in a lease, the dealership will help me out if something goes wrong because it’s under warranty. My #2 thing is not leasing something silly like a Focus ST, which I really wanted to do because it was a hot hatch. Looking at the #'s, it made zero sense.
Of those, the caddy, Audi and the 2 series are going to be the worst of the bunch. If you could still find a 3 series or C Class loaner before the end of the month, you could snag a decent deal. The really good deals from a month or 2 ago are going to be tougher to come by as supply is dwindling. But they would probably be your best bet.
Just read EVERY closed deal posted on here. You will see that many cars that you may have assumed you couldn’t afford can actually fit into your budget. There are too many to list, so you just need to read on here a lot.
You should be able to get a better deal, just shop around more. I got my 17 Mazda 3 touring 2.5 hatch. At $263/mo after tax ($244 before) and my deal isn’t that great.
I did a sign and drive that cost me nothing out of pocket and the first 3 months of my lease we’re paid for.
Honestly though, if I were to lease my first car again.
I’d go for a C300 loaner, they have awesome deals on them, lower than what I pay for the Mazda I currently have.
I negotiated a 2017 two months back, with paying standard drive offs but $0 down at $215/month.
I’d rather much pay $50/mo cheaper AND have a Mercedes than a Mazda lol
You’re not guaranteed to get a c300 less than you’re paying on the Mazda, even a demo. Those take work, many times travel outside of your local area, and a dealer willing to play ball. Not impossible, but not nearly as easy as you make it out to be.
It’s not guaranteed I’m just talking from personal experience.
A month and a half ago I went to a dealership in So Cal and got a deal for $215/mo for a demo c300. I didn’t call before hand I just did a bunch of research and knew what incentives I qualified for.
It didn’t take too much work, maybe I just got to the right one at the right time.
I called around and sent e-mails… I can’t even find a demo car/showroom car to lease. I’m really surprised to hear that deal on the C300. Right now I’m back looking at the Mazda 3 Touring, Manual Hatchback. I’m also looking at the Toyota Camry because I was told that it is a good car to lease right now. I have several rough quotes for the Mazda 3: This is the best so far. I also included the detailed quote of the Camry.
300/mo. including tax for 36 months @ 10,000 miles per year.
The Mazda 3 details are: MSRP: 22,765.00 no rebate, I don’t have the sales price
Toyota Camry XSE ( 4 cylinder)
308.00/ mo. TAX NOT included for 36 months @ 12,000 miles per year
The XSE details are: MSRP $30,188.00 Sale price before rebate $26,402.00 $500.00 rebate Invoice $28,026.00
If you’re in SoCal, get in touch with @chevysalesgirl or @Cody_Carter. Both will take great care of you and can help you get into a Chevy or Toyota without any hassle.
Well crap… I didn’t want to call that out because I thought I wasn’t supposed to link you to that info! I’m just wondering if it’s a good deal considering. A lot of people on here are pointing to Lexus and Infiniti or other cars. I’m a newb when it comes to this, and I need to pull the trigger really quick so I’m reading as much as I can and learning as quickly as possible. I know it’s not the best situation to put yourself in, but I have to make the best of my current situation and work as quickly as possible.
It’s not that I’m looking for something cheaper, it’s just that my heart is not dead set on the Camry. I actually like the Mazda 3 better because it comes in manual hatchback. Someone from above said that Mazda’s weren’t that great to lease. The numbers seem cheaper on the Mazda than the Toyota.
Not here to push one way or the other. Thats whats nice about this site. Its all about gathering all the info you can.
Mazda 3 is more Corolla Size so the numbers aren’t 100% comparable. But typically the Mazdas don’t lease well. The manual is kinda cool and seems to be a dying breed.
I’m just wondering if it’s a good deal considering. A lot of people on here are pointing to Lexus and Infiniti or other cars. I’m a newb when it comes to this, and I need to pull the trigger really quick so I’m reading as much as I can and learning as quickly as possible. I know it’s not the best situation to put yourself in, but I have to make the best of my current situation and work as quickly as possible.