Before I ask specifics about lease prices I am curious on recommendations. I am 100% unfamiliar with buying a car especially leasing and I have been reading up
I want a premium SUV - currently own a 2016 Lexus GS350 w/ 60k.
I was leaning towards the BMW X3 but they don’t have a plug-in hybrid, so I started to think about the Audi Q5 e thinking I could possibly take advantage of the pass through tax credit. I am not sure which trim level exactly yet but I prefer luxury to performance. On my Lexus I have the F-Sport but never touch the paddle shifters and brakes are alot more expensive. The x3 is just releasing there 2025 which has been redesigned so guessing 2024 x3 will have deals
Looking for suggestions of where to focus my efforts. I’m frugal but willing to spend on options that make sense. Usually prefer to go for the middle. I’m in Florida so don’t necessarily need AWD or Warm Weather stuff
Even though its in a somewhat different class I love the Mustang Mach E but I live in an apt building so having a 100% EV would not be convienient
Thanks in advance. Apologies in advance if this is in the wrong category
So living in an apartment building, do you have access to any charging infrastructure at all? Even a 110V outlet? Without that, the Q5e is going to be a disappointment. I would go with the X3.BMW makes an X5 hybrid but it is expensive. I just got done driving an X540i rental, and I have to tell you I am not a big fan of the big screen layout that now permeates the entire BMW line. Give me a few buttons for things like AC controls. Your tastes may differ.
Jeep has their Grand Cherokee 4xe hybrid, too. I lease one for my kid. The interior is very nice, but it is not quite up to the BMW or Lexus level of luxury. Not right for the South FL scene either.
You don’t have to ask about prices. They are there in the Marketplace
Any calculator in there that includes rebates you don’t qualify for (such as loyalty) will need to have those rebates removed. Add your tax rate if that has been left blank by brokers who serve multiple states.
Before focusing on something, ask yourself how and where you benefit. For example I leased an EV because the RV/MF and rebate combination makes for a very low total cost of the lease (DAS + sum of monthly payments). And I don’t have to worry about leaving equity on the table. And two consecutive 36m leases are cheaper than buying the car and owning for 72m followed by trading/selling.
You will probably find that both the X3 and Q5 fail those tests compared to ownership of the same product. And they will definitely fail the test against ownership of a rockstar of value retention such as a Lexus RX.
If you haven’t test driven either car, I’d probably start there. You might decide that you like one so much better than the other that you’re willing to spend more for your preferred model/trim.
Or you might decide that there’s not much separating them, so you’d prefer to get the one that has the lower total cost of ownership (which I would assume would be the X3, even w/o the benefit of a tax credit).
Both X3 and Q5E were in consideration for my wife’s newest lease.
I found them to drive very differently.
X3 felt sportier/louder and has the auto start fuel saving default
Q5e felt smoother and the runs as EV with no auto/start obvious
X3 can be rear wheel drive or AWD
Q5e AWD only
Similar sized interior and exterior.
PHEV is what really tipped the scales for us. My wife drive less than 30 miles a day most days. We have not put gas in it since we bought it ~30 days ago.
If you don’t have a place to plug in… I would think Q5E not worth it.
I don’t know if the 2025 X3 is out for test drive yet. I haven’t seen any test YouTube vids of it. But the 2024 X3 will be cheaper for sure with some discounts, but will those discounts get crushed be depreciation, compared to the new body style? Something to consider.
