Very happy with my lease, except that it is not a Highlander but have learned to live with that!
Actually it was $399 plus tax, DMV (which here is only $200 total), $995 so around $2500 out of pocket plus first payment which I think you were double counting. I always calculate leases that way. I never do sign and drive because I believe I get the taxes back if something happens as long as they are broken out in the lease (or so I am told, could be mistaken every state and insurance varies).
As for whether it was $390 or $462, if it did not come out of my pocket, does not matter to me. I could not have gotten this deal a year ago or even in April because my existing lease was not worth anything then and I did price it then. Even without the trade, it was not a bad deal at $462 net!
The original quote was “Then I will try to lease something in $500/m range like Mazda CX5 or CX9” nothing specified the Carbon or Signature. The advice was go pay to get a $500 Mazda!