Hey team:
Back in 2016 when we returned our 2013 Pathfinder, it only had 15k mikes even though we payed for 36k (we knew we’d be way under but they didn’t offer < 12k)
A month or so later, we got a check for $2.6k.
Was this a “refund” for the miles? A fluke?
I’ve always been afraid to ask Nissan, but believe me that check got cashed immediately. Made our 
deal on the Murano easier to swallow.
Did you return it early? If the car sells for more than buyout at auction then you get the profit.
We did return it 2 months early.
Perhaps we should do that again, as we are in the same position?
But we don’t want a Nissan this time, so that makes Vroom et al a better option?
We are at 30 months out of 36 with 17k out of 36k miles
Yeah with Nissan and Infiniti in California they send the car to auction and if it gets more than balance due then you get the profit.
How “early” do you have to turn it in for that to be true?
Simply before last day of lease or before final payment or?
So if it sold for more at an auction I wonder if you left money on the table. Did you check your payoff before returning the vehicle? I wonder if you could have sold it for even more yourself.
We left hundreds on the table. We did poorly with that transaction.
Live and learn. But it was hassle free and we got into our Murano, which for some reason we really loved. It’s been a great car and never left us stuck.
I almost wish wifey wasn’t set on a European replacement. I could be happy with another Nissan for the family car. The only thing I don’t like is the CVT.
I guess I’ll have to “suffer” through an XC90 or X5 or GLE somehow . . .
Can’t win them all. 2.6k is really good.
I turned a Trailblazer in 18 months early due to divorce (was in my name, ex gave it back). I got 1800 bucks after it sold at auction. It was a welcome surprise.
No argument there. Any money is good without expecting anything. But something is telling me that there was a lot more on the table. I remember when I sold my car to Carmax several years ago they told me that they could offer me several hundred more (don’t remember the exact number) than what they would pay on the auction just because they won’t have to go to the auction.
What if I confess that we took an 18-month-old to the dealer and did a cold test drive and decided to bring the thing home. After a couple hours at a dealership on Saturday with a kid, I’d have signed almost anything to leave.
We got a crap deal on the Murano (not like horrid crap but they don’t lease well) and had zero expectations with the Pathfinder turn-in.
We are much more educated now. We’ll be shopping via email. Maybe even a broker.
That was our second lease and first one we ever returned. Like I said, live and learn.
But opening the mail and finding $2,600 is effing nice, I don’t care who ya are!
Taking a bit of a wash on a Pathfinder or even a Murano isn’t the end of the world but if you’re moving up into the more expensive stuff as you seem to be - then being educated about the whole process and what a ‘good’ deal looks like, is always a good idea and you’re in the right place to find the best info!
Thanks. Things have been going our way (I finally caught up to the wife on income!) and we want something nice.
For the record, we pay $515 with $515 down on a $41.5k MSRP Murano. With the refund from Pathfinder it’s effectivley $442 which isn’t far from decent.
$515 on a murano, you can probably get something nice and actually pay less.
You shouldn’t net your payments with the refund. You are just lying to yourself this way to make you feel better.
it’s my story. I’ll tell it how I want. 
If I take it off the Pathfinder, we really did great on it, so a great deal and a mediocre-to-bad deal make a wash of two average deals.
We paid $420 with $420 down on a $40k MSRP Pathfinder and got $2,600 back, so effective $347 on a $40k car (with OC tax included) is good enough to salve the Murano wound.
Muranos are great vehicles but yeah, you can easily get 10K more of “vehicle” for the same payment if not less.
Trade the Murano in for a Stelvio, then when you get a refund on it, your payments will be like $200!
Love a lot of things about the Stelvio. The interior quality isn’t one of them. It’s also too small for us for the family hauler.
And that Alfa reliability isn’t for me!