I hope everyone is doing well. I’m in the market for an EV or hybrid car that I would use primarily for commuting to work. I am based out of SoCal. My office commute would involve driving approximately 90 miles, 3-4 times per week.
Given this information, I’m trying to find the most cost-effective lease deal that would suit my needs. I am particularly interested in understanding the cost per mile, as this would really help me make an informed decision. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could guide me towards a website or a tool that offers this kind of break-up or analysis.
Additionally, I’ve heard that certain times of the year might offer better leasing deals than others. Is it advisable to wait until the end of the year for potential deals, or should I go ahead with the lease as soon as possible?
I’m new to this process, so any advice or insights would be incredibly helpful. I understand that everyone is busy, so I truly appreciate any time you can spare to help me out.
Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. I look forward to hearing your suggestions and advice.
Location: Los Angeles
Primary purpose: Office Commute.
Small space okay, not looking for luxury (Unable to feed my CRV)
Down - Okay upto $3000 down payment, preferable $0 down
Monthly - not more than $400 - lower the better (me so naiive!)
Or some reasonable combination of Down & Monthly that’s why alluding the $ per mile calculation.
Tags: Lease, Cheap, Uncomfortable, Economy, Hybrid, EV
A Chevy Bolt might be a good fit if you can land one at MSRP? After federal and state incentives it’s a steal at the price. One downside is slow charging but unless you road-trip with it, you should be fine.
If you’re dead set on leasing, I think the Hyundai Kona EV is the lowest lease on the market right now
Exactly what I’m trying to get at. Assuming 4 days a week, 50 weeks a year, that’s 18k miles. That’s Assuming the car isn’t even used for leisure on weekends.
15K! This is a reasonable math, I would say. You can consider that I am not going to use beyond work. I am not even planning to install an EV charger. I have it in the office or on my way in the malls, or shopping places close-by.
Just want to twist my question a bit. If I am skipping my interest on an EV/Hybrid vehicle and okay with a gas - would there be better, cheaper cost alternative?
Open up a spreadsheet and start mathing. That’s really the only way for you to figure out the “cheapest” cost-effective deal as nobody knows where the market is heading.
BEV vs Hybrid/Gas is a question only you can answer as you need to figure out if a BEV is the right fit for you. Do you need quick charge? Do you have chargers at home/work? Do you plan on spontaneous trips? Do you drive fast? These are all questions that most BEV-to-be owners need to be honest and realistic about.
Honestly, it sounds like getting a known reliable beater is probably the most cost effective for you.
But if you really want to go as cheap as possible on a NEW car and you don’t mind being potentially stranded and time is free, try a Toyota Mirai! Or go with a CPO one for even MORE savings!
2023 Leaf S 30k MSRP $3000 due at signing $239 plus tax 24/7.5k
Probably another $50-$60 mo for 15k/yr. Not sure if they do 18k leases, so you might have to pay for extra miles at the end. Sign up for EV-TOU-5 if you have SDGE or PGE for $0.15/kw at super off-peak. If you’re commuting 90 miles, you should just be able to get by with the 110v charger. Just charge to 100%. It’s a lease, who cares about battery life. You’ll probably save $100 on gas with the EV-TOU-5 rates. If you’re under some income, you also can get free money from the state of CA.
