Shoutout to z0lt3c and trp3383 for posting their Lightning deals first which pushed me into checking it out. This is my second LH-inspired deal as well so shoutout to the community for saving me thousands upon thousands on some great vehicles.
I basically copied trp3383’s numbers from his post, made a few tweaks using the LH calculator w/ Rate Findr to account for Texas taxes, and sent that whole thing out to every ford dealership showing 23 Lightning inventory within 500 miles of me. Some wouldn’t lease out of state, some laughed at my numbers and countered with something insane like $5000 down and $800/month, but I got 2 or 3 nibbles that eventually spawned this deal.
Calculator (there is like a $0.50 discrepancy between the monthly payments in the calculator and my contract, $356.48 vs $357, but the other numbers do match) - CALCULATOR | LEASEHACKR
I didn’t want to clog up the OP, but here are some extra details that may help others hunting for similar deals:
I initially inquired about an XLT model (w/ extended range) and we agreed on a $329 DAS and monthly payment, but then I noticed the Lariat on their website and asked what the difference would be. He said something like $380 monthly, which is way less than I expected, so I said if they could get it closer to $350 I’d do it. I probably left some money on the table but when he came back with $356/month for an $80K truck I couldn’t send him the deposit fast enough.
Some takeaways from my second LH deal:
Skip the foreplay and just send numbers. Seriously. It feels awkward at first but it makes the process so much easier. As long as your numbers are within reason or doable, someone will eventually bite.
Rate Findr is so worth it. Made it super easy to cross-shop lease deals from different makers, and it gave me an advantage when initially investigating potential Ford rebates and when it came time to negotiate final numbers.
It’s sort of heartbreaking what people who aren’t educated in lease deals end up paying. The ‘create your own lease deal’ tools on dealership websites are almost criminal.
Finally, I should mention there are no pics yet because, despite closing this deal a month ago, I still don’t have the truck due to mechanical issues. They thought there was an issue with the charging port, replaced that, and now they are replacing a battery cell. It made me a week late grounding my '23 Pathfinder, so cost me an extra $300, but they did give me a nice optioned-out '24 F150 for a loaner.
Great deal… nice work pulling this off. But… battery issue already? Replacing a cell, versus a full pack is somewhat controversial. Good thing it’s only 24 months.
It was a tiny, tiny dealership in Kansas, and I believe they are out of 23 Lightnings. The finance guy there bought the XLT I had originally inquired about after seeing the rebate stack/monthly.
100%. Not a great sign for a vehicle with 20 miles on it. They said maybe it was because it sat for so long? It’s a small spot in rural Kansas so I can’t imagine it was courted much.
I don’t have those, unfortunately. On my lease contract they are grouped together in a “discounts” column. I know the $7500 EV tax credit was included in there, and as long as the truck is under $80K and you meet the income requirements, you should qualify.
On top of that I would recommend spending the $10 or whatever it is for Rate Findr on here. It showed like $30K of available discounts, which at the very least gives you an idea of what’s out there.
I am honestly not even sure I got the private offer rebate. As I mentioned in an above reply, this was just one listed alongside the numbers from trp3383’s post I copied and sent out to dealerships. On my contract, everything is just listed under one “discounts” umbrella.
I think September was the last month with the ability to get a deal on the 23’s. Rebates dropped dramatically in October and I expect them to end lease programs for them in either November or December.
So I have seen others state that Ford stopped offering the subvented lease option on the Lariat trim specifically, but I was under the impression you could still get deals on the XLT. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were right, though.There can’t be too many of these 23s left.
