Rather new here… I was wondering what RV ranges are considered for good deals?
Here is what I have so far:
please correct me if I’m wrong.
Assuming 36/12:
Is that about right? Did I get the numbers right?
So far I haven’t seen anything in the 70s or high 60s.
A high RV doesn’t really matter if cap cost or MF are no good.
So what do you look for when trying to get a good deal? Are there certain signs that you want to look for to begin the process?
For example: I’m going off this post here https://leasehackr.com/blog/2015/9/19/how-i-managed-to-lease-a-60k-mercedes-for-289month
Step one says find a good RV and I thats what I was trying to start out with. What would you suggest?
It’s a combination of all of them. Look at the Q50 threads. They have low RV, but super high discounts off MSRP (low cap cost) and super low MF
I see, I’m rather new. So how do I know what a super low MF is exactly? Or what a good RV is? That was kinda the point of the thread 
The MF is normally set by the bank, while the RV is set by the manufacturer. Google “edmunds car leasing forum”, find the vehicle you are looking for, and ask for the MF and RV. When purchasing, if those numbers are marked up, you’ll be armed with the actual numbers and will be able to negotiate them down.
If you’re asking what an ideal MF or RV is, it really does depend on the total package.
Your answers can be found by looking thru the forum. People are hunting deals, and that’s what really matters (how good the deal is, regardless of low or high RV).
RV is not set by the manufacturer. Both MF and RV are set by the leasing company/bank. A captive and 3rd party can have different MF and RV for the same vehicle.
There is not a general rule of thumb because the lease business is highly competitive between the OEMs and between the lenders for market share. Many different entities have skin in the game so here is a breakdown that collectively determine the monthly payment.
OEM sets the MSRP
Captive sets the standard MF
Captive (and sometimes with OEM incentive support) sets the RV
Captive (and most of the time with OEM support) sets a subvened MF
OEM sets the lease cash (sometimes splits cost with captive)
3rd party lenders set RV and MF to try and beat the captive
Dealers set the final transactions price.
Thank you for the breakdown.
As for third party lenders… Is it difficult to get them involved in the lease process? I’ve never heard of people using anything besides the “official” lenders, how exactly would you get their RV/MF values to determine if they are better deals?
The dealer has to be signed up with the 3rd party lender in order to lease through them. US Bank, Ally and various Credit Unions are the primary options. There are some others that are in select areas as well. 3rd party lenders are just targeting specific models so only dealers for those brands tend to be signed up with the 3rd party lenders.
You get the RV/MF by posting here or sometimes the posters on Edmunds have access to the 3rd party lender data.
Couldn’t you just ask the dealer to check with third party lenders and provide you with the numbers? Maybe try it when you’re discussing the deal. Or is that not feasible?
If they are signed up with a lease comparison tool, they might be able to see all lenders. But not all dealers pay for those tools so they are only able to see the RV/MF for the lenders they are signed up for.
Beware, an overly high RV could bite you back at lease end if you need to buy the car back from the leasing co, it could cost you much more than the car is worth. For example if you rack up lots of fees for mileage/wear/tear at lease end or you simply decide you would just rather keep the car. Also getting out of a lease early with a high RV can be more difficult because the buyout is much higher.