Should I Buy or Lease a Car?

Whether it’s your first time getting your own car or it’s been a while since you’re in the market for a vehicle, then you might be asking yourself, “Should I buy or lease a car?” Neither one is necessarily better than the other, but one is likely better for your situation in Tampa. Find out what the benefits for each are below before talking to the finance specialists at Wesley Chapel Toyota about your options!

The Benefits of Leasing 

Leasing is when Lakeland drivers rent their car for an agreed amount of time, which can be several months or a few years. If you lease a car, keep in mind that you don’t get to build equity or sell the vehicle. However, the perks include: 

• You only have to pay for the depreciation that occurs over the duration of the lease term. This means that your monthly payments will be lower, and your down payment will be smaller. 
• You also won’t have to pay as much sales tax! 
• Other benefits of leasing vs. buying include flexibility. In other words, when your lease is up, you can renew it, swap it out, end it, or finance the remaining value of your lease. Our Toyota lease return center will take care of the paperwork for you. 

The Benefits of Financing 

What about financing a car? When you choose to finance, you take out a loan on the full value of the vehicle with the intention of owning it. The full value of a vehicle will be more than the depreciation over a temporary lease period, so expect to make a larger down payment, pay more sales tax, and make bigger monthly payments in St. Pete. However, the benefits of financing include:

• You’ll be able to sell the car at any time and recoup thousands of dollars you’ve invested into the principal of your loan. 
• You also have the freedom to customize your car however you like since you own it! 
• Financing is almost always the most cost-effective strategy, but it requires bigger costs both upfront and month-by-month as well as greater commitment. 

Can you finance a car with no or bad credit? It’s definitely possible, but we advise you to discuss it with us beforehand to see if this is a good strategy for you. 

Explore Toyota Leasing vs. Buying With Wesley Chapel Toyota 

Interested in one of our Toyota vehicles in our Wesley Chapel lot? When you shop with us, you can find both competitive leasing and financing options for the model that you like! Check out our current lease specials and apply for financing online to get started.