making modifications to a leased car

[badass98vert]

im considering leasing a new car instead of financing something used and am wondering what kind of mods i can get away with while its under lease. probably would only do apearence things such as window tint, wheels and tires, hid lights, hard wired radar detector, remote start...things like that. oh and sound system. are those kind of things ok to do with a leased car or will the dealership not allow that? im assuming after the 3 years i would have to return it to stock which woulnt be a problem im just concerned about getting something and not being able to change some things. also, would aftermarket exhaust be too much? anyone thats leased and modded before share ur experience.

 

[jfsram]

If you buy out the vehicle at the end of the lease. Mod away but I have to ask.

Why bother leasing? Buy it, mod it. Then sell it. Either way you are throwing money out the window.

 

[ModularFan]

Don't do any mods you can't take off. but then again you shouldn't mod a leased car anyway. If it were me Id do tint and that's it and maybe wheels.

 

[badass98vert]

im attracted to the lease cause the payments would be a lot lower, and i would probably consider buying it at the end of the lease.

 

[ModularFan]

im attracted to the lease cause the payments would be a lot lower, and i would probably consider buying it at the end of the lease.

Why, that would be like taking two loans out on the same car. what's the buyout of the vehicle? what kind of car?

 

[badass98vert]

Don't do any mods you can't take off. but then again you shouldn't mod a leased car anyway. If it were me Id do tint and that's it and maybe wheels.

the think i wonder about with the tint is if the dealer would give me crap about it if i had to take it in for work, or any mod they could see for that matter.

 

[ModularFan]

the think i wonder about with the tint is if the dealer would give me crap about it if i had to take it in for work, or any mod they could see for that matter.

It's not the dealer you have to worry about, its the Appraiser who comes out and inspects the car before turning it back in.

 

[badass98vert]

Why, that would be like taking two loans out on the same car. what's the buyout of the vehicle? what kind of car?

its for a kia forte koup. the price is right around 18k and financing that my payment would be somewhere around 270 a month but they have a lease special now for 179 a month for 3 years which is drawing me to this car, plus the fact that i like how they styled the coupe. not to mention the warranty would be great for a daily driver. i think they estimate the buyout after the 3 years to be just over 9k.

 

[badass98vert]

It's not the dealer you have to worry about, its the Appraiser who comes out and inspects the car before turning it back in.

ok so as long as i have the car back to stock before turning it in i should be good then?

 

[ModularFan]

its for a kia forte koup. the price is right around 18k and financing that my payment would be somewhere around 270 a month but they have a lease special now for 179 a month for 3 years which is drawing me to this car, plus the fact that i like how they styled the coupe. not to mention the warranty would be great for a daily driver. i think they estimate the buyout after the 3 years to be just over 9k.

Iam telling your right now, when all said and done you"ll be paying over 200 a month on the car, that's just to get you into the door that's why they advertise that.

 

[fire_4_effect]

why don't you just drive the leased car "the-way-it-is" and not worry about any mods? i personally would not lease a car myself and "dump" $$$/mods in it.

 

[xXGadfly09Xx]

Ok just doin some math if you lease at 179 for 36 months thats$6,444 and if you buy it out at the end for $9,500 then you spent a hair under 16k (15944 to be exact) for a 18k car

that seems like a good deal

 

[badass98vert]

why don't you just drive the leased car "the-way-it-is" and not worry about any mods? i personally would not lease a car myself and "dump" $$$/mods in it.

that was my original plan but i know myself and how i cant just leave any car i own alone lol. the mod bug is never gonna let me go :burnout:

 

[ModularFan]

*removed by moderator - read and follow the rules*

 

[badass98vert]

Removed by moderator*

is there much room to negotiate on a lease like there is if ur just financing?

 

[ModularFan]

is there much room to negotiate on a lease like there is if ur just financing?

Yes, and no You can try and push for MSRP and Invoice pricing. don't discuss anything about payments with them, see if you can lease the vehicle for MSRP or Invoice. Check and see if there are any MSD's (aka Hold backs) this will lower your money factor significantly. dealers don't want you to know this though.

 

[03snakenvtn]

If you think you're gonna want to buy it at the end of the lease, just buy it now. Very rarely, if ever, is it cheaper to lease a vehicle, then buy it at the end of the lease. It's always better to just buy it from the beginning.

 

[txyaloo]

its for a kia forte koup. the price is right around 18k and financing that my payment would be somewhere around 270 a month but they have a lease special now for 179 a month for 3 years which is drawing me to this car, plus the fact that i like how they styled the coupe. not to mention the warranty would be great for a daily driver. i think they estimate the buyout after the 3 years to be just over 9k.

Have you read the fine print? Most leases require $3000-5000 down before you can take the car home.

 

[RDJ]

Leasing a car with the intention of buying it at the end of the lease is just dumb. you NEVER come out ahead.

don't forget you get charged for each mile you drive over the lease agreement. that can add up a ton if you are not careful.

modding a car that you have leased is also not a good idea. you can get away with tint and wheels as long as you take it off when you turn it in with the original wheels and the tint is legal. doing other shit is taking a real chance. Most leases I have had stated in the paperwork that modifications would violate the lease terms, so check your agreement very careful before you sign.

from the sounds of things you are better off buying a ued car and modding it rather than leasing.

 

[CobraBob]

Leasing a car with the intention of buying it at the end of the lease is just dumb. you NEVER come out ahead.

don't forget you get charged for each mile you drive over the lease agreement. that can add up a ton if you are not careful.

modding a car that you have leased is also not a good idea. you can get away with tint and wheels as long as you take it off when you turn it in with the original wheels and the tint is legal. doing other shit is taking a real chance. Most leases I have had stated in the paperwork that modifications would violate the lease terms, so check your agreement very careful before you sign.

from the sounds of things you are better off buying a ued car and modding it rather than leasing.

Some of you are missing an important point that the OP mentions. And it's a valid one. Going the lease route can get you into the car you want for a lower monthly cost. Especially when you absolutely cannot extend yourself financially over a certain amount. Case in point. If you walk into a dealer and see a car you love, you ask the salesman what kind of deal he can give you. You already know how much you can afford per month. Let's say that number is $200. So he says with factory low financing and a 5 year loan you can have the car for $350. a month. But you can't afford that much. So you ask if he can do any better and he asks how much you can afford. You say $200. He then says that if you lease the car with $500. down your monthly payment will be $200. Now you can have the car you want, at least for the next three years, at a monthly cost that fits into your budget. This is often why people choose to lease. That is exactly why I chose a lease back in 1994 when I bought a Z28. It was the only way I could afford to get one. If I ended up paying a bit more in the long run I was fine with that. My main goal was paying less per month without having to take out long-term loan.