When leasing a car is better than buying

I would like to start this article with a famous quote from oil baron Paul Getty "if it appreciates, buy it. If it depreciates, lease it". Many would say that is money management 101 or simply think it is common sense. So why buy a new car when you can lease it.

Mr. Getty's saying is a perfect fit for fleet managers and business owners alike who are building or renewing their fleets. In this article I'll point out key benefits to why leasing can be a real money saver from a business perspective.

When you buy a new car, be it privately or for a business, the minute you drive it off the forecourt it starts to depreciate, in other words you are loosing money the moment you drive your new car out of the garage you bought it from. This brings another subject into play, car depreciation, but that is content for another article.

Even though I won't discuss car depreciation in detail here, that is something you have to take for granted when leasing or contract hiring a car or a whole fleet. I recommend German cars as they depreciate far less than other brands. More on this later.

First of all let us understand the concepts of car leasing. The concepts of leasing a car are fairly simply, yet many business owners and fleet managers are often sceptical about it. First of all car leasing is not renting as many people mistakenly believe.

That said, leasing is a financial method, similar to a loan. When you lease a car you will be paying a set amount a month to purchase a new vehicle, but this vehicle won't be yours. At this point you might be asking yourself, what is the point in all this, paying for something that won't be mine?

If you asked yourself this question, I have to agree with you to a certain extent, but there other benefits that make car leasing more attractive than buying a new car. First, monthly payments are on average 30% to 60% cheaper than the ordinary car loan and there isn't the need for a huge upfront deposit. In general the majority of car leasing companies will only ask for a deposit of 3 monthly payments.

Second, you can renew your fleet every 2 to 4 years depending on your leasing contract. Not to mention that road taxes are usually included in the lease price and as they are brand new vehicles, warranty covers most of the maintenance costs.

Third, as afore mentioned maintenance costs are little to none specially because when you lease you will always have new car in hand and you do not need to worry about it breaking down unless it is a manufacturers problem. In those cases maintenance is also free of charge.

Fourth, no used car hassles, Lease and eliminate the headaches of trying to sell used cars. With leasing you simply return it to the leasing company and choose a new one. Imagine renewing your whole fleet of vehicles by simply ringing your leasing company and scheduling it, no hassles, no time off work hopping from dealer to dealer after the best deals.

As you can see there are countless benefits that make car leasing better than buying from a business standpoint. A recent study revealed that 20% to 25% of all new cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans are leased. In the premium segment numbers are even higher, approximately 75% of luxury cars purchased in the UK are leased.

Determining the lease price of a car

To determine the lease price of a given car, a series of factors are to be considered. First we have the initial purchase price, it is brand new, millage and condition are disregarded, if it is a used car these three factors are brought into the equation.

But the two most important factors that will influence your monthly payments are residual value and depreciation. Residual value is an estimate of the value a given vehicle will have when it reaches the end of the lease.

As afore mentioned depreciation has a great influence in the final price of your monthly payments. In short, it refers to the reduction in the car's value caused by age. Brand and model are closely related to depreciation, as some brand depreciate less than others.

Reason why I recommend German cars is their depreciation factor is way better than other brands like some Asian brands like KIA and Hyundai. For instance, you can lease an Audi for less than £240 a month, way less than what you will pay a loan on the same car.
(ArticlesBase SC #3108552)

Top 5 ways to modify your car

Having bought your new (or not so new) car, it's time to start thinking about adding a few modifications. I've put together a list of my favourite car modifications to give you a bit of inspiration.

1.

Window Tint

Now I'm not just putting window tint at the top of the list because we're the leading UK's supplier of pre cut car window tint kits (end shameless plug), I do truly believe that it is one of the cheapest and best ways to completely transform your car. Window tint looks good on any car, from a Fiesta to a Ferrari, and you can buy DIY tint kits for around £30. Make your car really stand out by going for a siver mirrored or coloured tint like the blue tint below.



2.

Alloy wheels

Have you ever seen a decent modified car running on standard steel wheels? No, me neither, and that's why I've put alloy wheels 2nd in our list. You're going to have to cut down on treats for the girlfriend for a few months though as alloy wheels (and the tyres you'll need on them) don't come cheap. Expect to pay anywhere from around £300 for a basic set with tyress. If you can't quite afford that, car wheel trims are a decent alternative and only a fraction of the price.



3.

Exhaust

You've got your car looking all nice, but you can't have it sounding like a shopping trolley. So next on our list of top modifications is a new exhaust. These range from just a back-box to give your car a bit of a growl, to a complete exhaust system to increase performance and give your car that sporty sound. Prices for exhaust back-boxes start at around £50.



4.

Lexus lights

It seemed at one point a few years ago, that every other car you passed had a set of Lexus lights fitted, looking pretty tacky in some cases to be fair. Together with other modifications I think they can definitely look nice, I personally prefer the Lexus lights with a darker backing (see image below) rather than the silver backed lights with looked a bit stuck on. Something else you could try if you don't want to fork out on a new set of lights is some tail light tinting spray; you'll definitely get a more unique look.



5.

Painted brake callipers

I drive a Skoda Octavia VRS, and one of the things I still like most about it is its green brake callipers (sad I know). This will only work if you've got a set of wide spoke alloys, but it will give your car that definite sporty look. Brake calliper paint is available as either a spray can or a pot of paint. You'll probably need to take your wheels off to apply it.


(ArticlesBase SC #3111715)

Get free online car insurance quotes to save money

If you have a car, then you should insure it to protect yourself from damages that might be caused as a result of an accident. You can buy car insurance from various sources. For buying a good policy, it’s important that you gather and compare quotes.

Previously, if you wanted to receive a car insurance quote, you had to talk to an insurance agent and provide details about you and your vehicle. He would subsequently carry out a number of formalities and return to you with a quote after many days. Comparison shopping was a term that was typically uncommon. You had to visit many insurers to find the right policy for your needs. Now you don’t have to do it. Obtaining free insurance quotes online helps you save money and choose the most suitable policy.

How can you get free car insurance quotes online?

Given below are two principal techniques that you can follow to receive free auto insurance quotes from the Internet:
You can visit the websites of auto insurers and complete the online quote form with similar details
You can visit the website of a quote aggregator such as Cheapcarinsurance.com for collecting many quotes simultaneously

The first option would take more time and you wouldn’t always get the most affordable rate by visiting the website of an insurer. Using the second option is certainly more beneficial for you. You might be eligible for attractive discounts if you get quotes from an aggregator website.

Managing your information When you’re receiving quotes from different insurers, it might be hard to remember what you prefer about every insurer. You can prepare a basic spreadsheet and include names of the insurers you’re thinking about working with. You should subsequently make columns for comparing various elements such as:

1. The amount of collision or comprehensive coverage
2. Overall cost of the policy
3. Benefits and discounts
4. Additional coverage such as emergency roadside assistance. This would definitely help you find out the choicest auto insurer.

Why should you shop around for free auto insurance quotes?

1. Shopping for free car insurance quotes gives you the following benefits:
2. You can find out what a particular insurer is offering that others aren’t
3. The coverage and rates of various insurers can be compared
4. There are various outstanding discounts such as responsible driver or good student discounts from the reputed car insurers all over the country
5. You can save a lot of money

Auto insurance is an industry which is full of competition and every company is vying to get your business. Shopping around carefully for your quotes would help you get the right policy and save money.