Question of the Day: How are You “Buying” Your New Car These Days: Loan or Lease
For a long time a “lease” was a dirty word in automotive buying circles. However, it began to gain favor in the early part of this century, reaching a high of about 30 percent just before the pandemic hit.
Since then, the percentage of folks leasing new cars, trucks, and crossovers has been steadily declining. In fact, leases accounted for 23 percent of new vehicle purchases during the first half of 2026, reports Reuters using data from JD Power & Associates.
The number has rebounded some since then clearly, but the appeal of lower downpayments and a lower monthly payment has been offset by a lack of appealing payments or downpayments by automakers. Often with buyers in the market for a new vehicle complain about a lack of affordability, they mean “where are the good lease deals?”
So folks we ask: Do you prefer a lease or a loan to “buy” a new vehicle and why?
[Images: Toyota, Ford]
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Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.
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To me leases are for people who want a new car every few years and don't mind making a car payment a permanent part of their budget.
Can I lease a vehicle through my local Wildberries location?
LEASING IS SO GOOD THAT I DOUBLED MY LEASE PAYMENT!!!
Tesla had some great 0%-1.99 financing last few years. I ran the math and a monthly note on a model y was cheaper than a base rav4 le with Manual cloth seats and usb a from 30 yrs ago. toyota tax is very real.