BMW

The company is offering special leases on 55 different models and styles (trimlines). All deals are for 2012 models, except for five 2011 models, which are exceptionally good deals.

The BMW lease deals are for 36 months except for two 2011 models with 33 month offers (see details below). All expire on February 29, 2012. Each requires a down payment, first month’s payment, and a usual $725 lease aquisition fee be paid at the time of lease signing.

All of the lease offers have been evaluated by LeaseGuide.com and generally rated as Excellent or Oustanding on a 5-level scale of Poor/Average/Good/Excellent/Outstanding.

Although most of the deals are based on full MSRP price (some have a $1500-$2500 “allowance” discount), they all have very high lease-end residual values (around 65%) and money factors in the .0005 range, which is equivalent to about 1.2% APR interest. These factors combine to create a low monthly payment for each vehicle, a payment that customers would not be able to negotiate for themselves.

Also don’t forget that BMW vehicles come with free factory recommended maintenance for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. This only sweetens the special lease offers.

Following are examples of some of the current BMW lease deals:

2012 BMW 128i Coupe – $369/month, $2500 down payment (cap cost redution)

2012 BMW 135i Coupe – $439/month, $2500 down payment

2011 BMW 328i Sedan – $389/month, $2500 down payment, $2500 allowance (can be used as down payment)

2011 BMW 328i xDrive Sedan- $349/month, $2500 down payment, 33 months, $1500 allowance (can be used as down payment)

2011 BMW 335i Sedan – $449/month, $3000 down payment, $2500 allowance, $1305 option credit

2011 BMW 335i xDrive Sedan – $419/month, $3000 down payment, 33 months, $1500 allowance, $1840 option credit

2012 BMW 328i Coupe – $449/month, $2500 down payment

2012 BMW 328i Convertible – $489/month, $3200 down payment

2012 BMW 528i Sedan – $599/month, $1900 down payment

2012 BMW 550i Sedan – $769/month, $3000 down payment

2012 BMW 650i Coupe – $899/month, $5000 down payment

2012 BMW X3 xDrive28i – $459/month, $2750 down payment

2012 BMW Z4 sDrive28i – $519/month, $2500 down payment

Again, these BMW special lease deals for February 2012 are some of the best new-car lease values in the market at this time.

However, if you read the small print in these offers, they are only available to “qualified customers,” which means customers who have good credit scores. You should know your most recent credit score before you go to accept one of these deals. Fortunately, you can get your credit score online for free at services such as FreeCreditScore.com with a quick enrollment.

###

You know the ones — the ones that get all the attention, can park just about anywhere, have unique styling and colors, get 38 miles per gallon, offer a ton of cool options, are very safe, and have plenty of room for two people.

The company offers essentially four different models including a convertible (cabriolet) and a limited-availability all-electric model.

For the first time, there are some incredible deals on the smart fortwo cars, including a $99/month lease deal.

The special lease deal is for the lowest priced model, the 2012 smart pure coupe. The deal is $99/month for 36 months and $999 due at signing. Previous best deals were $159 to $169 month. This model comes with standard 5-speed automated manual transmission, eight air bags, stability control, and more.

This is the lowest lease price we’ve ever seen for a 36 month lease on a brand-new car.

The slightly more upscale 2012 smart passion coupe is offered with a $169/month lease, 36 months, $999 due at signing and the 2012 smart passion cabriolet is offered at $199/month, 36 months, $999 due at signing.

All the smart fortwo vehicles (except all-electric) are also offered for purchase with a 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months.

Additionally, a $1000 loayalty bonus (rebate) is offered for current smart car or Mercedes-Benz vehicle owners.

###

Mitsubishi

These incentives come in the form of rebates, 0% APR loans, special lease deals, and loyalty rebates. All deals expire on January 31, 2012.

Let’s take a look at deals on 2012 models first.

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer – 0% APR loan rate for 36 months and $500 rebate for current Mitsubishi or Saturn customers

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer ES CVT – Special lease: $189/month, 24 months, $2388 due at signing

2012 Missubishi Lancer SE 2.5L AWC CVT – Special lease: $189/month, 24 months, $2388 due at signing

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback – 0% APR loan rate for 36 months and $500 loyalty rebate for current Mitsubishi or Saturn customers

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback ES CVT – Special lease: $196/month, 24 months, $2395 due at signing

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution – 0% APR loan rate for 36 months

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR – Special lease: $349/month, 48 months, $3698 due at signing

2012 Mitsubishi Galant – $3500 factory rebate or 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe  - 0% APR loan rate for 36 months

2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder – 0% APR loan rate for 36 months

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport – 0% APR loan rate for 36 months and $500 loyalty rebate for current Mitsubishi or Saturn customers

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ES 2WD CVT – Special lease: $219/month, 36 months, $2768 due at signing

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander – 0% APR loan rate for 36 months and $500 loyalty rebate for current Mitsubishi or Saturn customers

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 ES 2WD CVT – Special lease: $249/month, 36 months, $2998 due at signing

In addition to the above deals on 2012 models, there are also some excellent deals on left-over 2011 models, as shown below:

A $1000 factory rebate is being offered on the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; a $1500 rebate for the 2011 Lancer, Lancer Sportback, and Eclipse Coupe; a $2000 rebate for the 2011 Eclipse Spyder and Outlander; a $3500 rebate for the  2011 Galant; and a $4500 rebate for the 2011 Endeavor.

There are also 0% APR loan rates offered for up to 60 months (36 months on Eclipse) on all the above 2011 models, as well as a $500 customer loyalty rebate on some of the models.

If you read the fine print accompanying the Mitsubishi incentives, you’ll find that the loan and lease deals are available only to customers with “approved credit” which means customers must have a good credit score. It is always a good idea to know your most recent credit score before you visit a dealer regarding one of these deals. It’s easy enough to get your latest credit score online at services such as FreeCreditScore.com.

###

Everywhere.

Nearly every car company is currently offering incentives of some kind. Deals are actually not hard to find if you know where to look.

Some of these deals are outstanding, some very good, and others only so-so.

Luxury Brands

High-end luxury car companies, such as Porsche, Audi, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Mercedes, don’t normally offer common incentives for fear of looking like a discount car brand. When they do, it’s in the form of “bonuses” or “allowances” but not “rebates.” Or it might be in the form of special leases, where the “discounting” is not so obvious.

For example, at the time of this writing, Mercedes is offering a number of very attractive lease deals across its model lines. They are also offering 1.9% APR loan deals but in these days of record-low finance rates, 1.9% is good but not really an outstanding deal, especially when it’s limited to 24-36 month loans. The lease deals are better.

Same for Infiniti, who is currently (January 2012) offering a number of very good lease deals (all $0 cash due at signing) on all 2012 models except hybrids, and 1.9% APR loans for up to 60 months (better than Mercedes). Depending on where you live, there may be deals on left-over 2011 models.

Audi currently has no incentives for January (at the time of this writing) but even those for December 2011 were not very interesting – a few mediocre lease deals in which they make the first month’s payment and waive the security deposit (who doesn’t). Not much to get excited about.

BMW actually has some outstanding lease deals going on at this time (see New BMW Lease Offers for January) and some factory-to-dealer cash on a few models that translate into purchase price discounts.

Acura offers good lease deals on one selected style within each of its model lines. These are of the $0-$0-$0 variety ($0 down, $0 first payment, $0 security deposit) and are genuinely good deals.

Lexus has no deals worth mentioning, except possibly on a few left-over last-year’s models, or certified used cars.

Land Rover has lease deals on the Ranger Rover Sport and LR4 that are only rated Good by LeaseGuide.com, as well as 1.9% APR loan rates for only 36 months. Nothing here to jump up and down about.

Non-Luxury Brands

The very best deals in 2012 will come from American car brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, and Ram. They offered some of the best incentives in the business in 2011 and are expected to do the same or better in 2012.

The most recent deals from these American companies include generous rebates, 0% APR loans (and other low-interest loans), special lease deals (although usually not as good as foreign car brands), and factory-to-dealer cash that dealers use to discount prices. Cadillac is offering a number of good $0 down leases. Left-over 2011 models are especially good deals right now.

At this time, Honda and Toyota are offering a few good deals, especially on leases, but you’ll have to wait until they’ve fully recovered from last years disasters in Japan before you see the best deals. Honda continues to offer their popular “$0 due at signing“ leases. These are genuinely good lease deals — much better than customers could negoitate for themselves.

Hyundai is coming on strong with some great deals on selected models. Their award-winning Elantra model is now being offered with a special lease deal (see Car of the Year for Only $179).

Nissan has 0% APR loan rates — for up to 60 months — on nearly every model, including 2012 and left-over 2011 models.

Subaru’s current incentives include 42-month lease deals on one style of each of its models or 1.9% APR loan rates. However, we don’t recommend 42-month leases on vehicles that only have 36-month warranties. You’re exposed for 6 months to paying for expensive out-of-warranty repairs near the end of the lease.

Mazda currently has a whole variety of new incentives including a number of moderately attractive 36 month leases with relatively low down payment requirements, a few 1.9% APR loan deals for up to 60 months, and a number of 0.0% APR loan deals that are combined with up to $1000 customer cash (rebate).

Mitsubishi is offering outstanding 24-month leases on its 2012 Lancer ES and SE ($189/month) and Lancer Sportback ES ($196/month). There are also 0% APR loan deals for up to 36 months on 2012 models and up to 60 months on 2011 models. Also available are rebates of up to $3500 on 2011 models and customer loyalty bonuses of $500. All in all, a nice set of deals from Mitsubishi.

Volkswagen usually has a nice selection of special lease deals across its model line. These are nearly always good deals and are better than customers could negotiate for themselves. They also offer a number of 0% APR loans for up to 72 months, which is a bit unusual.

Saab, the car company, has filed bankruptcy but dealers still have left-over vehicles at low, low prices.

Fiat has announced new $0 down leases its 500 and 500c models.

Deals Can Change

As you probably already know, car deals and incentives can (and usually do) change month-to-month, and sometimes week-to-week. Deals can vary depending on the region of the country you live in and can differ by dealer.

One of the best ways to know exactly what deals are best in your area is to use an online service such as TrueCar that not only shows you what local people are paying for specific car makes and models, but also the lowest price you should expect to pay, factoring in all current incentives. It’s free and they give you a guaranteed price quote that will be honored at local dealers.

###

Fifty independent auto journalists voted on a number of finalists including not only the Hyundai Elantra but also the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus.

This award is like winning an Oscar in the movie business and is significant because the voters are people who really know cars and review them day in and day out.

Hyundai has created a solid reputation for building cars with innovative styling, quality, reliability, safety, and luxury at affordable prices. The award-winning Elantra is no exception.

Special Low-Payment Lease Deal on 2012 Hyundai Elantra – Car of the Year

The best news for automotive consumers is that Hyundai is currently offering the 2012 Elantra GLS with auto transmission at only $179/month with a special lease deal that is good through January, until January 31, 2012.

The deal is based on a reduced capitalized cost (lease price), low money factor (finance rate), and a high lease-end residual value. It is a 36 month lease with 36K miles allowance. It requires a $1820 down payment and $179 first month’s payment, both due at lease signing along with any local taxes and official fees.

LeaseGuide.com has evaluated this deal and gives it a Lease Value Score of 79, which rates as Excellent on a 5-level scale of Poor/Average/Good/Excellent/Outstanding. This is a deal well worth considering and a deal that a customer could not negotiate for themselves.

Hyundai is currently offering other special lease deals on the following vehicles:

2012 Hyundai Accent – $169/month, $1530 down payment

2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring – $199/month, $2000 down payment

2011 Hyundai Equus Signature – $739/month, $2260 down payment, plus up to $3000 bonus cash that would reduce lease payment

2012 Hyundai Equus Signature – $739/month, $4260 down payment

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan – $399/month, $2600 down payment, plus up to $3000 bonus cash that would reduce lease payment

2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 Manual Transmission Standard Package – $259/month, $2440 down payment

If you need to learn more about car leasing and whether it is right for you, please visit LeaseGuide.com for free information and advice.

###

Cadillac

Cadillac’s lease deals are interesting in that they are a bit wishy-washy on details. For example, Cadillac states that “dealer sets own price” and “example [of the deal] based on survey” and “lease-end purchase price [residual value] set at time of lease signing” and “your payments may vary.” Normally, when a car company offers special leases, it provides all the specifics and detailed figures in the small print accompanying the advertisement. Not so with Cadillac this month.

We will show you the currently offered Cadillac lease deals, all of which are excellent deals and well worth considering. However, you may find that when you visit your local Cadillac dealer, you may not be able to get exactly the same deal. In that case, you can evaluate the deal, or any lease deal, using this Car Lease Calculator  from LeaseGuide.com. It’ll tell you just how good, or bad, the deal is.

Here are the latest Cadillac special lease deals, already evaluated and rated by LeaseGuide.com.

2012 Cadillac CTS Coupe – $429/month, $0 due at signing, 36 months, 30K miles (Score: 95 Outstanding)

2012 Cadillac CTS Sedan – $399/month, $0 due at signing, 36 months, 30K miles (Score: 98 Outstanding)

2012 Cadillac Escalade- $747/month, $0 due at signing, 36 months, 36K miles (Score: 88 Excellent)

2012 Cadillac SRX w/1SB – $499/month, $0 due at signing, 36 months, 30K miles (Score: 84 Excellent)

Notice that all but the Escalade lease have a 30,000 mile allowance. For 36 months, this translates to only 833 miles per month (1000 miles per month for the Escalade). This is a relatively small mileage allowance and is part of the reason these are such good deals if you only look at the monthly payment and the fact that you pay no cash at lease signing (except for normal taxes and official fees).

Although all the leases rate Excellent or higher the 2012 Cadillac CTS Sedan is the best deal of the group.

So, before you go visit your dealer to accept one of these Cadillac deals, make sure you can live within the mileage allowance. Otherwise, you’ll pay a relatively hefty $0.25 per mile if you exceed the allowance. Also make sure you know your credit score before you go too. The deals are only available to customers with good credit. You can easily see your most recent credit score online from web sites such as FreeCreditScore.com with a quick sign-on.

###

BMW

There are 55 different BMW models with special promotional lease deals this month. Five of those are 2011 models, which are the best of all the excellent deals, and the remainder are 2012 models.

All the 2011 model lease deals listed below have been rated Outstanding by LeaseGuide.com on a 5-category scale of Poor/Average/Good/Excellent/Outstanding.

All the 2012 model lease deals listed below have been rated Excellent. This high rating also applies to nearly all the other BMW leases that we haven’t listed.

All deals are for 36 months (except where noted) and 30K miles allowance (except where noted). This translates to only 833 miles per month. If you drive more miles than the allowance, you’ll pay at the rate of $0.20-$0.25 per mile. Before you apply for one of these leases, make sure you can live with the relatively low mileage allowance. These deals expire on January 31, 2012.

With each deal, at lease signing, you’ll pay a down payment, the first monthly payment, and a $750 lease acquisition fee (a standard non-negotiable fee with all car leases). In some cases, the down payment is offset by an allowance or credit (aka, rebate) that totally or partially covers the down payment.

The 2011 BMW models with special leases are as follows:

2011 BMW 328i Sedan – $389/month, $3614 due at signing before $2500 allowance

2011 BMW 328i xDrive – $349/month (33 months), 27.5K miles, $3574 due at signing before $1500 allowance

2011 BMW 335i Sedan – $449/month, $4174 due at signing before $1500 option credit and $2500 allowance

2011 BMW 335i xDrive Sedan – $419/month 933 months), 27.5K miles, $4144 due at signing before $1840 option credit and $1500 allowance

2011 BMW 335d Sedan – $459/month, $3684 due at signing before $3500 ECO credit and $1500 allowance

Make no mistake, the above 2011 model lease deals are truly outstanding deals.

A few examples of the 50 other special lease deals on 2012 models from BMW in January are the following:

2012 BMW 128i Coupe – $369/month, $3594 due at signing

2012 BMW 328i Coupe – $449/month, $3674 due at signing

2012 BMW 335i Coupe – $499/month, $4224 due at signing

2012 BMW 528i Sedan – $599/month, $3224 due at signing

2012 BMW 535i Sedan – $679/month, $3504 due at signing

2012 BMW 550i Sedan – $769/month, $4494 due at signing

2012 BMW 650i Coupe – $899/month, $6624 due at signing

2012 BMW 750i Sedan – $929/month, $5654 due at signing

No other car maker is offering the value and scope of excellent car leases on 2012 models as BMW is offering for January 2012. Also remember that BMW provides 4 years or 50,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance. If you’re even halfway thinking of leasing a BMW, now is a good time to act on it.

One of the “catches” to getting one of these great lease deals is that the deals are only available to “qualified” customers. What this means is that customers must have a good credit score to qualify. Be sure you know your most recent credit score before you set foot in your dealer’s showroom to avoid being surprised with what he knows about you that you don’t know about yourself. It’s easy enough to get your current credit score online and free at web sites such as FreeCreditScore.com. All it takes is a simple sign-on and you can see your score instantly.

###

Toyota

These deals come from Toyota or from a Toyota distributor, depending on where you live. Because the lease deals have different origins, the details of each deal might differ from those we give you here. In some cases, the specific model and style might be slightly different, or it might be the monthly payment or amount due at signing.

Here are the most recent Toyota special leases, all of which expire on January 3, 2012. All are for 39 months, 39,000 miles. The cash due at signing includes a down payment and first month’s payment.

2011 Toyota Avalon – $359/month,  $2358 due at signing

2011 Toyota Camry – $199/month, $2599 due at signing

2012 Toyota Camry – $229/month, $2228 due at signing

2011 Toyota Corolla – $149/month, $2148 due at signing

2011 Toyota Highlander – $309/month, $2308 due at signing

2012 Toyota Highlander – $269/month, $2268 due at signing

2011 Toyota Prius – $249/month, $2248 due at signing

2011 Toyota RAV4 – $209/month, $2208 due at signing

2011 Toyota Sienna – $349/month, $2348 due at signing

2012 Toyota Sienna – $329/month, $2328 due at signing

2011 Toyota Tundra (dbl cab) – $339/month, $3330 due at signing

2012 Toyota Tundra (dbl cab) – $299/month, $3298 due at signing

2011 Toyota Venza – $319/month, $2318 due at signing

If you are considering any of the above special lease deals, make sure you understand how car leasing works, and if you are a good leasing candidate. Leasing is a bit more complicated than buying with a loan, which makes it a little easier to make mistakes. You can get all the information you need, including lease calculators and a Lease Kit, at LeaseGuide.com.

You should also know that when car companies offer special loan and lease deals, they nearly always require that customers be “highly qualified” in order to get the deals. This means the customer must have a good credit score. If you don’t know your credit score, you’ll almost certainly be surprised when you learn how much your dealer knows more about you than you know about yourself. It’s easy enough to get your latest score online and it’s free with a simple enrollment at web sites such as FreeCreditScore.com.

###

Chevrolet

The deals come in the form of special leases and 0% APR loans on selected 2012 models (and some 2011 models). All deals expire on January 3, 2012. All the leases being offered are $0 due-at-signing leases, meaning there no down payment, no security deposit, and no first month’s payment – sign and drive.

Following are the latest Chevrolet incentives:

2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS (manual transmission) – Special lease: $199/month, 39 months, 39,000 miles

2012 Chevrolet Malibu LS - Special lease: $229/month, 39 months, 39,000 miles

2012 Chevrolet Traverse LS - Special lease: $299/month, 39 months, 39,000 miles

The above leases have been evaluated by LeaseGuide.com using the Lease Value Calculator. All of the deals have rated as Excellent or Outstanding. Specifically, the Traverse lease scores a 96 which rates Outstanding. The Malibu scores a 94 which is also Outstanding. The Cruze deal scores a bit lower at 83 but still rates as Excellent.

Special leases such as those being offered by Chevrolet are made possible by discounted lease prices, low money factors, and high lease-end residual values. These are better deals than customers could negotiate for themselves since dealers are not authorized to negotiate money factors and residual values, only price.

Chevrolet is also offering a few special 0% APR loans, some with delayed payments. Here are the vehicles with these incentives:

2012 Chevrolet Equinox – 0% APR for up to 36 months, with delayed payments

2012 Chevrolet Traverse and Impala LS – 0% APR for up to 60 months, delayed payments

2011 Chevrolet Traverse, Avalanche, Silverado, Tahoe, and Suburban – 0% APR for up to 72 months, $500 bonus cash

2011 Chevrolet Camero Convertible - 0% APR for up to 72 months, $1000 bonus cash

You can get free price quotes on any of the above Chevrolet vehicles from Edmunds.comThe quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

For more information and details about $0 down car leases, visit LeaseGuide.com.

###

We’ve explained it before, but Toyota has regional offices and distributors that often make up their own deals for the dealers in their region. In particular, Southeast Toyota controls Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. And Gulf States Toyota controls Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Other states’ distributorships are owned directly by Toyota. 

This causes incentive programs across the country to be similar but different in details.  Let’s explain with some examples.

Currently, for November 2011, Toyota has special lease deals on many of its products. For the Southeast U.S., these deals are as follows:

2011 Toyota Prius – $269/month, 39 months, $2268 due at signing ($1999 down and $269 first month’s payment)

2011 Toyota Corolla LE – $149/month, 39 months, $2148 due at signing

2011 Toyota Camry LE – $199/month, 39 months, $2599 due at signing

2011 Toyota Avalon – $359/month, 39 months, $2358 due at signing

2011 Toyota Venza – $319/mohnth, 39 months, $2318 due at signing

2011 Toyota RAV4 – $219/month, 39 months, $2218 due at signing

2012 Toyota Highlander – $289/month, 39 months, $2288 due at signing

2012 Toyota Sienna LE – $329/month, 39 months, $2328 due at signing

To compare a couple of examples of the same vehicles in the Gulf States distributor’s region:

2012 Toyota Highlander – $299/month, 36 months, $2099 due at signing

2011 Toyota Camry LE – $239/month, 36 months, $1599 due at signing

In Kansas City, the 2011 Toyota RAV4 is $229/month, 36 months, $1597 due at signing

In New York, the 2011 Toyota RAV4 is $189/month, 36 months, $2399 due at signing and the 2012 Toyota Highlander is $269/month, 36 months, $2999 due at signing

In all the examples above, these are “special offer” leases that are subsidized by the Toyota company — and all have been evaluated as either Excellent or Outstanding by LeaseGuide.com. The differences are in the details but not the overall substance of the deals.

In general, our experience has been that any factory-subsidized lease deals on Toyota vehicles, regardless of the area of the country, are well worth considering if you are in the market for a Toyota.

###

Is it possible to lease a car with no down payment?  $0 down?

Absolutely.

In fact most car leases, even those advertised with a “required” down payment, are also available with $0 due at signing. Of course, the monthly payment will be higher since you are not pre-paying some of the lease obligation. In general, for a modestly priced vehicle, you can expect your lease payment to be higher by about $40 a month for every $1000 you don’t make as a down payment.

Although all leases are structured so that a down payment is optional, some special lease deals offered by car manufacturers in monthly promotions may require a down payment in order to get the deal. You could do the lease without a down payment but the actual deal might not be as good (see LeaseGuide.com for details about how to evaluate a lease deal).

On the other hand, some manufacturers such as Honda often offer their special promotional lease deals both ways — with a down payment and without. Even though you pay a higher monthly payment with nothing down, the deal is still a good deal. See Special Honda Leases for recent examples.

In a lease, a down payment is called capitalized cost reduction, or simply cap cost reduction.

Just to understand a bit about how leases work, when you sign the papers for a lease, you pay a down payment (or not), any sales tax on your down payment, your first month’s payment, possibly a security deposit (which you get back at lease-end), and any official fees required in your city, county, or state.

This is called “cash due at signing.” But notice that down payment (if any) is only a part of the total amount due at signing. This important point is often not well understood. Many people mistakenly refer to the entire amount due at signing as the down payment.

This means that there can be differences between lease deals that offer $0 down or no down payment. Even if you make no down payment, you may still pay the other fees.

However, in some “$0 due at signing” or “sign and drive” deals, such as those from Honda and others, not only do you pay nothing down but the other fees are rolled into the lease. You still pay for them in the long run, but you don’t pay them up front in cash. So, when a dealer tells you there is no down payment required, find out if that really means zero cash up front or if you still must pay the other fees.

See “$0 Down Car Leases Are Back” for specific lease deals that require no money down.

For more details and information about zero down car leasing, go to LeaseGuide.com.

###

Honda

They’ve also brought back one of our favorite kind of lease deals — a choice of making a down payment, or no up-front cash at all. They call this deal their $0-$0-$0-$0 lease. This means you pay no money at lease signing, no down payment, no security deposit, and no first month’s payment. However, if you choose to pay money at signing, you lower your monthly payments a bit. 

All of the current Honda car leases are for brand new 2012 models, for 36 months and 36,000 miles. If you exceed the 36,000 miles, the excess-miles fee is a very sensible $0.15 mile. You would pay only $150 for every 1000 miles you are over your allowed miles — cheaper than a rental car.

Here are the new Honda lease deals for November and December 2011:

Honda Accord Coupe EX – $249/month, $2019 due at signing – OR - $310/month $0 due at signing (90 – Outstanding)

Honda Accord Sedan EX – $199/month, $1999 due at signing – OR – $260/month $0 due at signing (92 – Outstanding)

Honda Civic Sedan LX – $179/month, $1999 due at signing - OR – $230/month $0 due at signing (86 – Excellent)

Honda Crosstour 2WD EX V6 – $259/month, $3199 due at signing – OR - $340/month $0 due at signing (91 – Outstanding)

Honda CR-V 2WD LX – $219/month, $1999 due at signing – OR - $270/month $0 due at signing (85 – Excellent)

Honda Odyssey LX – $299/month, $1999 due at signing – OR - $260/month $0 due at signing (84 – Excellent)

Honda Pilot 2WD LX – $289/month, $1999 due at signing – OR - $340/month $0 due at signing (87 – Excellent)

The numerical score you see at the end of each of the above listing is the Lease Value rating by LeaseGuide.com. It rates each lease deal in terms of its value when compared to other leases. Ratings are Poor / Average / Good / Excellent / Outstanding. As you can see the Honda lease deals are some of the best in the industry.

If you are looking for a Honda, you can’t beat the brand in terms of quality, reliability, and value.

As a reminder, you must have good credit in order to take advantage of the above Honda lease deals. If you don’t know your most recent credit score, you should. Don’t let a dealer know more about you than you know about yourself. You can get your current free credit score at FreeCreditScore.comwith a simple signup.

For more details and information about $0 zero down car leases, visit LeaseGuide.com.

###

Also offered on the site is a unique Lease Kit that contains 15 different car leasing aids, calculators, guides, and tools that are of great help to anyone thinking about leasing a car and wanting a good deal — or to those who have already leased.

One of the most popular and most used tools in the Kit is the Lease Evaluator.  It’s a special calculator that tells you how good, or how bad, a lease deal is, based on the make/model vehicle, mileage allowance, down payment, and monthly payment. It’s a tool that you would normally use before you lease as you evaluate and compare different lease offers you enounter at dealers, in newspaper ads, or on TV commercials.

Next most popular in the Kit is the Lease Inspector, another unique calculator primarily designed to evaluate a lease deal after the deal is done to determine if you got a good deal and if the dealer made any “mistakes.”  You fill in a form with numbers directly from your lease contract form and the calculator does the rest.

Other useful tools in the Kit are the Residual Value Calculator that shows you average lease-end residual values for all car makes and models, Lease Ratings for all makes/models, sample of an annotated Lease Contract Form, a Lease Contract Checklist, an Early Lease Termination Guide, simple Lease Payment Tables, a Lease Guide eBook, and more.

The cost of the online Lease Kit is only $19.95, a one-time charge with lifetime free updates. And it comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you plan to lease your next car, the Kit is a small investment compared to the benefits it offers.

###

It’s not just that the new Passat is being introduced with a special lease deal but also that it’s a special car.

Volkswagen is building the new Passat at a brand new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee — “Made in USA” — which has been rolling out Passats now for about six months.  They plan to grow to producing 100,000 vehicles a year. We applaud foreign companies who bring  jobs to the U.S.

The new Passat has new styling, new technology, and new safety features that make it a top pick among auto reviewers. It is often compared to its more-expensive Audi A6 cousin.

Volkswagen is currently offering a special car lease deal on the 2012 Passat that is good only during the month of October 2011.

Monthly payment is $219 for 36 months and 36,000 miles total. The deal requires $1999 due at time of lease signing. Of this amount, $1780 is down payment (cap cost reduction) and $219 is the first month’s payment.

LeaseGuide.com has evaluated this promotional lease deal as “Excellent.”  It has a nice combination of reduced lease price, low money factor, and high lease-end residual value.

The deal is only for the Passat 2.5L S with automatic transmission and the Appearance Package option. This is the low-end Passat model but if you don’t need high-end features and options, this can be a deal to consider.

If you don’t want to lease, Volkswagen is also offering a special loan rate of 1.9% for up to 60 months, with no down payment to “qualified customers.” What this means is that qualified customers must have a good credit score. If you don’t know your credit score, you should get it before you go for one of these special car deals. You can get your credit score online with a simple signup from services such as FreeCreditScore.com . Your credit score is also important if you lease, since leasing is also a form of financing.

###

Hyundai

These deals apply to both 2011 and 2012 models, although you can naturally expect the 2011 offers to be a little better — but not by much.

All the October special leases are for 36 months, 36,000 miles, and end on October 31, 2011. All require a down payment and the first month’s payment to be made at time of signing. The sum of down payment and first month’s payment is called the amount “due at signing.” You will, of course, also pay any official tax, tag, and registration fees.

The Hyundai leases for October have been evaluated by LeaseGuide.com and are presented below with the best deals listed first.

2012 Hyundai Elantra GLS – $179/month, $1999 due at signing (Rated 79 – Excellent)

2012 Hyundai Accent GLS – $169/month, $1699 due at signing (Rated 77 – Excellent)

2011 Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS – $169/month, $1699 due at signing (Rated 85 – Excellent)

2012 Hyundai Sonata 2.4 GLS – $199/month, $2599 due at signing (Rated 81 – Excellent)

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.4 GLS – $199/month, $2399 due at signing (Rated 82 – Excellent)

2012 Hyundai Veloster 1.6L GDI – $179/month, $1999 due at signing (Rated 79 – Excellent)

2012 Hyundai Veracruz- $299/month, $3199 due at signing (Rated 77 – Excellent)

2011 Hyundai Veracruz- $299/month, $2699 due at signing (Rated 80 – Excellent)

2011 Hyundai Genesis Sedan – $739/month, $1500 due at signing (Rated 79 – Excellent)

2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS – $199/month, $2199 due at signing (Rated 71 – Good)

2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS – $199/month, $1999 due at signing (Rated 72 – Good)

2011 Hyundai Equus Signature – $739/month, $2999 due at signing (Rated 73 – Good)

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan 3.8L V6 – $399/month, $3499 due at signing (Rated 732- Good)

2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 – $259/month, $2999 due at signing (Rated 69 – Good)

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 – $259/month, $2699 due at signing (Rated 71 – Good)

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS – $269/month, $2999 due at signing (Rated 70 – Good)

2011 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS  - $269/month, $2699 due at signing (Rated 71 – Good)

2012 Hyundai Tuscon 2.4 GLS  FWD – $259/month, $2699 due at signing (Rated 70 – Good)

2011 Hyundai Tuscon 2.4 GLS  FWD – $259/month, $2499 due at signing (Rated 71 – Good)

All of the Hyundai special lease deals listed above are better than average — and better in most cases than any deal you could negotiate for yourself. This is most true of the deals rated as “Excellent.”

One of the requirements to get these limited-time promotional lease deals is that they are only available to “qualified customers.” This means customers with good credit scores. Before you go to a dealer seeking one of these deals you should already know your credit score to avoid being surprised. It’s easy enough to get your latest score online from a service such as FreeCreditScore.com. Don’t let a dealer know more about you than you know about yourself.

###

However, only one style within each model line gets the good deals.

One of the special options with each lease offer is that you can choose either nothing due at signing (sign-and-drive) or choose to make a down payment (cap cost reduction) for a lower monthly payment. Nice option in our opinion.

You won’t see this “$0 down lease” option on many other car company’s promotional leases.

All the Acura leases are for 36 months and allow 30,000 miles total. The deals end on October 31.

Here are the current Acura lease deals for October 2011. PMT is monthly payment and DUE is the amount due at signing.

You may already know that when a car manufacturer offers these kinds of special lease deals they require customers to be “highly qualified.” This means they want customers to have a high credit score. If you don’t know your credit score, we suggest you get it before you approach a dealer for one of these lease offers. You can get your free credit score with a simple enrollment at FreeCreditScore.com.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.comThe quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

###

However, the deals are usually limited to one or two styles in each model line — and often not on all models. 

Subaru is different. The company is offering lease deals on every model and every style. And there are multiple deals for each style, differing by monthly payment amount and lease months. For example, on the Subaru Outback 2.5i AWD 4-door Wagon with manual transmission, the deals range from $299/month for 42 months, $307/months for 39 months, $309/month for 36 months, $315/month for 48 months, to $448/month for 24 months. All are for 2011 models, have 10,000 miles/year allowances, and require $1700 down payment plus first month’s payment due at signing.

The good news is that you have so many choices if you want to lease a Subaru.

The not-so-good news is that the deals are only good-to-average, as rated by LeaseGuide.com. In other words, the deals are probably only slightly better than you could negotiate for yourself but are nevertheless worth considering.

Generally, the shorter leases, such as the 24-month, are better deals than the longer leases, even though monthly payments are higher. The reason is that you pay less in finance costs and get a higher lease-end residual value. The result is a lower cost-to-value ratio — a better deal.

If you need a lower payment, then go for a longer term but we don’t advise a term longer than the basic Subaru factory warranty of 36 months.  That way, you are covered for the entire term of your lease. A longer lease would expose you to having to pay for repairs for a vehicle that you don’t own.

You can evaluate these or any other car lease deals for yourself with the special Real Lease Value Calculator at LeaseGuide.com.

###

All of the deals are for 12,000 miles per year (except Smart – 10,000 miles/yr) and require a down payment and first month’s payment due at signing. All the lease deals are good through September.

Here is a summary of the current cheapest car lease deals:

2011 Smart ForTwo Pure Coupe – $159/month, $1653 due at signing, 24 months

2012 Chevrolet Cruze – $169/month, $2079 due at signing, 39 months

2012 Hyundai Accent – $169/month, $1699 due at signing, 36 months

2011 Hyundai Elantra – $169/month, $1699 due at signing, 36 months

2012 Hyundai Elantra – $179/month, $1999 due at signing, 36 months

2012 Nissan Altima – $179/month, $2999 due at signing, 24 months

2012 Nissan Versa – $179/month, $1999 due at signing, 39 months

2011 Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe – $179/month, $2033 due at signing, 24 months

2011 Volkswagen Jetta – $179/month, $2199 due at signing, 36 months

2011 Chevrolet Silverado – $189/month, $2039 due at signing, 39 months

2012 Nissan Sentra – $189/month, $1999 due at signing, 39 months

If you don’t understand how car leasing works or how to determine if you are a good leasing candidate, visit LeaseGuide.com where you’ll find all the information and advice you need to make a decision, including a Lease-vs-Buy Calculator.

If you want information and details about finding $0 zero down car leases, read Is it Possible to Lease a Car With $0 Down?

###

However, the September deals from Honda are not so much brand new deals as a continuation of many (but not all) of the good deals from August.  Actually, the deals are good for both September and October. All deals end on October 31, 2011

Honda’s familiar “zero due at signing” or “$0-$0-$0” leases are back on three models:

2012 Crosstour EX V6 – $330/month (also available at $319/month with $2699 due at signing)

2011 Odyssey LX – $370/month (also available at $259/month with $1999 due at signing) 

2012 Pilot EX – $330/month (also available at $259/month with $2699 due at signing) 

Other special leases are available on the following models:

2012 Accord Sedan LX – $199/month, $1999 due at signing

2011 CR-V LX – $219/month, $1999 due at signing

These are genuinely good lease deals as determined by LeaseGuide.com. Before you decide to lease, visit LeaseGuide.com to make sure you understand how leasing works and if you are a good candidate for leasing. You should also know your most recent credit score to know if you meet the credit requirements to qualify for these lease deals. You can get your credit score online from companies such as FreeCreditScore.com.

Other than special lease incentives, Honda is also offering low-interest loans on at least one style within each model line. For example, you can get 0.9% for 24-36 months or 1.9% for 37-60 months for the 2011 Accord Coupe, 2011 Accord Sedan, 2011 CR-V, 2011 Fit, 2011 Odyssey, 2011 Crosstour, 2012 Crosstour, and 2011 Pilot. Special rates of 1.9% for 24-36 months or 2.9% for 37-60 months are offered on 2012 models of the Civic Coupe, Civic HF, Civic Sedan, and Civic Si. Low interest loans also require a good credit score, which you can always get online at FreeCreditScore.com.

###

Nissan

All the Nissan lease deals we discuss below are for 39 months (with one exception), 12,000 miles per years, and require a down payment as well as first month’s payment, as with all leases. The combination of down payment and first month’s payment is called the amount “due at signing.” The Nissan lease offers expire on October 3, 2011.

The rating of each lease deal is by LeaseGuide.com using their Real Lease Value Calculator.

Here are the current Nissan special lease offers. Remember that such offers can vary by region of the country.

2012 Nissan Altima 2.5S (24 month lease) – $189/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated: Outstanding (score=120)

2011 Nissan Maxima S – $309/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated: Excellent (score=80)

2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SR – $189/month, $1999 due at signing – Rated: Excellent (score=75)

2011 Nissan Pathfinder S 4×4 – $329/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated: Good (score=74)

2011 Nissan Murano S AWD – $329/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated: Good (score=74)

2011 Nissan Xterra X 4×4 - $289/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated: Good (score=70)

2011 Nissan Versa Hatchback S AT w/Plus - $179/month, $1999 due at signing – Rated: Good (score=68)

2011 Nissan Rogue S AWD - $259/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated: Good (score=67)

Notice that the 2012 Nissan Altima 2.5S at $179 a month for 24 months is the best of all the deals, getting a rare Outstanding rating. This is made possible because of a very high (good) lease end residual value of 70% of MSRP and a low, low money factor equivalent to almost 0% APR.

Are these the best deals you can get?

Maybe not.

None of the above deals contain any price discount by the Nissan dealer. The lease prices on these deals are simply MSRP (sticker price) minus the customer down payment. There is no “dealer contribution” in the deals. Therefore, you can always ask the dealer to throw a little discount your way to sweeten the deal and reduce the monthly payment. Don’t expect your dealer to necessarily roll over for you. He may “explain” how such a concession is not possible.

Having said the above, all the listed Nissan deals contain good residuals and low money factors that you could not negotiate for yourself. Therefore, you are still getting a good fair deal without any additional discount. Just sayin’ in case you don’t like haggling with dealers.

###