Over Mileage on lease
also, is there anybody who knows how it's really done? like when you purchase or lease another MB, they let go of the mileage and stuff...i'm curious...
Then of couse there are turn in fees and excess mileage fees that are calculated based on what you signed for and some mileage fees escalate now where they get more expensive the larger the difference is. All that is spelled out in your contract, don't expect anyone here to be able to tell you what it is.
I know it's tempting to lease because of the low down payment and lower monthly payments but seriously, a lease ends up costing a lot more in the long run, your just delaying the pain. Also leases are where the finance guy makes his money because they are not bound by disclosure laws for financing so they can hide a lot where you can't see it until the ink dries.
The past three leases I had, I purchased additional mileage up front and a fraction of the cost if you are over. For instance, the over mileage charge would range from .16-.21 per mile over the contracted amount. Up front costs are about .04-.06 per mile, purchased in blocks of 1,000 miles. The good thing doing this is if you don't exceed the mileage, you get the unused portion back.
If you exceed the mileage, and you are either purchasing or leasing another MB, you have a better chance of them forgiving the overage.
I used to think, since I liked a new car every 3-4 years, and I could get so much more car for the same monthly payment, leasing was the way to go. In the past few years, leasing has come under fire by the feds. One of the tricks leasing agents used to use was to place a too high risdual on the car, making the payments a lot less. When a car is turned in after the lease, the leasing company sends it through the auction process, which is where they are losing money.
Leasing used to have benefits for self-employed and for businesses, but for the consumer, it was a way to drive a car that you really could not afford otherwise, and the dealerships love them. One of the line items you will never see on a leasing agreement is the price that the lease is based on. There are tons of hidden fees, and most times, the no matter what the dealership tells you, the lease is based on the sticker price of the car. By monkeying around with residuals, low mileage qotes, rebates, and add backs, they can get the price down to where your pocket doesn't hurt so much.
My rule now is, if I can't afford to buy it, I don't need it.
Maturity sucks.
This is the reason I chose to purchase my C instead of leasing it. It's almost 1 year old and it approaching 22,000 on the clock
1. pay the overage and regret that i drove around too much
2. buy or lease the another MB, if HOI allows
thank you very much for all of your input.



