You happy with your decision...chime in...

I would never lease a car...to me, it just doesn't seem like the car is mine (even though the bank still owns my car, hehe).

I lease, I write off every penny and invested limited money at the time of inception.

Bought mine.

Purchased, or maybe adopted would be a better description.

paid in full

Leased it through the business and plan to buy it personally when the lease is up.

Paid in full

Normally I purchase a car rather than leasing to avoid getting screwed over mileage. I take delivery of an 06/211 in November that I leased for 24 months in order to trade it back in for the E63. The value of these cars drop so fast, and I don't want to be stuck with a 10k loss. I am giving my car to my mom instead of letting the dealer rip me off on the trade in. I got my 210 over a year ago for 39k and today it's only worth 28????????

Vic is smart to use it as a tax write off as long as you stay within the mileage.

I purchased too. I am amazed a the initial poll results. I would have thought a lot more leases. Maybe that is an E55 anomaly.

Wow, I might do the same thing. Just keep my C32 and sell my mi-espousa's Acura TL and get something nice via leasing

Leased - great tax advantages in this country when use for "work" purposes. And its cheaper to do it that way than borrow from the bank.
And you can turn the car over every 3 or 4 years if you want.

And $230,000 Aussies dollars is a bit much out of the budget for an outright purchase!

Leased the E55 (36 months), but I purchased the SL55. If you own your own business or can otherwise write off the lease it becomes a very attractive business deal... You can also write off upgrades such as wheels, etc. as maintenence.

~ Ian

Paid cash and in full for it.

Bought full cash.

financed every penny at 5.5% then used cash on hand for real estate investment returning XX%. akways better to borrow someone elses money if your investments are returning better.

Bought it like everything else.

Bought cash.

bought. but financed 95% of it at 5%

Leased. Could have financed 100% at 3.99% and still paid more per month than a lease or paid cash and lost out on the returns on investments.

Leased...3 years.

Sounds like the tax laws in your country are significantly less restrictive than they are here in the USA. Unless you PERSONALLY own your own business, you cannot write off a lease on a car (even if you use it for business purposes). I've had traveling salesman-type friends of mine think that they were "getting around" it and gotten stuck with un-acceptable deductions. The company they work for CAN record the lease as an expense (if the company also pays for the car). In the end, he had to turn in his personal lease and get the company to take out a lease for him. He didn't get Mercs or BMW's anymore but now rather is driving good ole American metal. Although I do own my own business and thought I would qualify, my CPA told me it was far too risky and that I should instead by a 6000-lbs qualifying truck as the financials were SIGNIFICANTLY better (ala the GX). This is one of the reasons I have never leased a vehicle so far.

PS - Bought prior CLK55 with cash. Bought business truck with bank financing (about 60%). Never have leased any vehicle..

Leverage is a wonderful tool...

~ Ian

Paid for it cash at the dealership, then brought it home and financed it for 2.9%. Better to have the cash in hand to invest with (real estate).