Hey everyone

My lease on an 08 mercedes CLK350 recently finished and I am in the market for a new car. I am really confused so I would love to get some opinions and expert advice.

Just a few things I want to throw out there before I begin. My budget is $500-600 monthly on a lease, and it will be a business write off as far as tax goes.

Let's start with what I'm wishing for, in other words, my first pick, the Audi S5. I have pretty much fallen in love with this car, read and watched every review I can on it, and even though there are cheaper options like the 335i that are just as good performance wise, I'm looking for something more than just speed. I just love the overall S5 package, look and feel.

Now to the cost of actually leasing one, I know my $500-600 budget isn't enough for even a stock standard S5 with no fancy extras.

My question however is this, is there any possible way to negotiate the S5 that low to around $600? (without putting down a ridiculous down payment of course).

If the answer to the above question is yes, please enlighten me
if the answer is nay, then I shall move on the options B and C, and hopefully get some opinions from you guys.

Option B) 2011 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI

I think from what I have read online, the A5 fall around the $500 monthly payment mark? While it's still a gorgeous coupe, I know every time I step inside it, I will just be thinking of the S5. And I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. And the 211 BHP kind of puts me off too. Should I be worried about the low performance? It's the major point that's actually putting me off this car.

Leasecompare.com quotes the monthly lease payment for the A5 at just under $595 with $1000 down, at 12k a year, 36 month lease. Is this is norm, or can this price be bettered with negotiation?

Option C) 2011 Mercedes Benz ML350

Yes I know, quite a deviation from the coupes above, but I have a budget and my company get's a nice discount on MB cars. The only reason I have shirt listed the ML350 is because it is one of the only MB models I can stand to look at without becoming nauseous. I just can't stand them. Sure the top of the line SLS and co are pretty nice, but other than that the whole C, E, S, classes just look horrid to me, and have a very corporate, soulless feel about them. The ML fits my budget and has more of a sporty small SUV feel about it, not too serious, but still stylish enough.

Option D) 2011 BMW 335i coupe

Also around the $500-600 monthly payment point, the 335i has been on my mind for quite some time now, and the only reason I have put it at the bottom of my list is because of the A5/S5 overshadowing it in my eyes. I find the BMW look to be a bit outdated now since they are everywhere and the car itself isn't as striking as it used to once be. But one thing that really puts the BMW above the A5 is the 3.0 Turbo engine, 300BHP is respectable.

Anyway, that's my dilemma, I hope I can get some input from everyone. I'd love to find a way to get the S5, but if that's just unrealistic, I will most likely end up going for the ML350 SUV just because if I can't have the sports car I really want, I might as well go for convenience.

Thanks, and sorry for the long post.

 

I guess I posted in the wrong forum lol

 

I would use a spreadsheet or some kind of calculator in which you can detail the money factors and residuals for each car. Money factors and residuals are set by corporate, so they cannot be negotiated below the set level. However, many dealers pad them up to unknowing buyers.

You can find current money factors and residuals on various forums around the web; these change every month.

When it comes to the three cars, that's up to you. Whatever is in your budget, matches your driving style and, above all, makes you happy is the one with which you should go.

Good luck.

 

Thanks PRC. I thought the dealers never disclose the MF but also read I should never enter a lease without knowing the exact figure.

So I need to search for the 2011 Febuary MF for those cars, plus residuals, which I don't think are hard to find.

 

Well, I pick up my new S5 tomorrow so I just went throught all this. I talked with maybe 8 dealers working through deal on an S5 and for one, the were all very stingy with the vehicle price. Its very hard getting the down more than 1500 off msrp but you can. Took lots of walking away but I got them moving. Anyway, they have to disclose everything. MF, Residual and all. Just ask, they will give it to you. Research a lot and really know the terms befor you talk to them so they don't try to take advantage of you. In the end, I decided to buy and not lease. Every lease offer was terrible. At least from my experience it will be impossible to get even close to 600 on a lease. I struggled to get them down to 800, and the terms were aweful. Only 10k miles, 42 month, high MF and poor residual. So it didn't make sense to lease. I just financed.