💸 How to Spot a Strong Car Lease Deal (So You Don’t Get Ripped Off)

"Math is only fun when it saves you money… or proves your ex was wrong." - Chase Jordan

Most people lease cars the same way they buy concert tickets — they see a number, think “That seems fine,” and swipe the card.

But here’s the thing: if your lease payment is even slightly off, you could be wasting hundreds or even thousands over the term.

And the worst part?

You might never even know.

That ends today.

As your friendly car buying consultant (aka your car buying concierge with a calculator), I’m going to show you how to instantly know if a lease is strong, fair, or flat-out ugly — all in under 30 seconds.

📊 Step 1: Learn the 1% Rule

This is your instant lease cheat code.

• Take the MSRP of the car (the window sticker price).

• Move the decimal two spaces left.

• That’s your excellent deal number.

Example: MSRP = $40,000 → 1% = $400/month (before taxes).

If you can get close to that without a massive down payment, you’re golden.

🥇 Step 2: Understand the Grades

• Excellent: ~1% of MSRP/month

• Good: ~1.25%

• Meh/Average: ~1.5%

Example:

• $40k MSRP

  • $400/mo → Excellent

  • $500/mo → Good

  • $600/mo → Average

If you’re at 1.5% or higher, the dealer might be smiling way more than you are.

💰 Step 3: Don’t Get Fooled by Big Down Payments

Dealers love to drop your monthly payment by asking for a huge amount upfront. But all that does is hide the true cost.

Example: You give them $5,000 at signing, and suddenly the payment looks great — but you’ve just prepaid part of the lease.

If the car gets totaled or stolen, you could lose most of that money.

🛠 Step 4: Check the “Lease Math”

Two numbers secretly control your payment:

• Residual Value → The higher it is, the less you’re paying for depreciation.

• Money Factor → Basically your lease interest rate — the lower, the better.

Even with a high MSRP, a strong residual and low money factor can make a lease deal fantastic.

🎯 Step 5: Negotiate the Price BEFORE the Payment

Here’s where most people mess up:

They walk in, say, “I want my payment to be $500 a month,” and the dealer happily makes it happen… by manipulating the numbers to keep their profit high.

Instead, negotiate the selling price first, just like you would if you were buying.

THEN talk about leasing.

⚡ Final Thoughts

A strong lease deal is usually around 1% of MSRP with little to no money down, backed by a high residual and low money factor.

Anything over 1.25% can still be good, but over 1.5%?

That’s your cue to keep walking (or call me so we can fix it).

🏁 From Chase

If you want someone who actually works for you (and not the dealer), that’s exactly what we do at Deal Guard.

We take the stress, confusion, and “did I just get ripped off?” feeling out of the car buying process.

Whether you’re leasing or buying, our car buying concierge service makes sure every number is in your favor.

📲 Visit GETDEALGUARD.COM before you sign anything — we’ll make sure the deal you get is one you’ll brag about, not one you’ll regret.