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ONE STEP AT A TIME

Lease vs. Buy Calculator

Compare leasing and buying a car over the same number of years to see how their costs differ.

START HEREStart with what you know.AutoUnite will only ask for the details this estimate needs.
Question 1 of 7

YOUR VEHICLE

Which car are you considering?

We'll use available vehicle details to help with this estimate.
Vehicle

Step 1 of 4: Choose a year.

Looking for a specific car at a dealership?See cars for salePrices, financing or lease terms, taxes, fees, and offers still need to be confirmed.
YOUR ESTIMATEYour estimate will appear here

Answer a few questions to see your estimate. Anything still unknown will stay clearly labeled.

Estimate only. Lease and purchase offers remain separate. AutoUnite does not invent a lease program, purchase APR, eligibility, approval, or equity value. Disclosures · Help

Close calculator guide

UNDERSTAND THE ESTIMATE

How the Lease vs. Buy Calculator works

Compare leasing and buying over the same time horizon using the terms you actually know. AutoUnite keeps the lease quote and purchase financing scenario separate and shows cash-flow differences without declaring which choice is right for you.

What you need to get started

This calculator uses the following inputs to build an estimate. Check your own agreement or quote when a rate, fee, or contract value is required.

  • Lease Monthly Payment
  • Lease Term (months)
  • Comparison Horizon (months)
  • Purchase Price
  • Purchase APR %
  • Purchase Term (months)

You can also refine your scenario with information such as Lease Cash Due at Signing, Disposition Fee, Purchase Down Payment, Estimated Equity / Market Value at Horizon. Enter details only when known; an unknown fee, rate, or benefit is not automatically zero.

How the estimate is built

  1. Enter the monthly lease payment and lease term from the program or scenario you want to evaluate.
  2. Choose one comparison horizon so both paths are measured over the same period.
  3. Enter the purchase price, APR, and loan term as a separate purchase scenario.
  4. Add lease cash due, disposition fees, purchase down payment, or estimated horizon equity only when those facts are known.

Example

A shopper can compare a 36-month lease quote with a 60-month purchase loan over the same 36-month horizon. If horizon equity is unknown, AutoUnite leaves it omitted and labels that limitation instead of assuming zero equity.

Common lease vs buy questions

Does this calculator tell me whether I should lease or buy?

No. It compares modeled cash flows over a chosen horizon. Your mileage, ownership goals, risk tolerance, contract terms, and future plans can matter beyond the calculation.

Does AutoUnite create a lease offer for this comparison?

No. The lease payment and term must come from an approved connected source, an actual quote, or a scenario you enter.

Why use the same comparison horizon?

A common horizon prevents a short lease from being compared directly with the full life of a longer purchase loan.

What happens when future vehicle equity is unknown?

The calculation keeps that value omitted and warns that purchase-path equity was not invented or zero-filled.

Is the purchase APR a financing approval?

No. It is a scenario you enter unless an approved source supplies the rate, and it never represents lender approval.