Buy 2017 i3 vs. lease 2019

[conwaymoto]

Hello
I am looking to either buy or lease an i3.

I have been eyeing a 2017 BEV 94Ah with the options I want - tech and driving assist package, parking assist, harman kardon, plus moonroof and giga.
It has 15000 miles and is listed for $24k certified.

On the other hand I can lease a 2019 BEV 120Ah for $388 per month no money down. The vehicle has an MSRP of 50395 the capitalized value after rebates is 38353 and the residual is 58% for 10k miles for 3 years. I live in WA so the payment includes 10.4% tax. The total I will pay then is $14k in depreciation. The money is at about 3.3% I don’t know if the money factor is marked up or not.

I drive about 7k miles each year - mostly a 25 mile round trip commute.

Which one should I get? Used at 24k or a guaranteed 14k in depreciation for 3 years use.

 

[skeptic]

I don't know that you can come up with a monetary reason. Or to put it another way, there are a number of ways to look at it. I guess you could try to compare the total cost of 2 years of leasing and end up with nothing vs your best guess at 2 years of depreciation on the 2017 then add in sales tax and any interest paid.

Really though, it comes down to how long you plan to keep it, how important new vs. a couple years old is to you, and if you like the idea of leasing. If you want a new car every couple years then just lease and forget. Personally, I just don't like the idea of leasing OR buying new. I like someone else to take the initial depreciation hit. I'd buy the 2017, which looks to be a pretty good price for a CPO.

 

[SkepTeach]

I had a '17 REx for 3 years and just recently took delivery of a '19 s REx. For the aesthetics of the exterior refresh, the new iDrive, and the actual (and amazing!) high beams, I would recommend opting for the new car. I loved driving the '17 for three years, but the new car is all that plus a few other niceties that just improve the overall experience.

 

[conwaymoto]

Thank you both for the perspectives
Next step is to drive both the cars