Free preview · from the dealership side of the desk
Picking a mileage allowance feels like a small checkbox. It’s one of the most common ways a good lease turns expensive. Drive 15,000 miles a year on a 10,000-mile lease and after 36 months you’re 15,000 miles over; at $0.25 a mile, that’s a $3,750 bill at turn-in. Choose too high instead and you paid every month for miles you never drove.
From the desk, there’s a reason quotes often come in with a low allowance: fewer miles means a higher residual, a lower payment and an easier close today. The fix is arithmetic, not guesswork. Below: how to estimate your real miles, what overage actually costs, a side-by-side comparison for your number, when buying miles up front pays, how to track your pace, what to do mid-lease if you’re running over, and when you simply drive too much to lease.
Members read the rest · 9 more sections
In the full guide
- How allowances work
- What overage costs
- Estimate your real miles
- Compare the options for your number
- Buying miles up front
- Track your pace during the lease
- If you are running over
- When you drive too much to lease
- Your game plan
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