If you have the cash, should you buy or lease?

Crissa

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FSD is not just full-self-driving, but the equipment and promise of advanced and advancing safety features.

Since current cars come with the equipment, the the Cybertruck will, too.

-Crissa
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Donworth

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It depends on what is being changed. For example, apparently the seats in the model 3 has changed, the gap between the trunk and the rear window was made bigger, they are making the frunk a bit smaller which could mean they are adding a heat pump for better cold weather range.

These are things that aren't going to be changed on any vehicles that people already own, it's just for new vehicles that are purchased. Waiting to see if there are any issues like this on the Cybertruck would probably be the only reason to lease instead of buy. I'll be buying my Cybertruck for sure, I have confidence that this will be an amazing Vehicle.
Hi again. You do have a point but every car company changes things. The way I see it is by the time you buy one after leading one for a few years you will have paid a lot more. Just my take on it. Good luck
 

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I'm in a good spot to purchase the dual motor CT outright. But knowing all the issues the model 3 and the model y had, would it be smart to purchase the CT or lease it and wait a few years for all the issues to get resolved? It seems almost a waste of money to lease it for a few years then purchase the same vehicle anyways. Right?
I wouldn't pay cash. With interest rates low, you can take out a loan. Then Invest your money in an investment making more interest/dividend than the loans is. It's called using other people's money. Unless you are filthy rich, then as Rosanne Roseannadanna would say, never mind.
 
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I wouldn't pay cash. With interest rates low, you can take out a loan. Then Invest your money in an investment making more interest/dividend than the loans is. It's called using other people's money. Unless you are filthy rich, then as Rosanne Roseannadanna would say, never mind.

That is a very good point!! I never really thought of that. I could take the $70k I have pulled aside for the CT and put it to work somewhere. Any suggestions?? I have read where folks bought Tesla stock a few years ago. Sold their shares and used the profits to purchase a Model 3.
 

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I think there are trends and details to consider at the time. It has been a long time since I bought a new vehicle by any means other than simply writing a check, but I am considering leasing our first Cybertruck.

The particular reason for that is that CT is a very novel vehicle design and it may be subject to a lot of rapid hardware innovation over the first couple of years. I'm thinking maybe lease the first one, and buy the second one when it's time to turn the leased truck in.

Things I'll revisit at the time (and having reserved the morning after the reveal my first option is probably after the first 100k CTs are built) include:

Where are we with FSD? If it is a huge success at the moment, then maybe buy. If it seems like there's going to have to be yet another turn of the wheel from the hardware perspective, that suggests lease.​
Are there then-still widely reported issues or concerns with the design or production quality? If yes, that points to lease. If no, that points to buy.​
Is it apparent that there will be still more significant battery or drivetrain innovations coming in the year or so following the moment at which I can buy? If yes, this points to a lease. If no, that points to buy.​

And yeah, there's the usual financial trade-off between leasing and buying to consider. For that you need the specific terms of the lease, and a SWAG at both depreciation and new vehicle price changes over the length of it. For Teslas there's an awful lot to consider. Depreciation may be low and prices could actually trend downward. If that's how things look, then buying is probably a no-brainer, despite all those other considerations.

Buying also has one other advantage. If you're not happy with it, or things change in life and you want something else, you can turn around and sell it. I have no experience with lease transfers - maybe that's easier than it looks - but I do like the flexibility of being able to pull the ripcord if my needs change.
 


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That is a very good point!! I never really thought of that. I could take the $70k I have pulled aside for the CT and put it to work somewhere. Any suggestions?? I have read where folks bought Tesla stock a few years ago. Sold their shares and used the profits to purchase a Model 3.
You should make sure it is a conservative investment. Buying Tesla stock is not being conservative with your truck money. Nothing against the stock, but doo doo happens. Think return of your money, not return on your money when buying stocks
 
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Clyde-a-scope

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I think there are trends and details to consider at the time. It has been a long time since I bought a new vehicle by any means other than simply writing a check, but I am considering leasing our first Cybertruck.

The particular reason for that is that CT is a very novel vehicle design and it may be subject to a lot of rapid hardware innovation over the first couple of years. I'm thinking maybe lease the first one, and buy the second one when it's time to turn the leased truck in.

Things I'll revisit at the time (and having reserved the morning after the reveal my first option is probably after the first 100k CTs are built) include:

Where are we with FSD? If it is a huge success at the moment, then maybe buy. If it seems like there's going to have to be yet another turn of the wheel from the hardware perspective, that suggests lease.​
Are there then-still widely reported issues or concerns with the design or production quality? If yes, that points to lease. If no, that points to buy.​
Is it apparent that there will be still more significant battery or drivetrain innovations coming in the year or so following the moment at which I can buy? If yes, this points to a lease. If no, that points to buy.​

And yeah, there's the usual financial trade-off between leasing and buying to consider. For that you need the specific terms of the lease, and a SWAG at both depreciation and new vehicle price changes over the length of it. For Teslas there's an awful lot to consider. Depreciation may be low and prices could actually trend downward. If that's how things look, then buying is probably a no-brainer, despite all those other considerations.

Buying also has one other advantage. If you're not happy with it, or things change in life and you want something else, you can turn around and sell it. I have no experience with lease transfers - maybe that's easier than it looks - but I do like the flexibility of being able to pull the ripcord if my needs change.
I can see how purchasing any Tesla (or possibly any EV) is similar to purchasing a PC or smart phone. You buy the latest and greatest current technology for the time. You get regular updates to your PC and phone to improve its performance, security, and capability. 2 years pass and the phone is almost obsolete. The next best thing comes out that is 3 times as fast with better cameras and faster processors, etc. All the while your 2 year old phone still can make phone calls, surf the web, connect to your Tesla, etc. It's not feasible to try and keep upgrading with the latest technology. At least not in my current financial position.

I really like your main points. It takes some thought and risk assessment to purchase technology. I believe if you know that technology is moving extremely fast and accept that the next CT will be even better than your current CT then it will be an easier pill to swallow. At any rate I'm excited to drive it. Hopefully allot of R&D is being conducted. There is allot to see and read about how the Rivian folks are performing real world testing. I would like to see the same for the CT.
 

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You should make sure it is a conservative investment. Buying Tesla stock is not being conservative with your truck money. Nothing against the stock, but doo doo happens. Think return of your money, not return on your money when buying stocks
Well if something happens to your Tesla stock, you aren't going to be buying a Cybertruck anyway.

-Crissa
 
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CyberCop

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Buy it outright, if for some reason within 2 years you don’t like it or there are advancements on a current model but not available on the original then sell it and get the newer model.
With the demand this truck has it should be easy to sell for almost full price.
In my years of buying and leasing a vehicle I have found leasing was never a good choice financially.
JMHO

:coffee:
 

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I'm in a good spot to purchase the dual motor CT outright. But knowing all the issues the model 3 and the model y had, would it be smart to purchase the CT or lease it and wait a few years for all the issues to get resolved? It seems almost a waste of money to lease it for a few years then purchase the same vehicle anyways. Right?
Teslas hold their value so well that leasing doesn't make much sense to me. I suppose it depends on your tax situation what makes the most sense for you.
 


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I'm in a good spot to purchase the dual motor CT outright. But knowing all the issues the model 3 and the model y had, would it be smart to purchase the CT or lease it and wait a few years for all the issues to get resolved? It seems almost a waste of money to lease it for a few years then purchase the same vehicle anyways. Right?
We took delivery of our 2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD with Long Range Battery in October of 2018. We've only had one issue that has been resolved to our satisfaction. In our home there is a motto "If it can be scratched, dented, broken or bent it will be" The Tesla Model 3 is the wife's vehicle and she is the ultimate test engineer for all things...she hasn't busted it yet and loves her Tesla! Don't hesitate to make the investment.
 

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Buy it outright, if for some reason within 2 years you don’t like it or there are advancements on a current model but not available on the original then sell it and get the newer model.
With the demand this truck has it should be easy to sell for almost full price.
In my years of buying and leasing a vehicle I have found leasing was never a good choice financially.
JMHO

:coffee:

This Exactly! Resale on other Tesla's has been great in the first few years, so there is little chance that you will lose more selling it than you would paying the lease. Interest rates are super low now. If they stay that way until the CT comes out then paying just enough down to keep the monthly payment reasonable will probably be a good option. Investing the remaining amount is a good option, but you also have to understand that there are risks associated with it. With that money sitting there, it's also easy to spend it since now it isn't allocated directly to the truck.

For me, the lease isn't even an option. I'm just considering loan vs cash. Loan might be better, but I do enjoy being debt free. I hate owing on something and having to make a payment. Might be a good time to take some gains off my Tesla stock...
 

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Being debt free is under rated in my opinion. It’s truly life changing and it is amazing how fast your savings grows without all those pesky payment plans. I stumbled into listening to Dave Ramsey years ago and without purchasing anything from him I heeded some of his advice and reasoning towards living debt free and it absolutely works. Now a lot more people are going in the same direction and people are even retiring much much earlier than I can even comprehend (30’s). As Dave says...”cash is king!”
 

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That is a very good point!! I never really thought of that. I could take the $70k I have pulled aside for the CT and put it to work somewhere. Any suggestions?? I have read where folks bought Tesla stock a few years ago. Sold their shares and used the profits to purchase a Model 3.
Dividend producing stocks. Learn about DGI, dividend growth investing.
 
 




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