Hi all you knowledgable people.

Been looking at this website...

https://www.selectcarleasing.co.uk

Seems to be some decent deals, but are there any obvious pitfalls to watch out for?

Looking to run a car for 3 year then return/replace for another. Any better websites?

Help?

I'd just advise to avoid any with more than 2 headlights as there's an angry mob roaming the streets of Hartlepool smashing fog lights and running lights with hammers.

Depends on how many miles you do, 10k is the usual amount and everything else over that makes it expensive.

i do around 10k

look at a wide selection and don't assume that the cheaper cars are cheaper. The sums work like this:

Purchase price - residual value (RV) = holding cost.

So a Mercedes with a higher list price that holds its value well will be cheaper than a high spec KIA that depreciates like dog shit.

Look at the maintenance package in detail. You absolutely do not have to have main dealer servicing. If someone tells you otherwise they're breaking the law. Quote 'block exemption legislation'.

The interest rate is crucial.
Shop around.
If you have a family member who is VAT registered have a chat with him/her.

Leased a car through Stoneacre. It was very straight forward and drove a brand new 38k car around for a few years that I would never be able to buy. Didn't even have to tax it. No MOTs or shock repair bills either. A few lads at work lease cars. One of them even does 24k a year going between Lincoln and Scarborough all the time and got an Octavia VRS for a decent price. He went through Lings cars. Once you get beyond their batty website, they are pretty good apparently. Vertu are supposed to be good too. Parkers website had a price comparison bit that's good. The pitfalls? You can't buy the car at the end, you have to put down at least 3 months up front, it can be dear if you exceed your mileage and you habe to hand it back in a good condition (for its age).

I know Ling Valentine, she's mad as a box of frogs but does a damn good job.

I got mine from AVL in boro. If you want the number of the bloke who sorted me out just PM me. He will get you the best deal he can and be honest with you if you can get better elsewhere.

3 years is a lot to not have cosmetic damage and have your mileage requirements change. I'd consider PCP instead.

PCP has exactly the same mileage and condition terms as a lease. We have had both a lease and a PCP car. PCP is significantly dearer but it defo has it's upsides too.

Mr I, I'm looking at leasing a van for 3 years in April. I've got a business which is VAT registered, but I've put very little through it for over a year. Am I better off doing a personal lease?

Most probably not given the 20% VAT saving by putting it through the business. Also there possibility of buying one should be considered as you can write the depreciation off against tax. Mileage is everything John. What do you reckon your annual mileage is?

Leasing has worked well for me for the last 10 years or so, one thing I always do is make sure I have all the lease payments put aside upfront, then there is no doubts about if you can afford it if things go tits up. Balgores leasing often send me "specials" that are cancelled orders I think, very good rates on some of them.

If you get a 2 year lease deal and do 10k per year you will often have no servicing costs as many first services are due at 20k

There are ways of buying your lease car at the end of term

I don't get car leasing; seems to me like you're permanently tying yourself into paying for a car. Got my last car ten years ago; got a decent second hand car, paid it off in three years, and it's still running well now. Yes, it doesn't have all those fancy gadgets inside, but I don't get those either; they just make you more likely to be distracted. I can't say that I don't take any interest in cars (I drive an MX-5) but they are, fundamentally, a functional thing, a mere mode of transport. I'm not sure that all the bells and whistles you get in new cars make it worth handing over hundreds a month to keep buying a new one. If you drive a shitload of miles, then it may be worthwhile, but doesn't that make leasing incredibly expensive?

I’m with Mr TFM on this one like.

Have owned 5 cars but bought them all outright (apart from me 2nd car which doesnt appear much which our lass bought me) Glad to say iv never spent over £2500 on one and probabaly never will.

See no reason at all to spend anymore.

I've only had two cars. First was a Corsa, which my mam and ex paid for (I was a PhD student at the time). That ran for years. Next was my current MX-5. Cost £8000, but that's a bargain for 10, largely trouble free, years on the road. I've only paid finance for a car for three years of my life.

Getting to work outweighs cost of getting to it sometimes , so leasing , buying new or PCP makes far more sense than taking a chance on an older car ..... 50 quid a week or so for no stress makes a lot of sense ....

£50 a week for no stress?

Paying £2600 a year for something that I didn’t own would be more stress as it doesn’t make financial sense over any prolonged period of time.

Paid £5,000 for my Octavia 11 reg last August and as long as I keep it serviced and in good nick I can see me getting at least another 6 years absolute minimum for it. I do 14,000 miles a year so leasing is a no go for me. As with anything it's more down to the choice of car and reliability really that dictates how much it's going to cost you. I've never been a car tart so don't have that baggage to deal with.

It sounds to me like it just depends on what sort of person you are and what lifestyle you lead. Both leasing and owning seem to have their pros and cons.

I'm thinking of buying a van soon though , and this bloody post has now got me thinking , something I try to refrain from doing if I can help it.

The only “advantage” that I can see in leasing a car is so that you can pay through the nose for the neighbours to see a nice new shiny car on your drive every couple of years, which to me is pure madness.

Buying a car is a certain way to lose money ..... It just depends how you look at it .... Lay out 10k and watch the pound notes melt away then have the hassle of trying to realise the value later , or just pay 50 quid a week and don't lose any sleep and keep your savings elsewhere ....

I leased a car for a few reasons. I like changing cars every few years. I enjoy it. I know exactly how much it costs and I can afford it. I used to run older cars. I got tired of having them fail on me and not being able to get to work. Having to fanny around getting a non-runner to a garage then fanny about picking it up. Not to mention MOTs, tyres, brakes, cam-belt changes etc..... trying to budget monthly then having a massive repair bill hit. Above all it was time. My second most scarce commodity. Leasing meant I had none of these time wasting distractions and a fixed budget. Oh and a nice new car every few years. I'm sure there is money to save running an older car but not as much as you think and you'll never get your time back.

Have you ever considered starting an Ant farm?, them fuckers can carry up to 5,000 times their own weight, big enough farm and the workers can transport you to the venue with your wares, cheap solution I think and only eat leaves, JAG.

There is no one answer. Personal circumstances, preferences, tax status, affordability. These all combine to make one option more attractive for a given person. One thing is for sure, usershiprather rather than ownership is a fast growing option.

I do far too many miles currently to justify leasing. I'd definitely switch if I was doing around 10k.

I can certainly see the argument for renting property too. Why pay a mortgage to own a house just to be able to provide an inheritance for your kids to put towards a mortgage to own a house to be able to provide an inheritance for their kids...

I bought my current car 4 years ago for £1000, had a few minor repair bills over that period, it starts every morning and gets me to and from where I want to be every day, that works out at about a fiver a week, can't see how a lease deal could do any better than that, apart from showing off to the neighbours who I don't give a sh*t about anyway.

I will do well under 10k a year. I don't have the funds to buy one sadly.

I was told that because my turnover has been virtually nil for a while I would be unlikely to get a business lease anyway, is this true?