Car Leasing: Six Ways To Know If You Should Swipe Right

It's cuffing season y'all -- figure out which commitment really matters this winter (spoiler: it has to do with cars).

Are you a Tinder kind of guy or an EHarmony kind of guy?

Choosing a path to obtain a car is a lot like choosing which dating app to sign up for; are you the type of person looking for a Tinder car or an EHarmony car? Are you looking to use and abuse, or carefully maintain through thick and thin?

It takes a specific kind of person and a specific kind of lifestyle to coincide with car leasing (and, consequently, Tinder). Let’s find out if you’re that kind of guy.

Do early breakups plague your life?

Car leasing contracts were essentially created to lock you down and make you commit, because nothing will force you into staying in a relationship more than having to dish out thousands of dollars otherwise. Breaking a lease early means that not only would you have to pay up early termination costs, but you’d additionally have to pay off every remaining month you initially signed to lease for. So, before leasing, make sure you’re stable financially, mentally, spiritually, figuratively, literally, and every other kind of way you’d imagine would make you stray away from your significant other.

Are you the clingy type?

Everyone loves their partner, but sometimes you have to give them some alone time. If you plan on driving your car excessively, leasing might not be the route for you. Leasing contracts actually limit the amount of miles you can drive yearly (typically 10,000-12,000 miles per year), and will charge you for every extra mile you drive after that. So feel free to spend time with your car, but remember, you have to give it some space, too.

Do you find yourself trying to change fundamental things about your partner?

One golden rule about dating: don’t try to change them. Leasing a car is essentially an extended borrowing. You can’t make modifications, install new equipment, customize it, repaint it, or alter it in any way. If you do it anyways, you’ll, again, likely be charged for the cost to repair the car to its initial condition.

Do you treat her right?

Leasing a car means that when it’s returned, it is expected to have no more than the “usual” wear and tear, otherwise, you’ll be charged with the damages. You’re under obligation to pay for insurance and minimal maintenance to keep it in good condition.

Do you like the way the word “married” sounds?

Some people are emotionally attached to the idea of having something that is totally theirs rather than dating it for the time being. Now, replace the word “married” with “owned” and everything else applies. When leasing a car it doesn’t belong to you – it belongs to the leasing company and you are paying for what you use out of it. When buying, however, you build up owner’s equity that you don’t get when leasing. Some people also just like owning the things they use. It all depends on preference.

Are you reliable?

It’s important to date someone who has a history of being consistent and reliable, and no one knows this fact better than leasing companies. Leasing companies generally require good or excellent credit in order to lease with them. They require a smaller down payment and lower monthly payments than financing, so you need a better credit rating than if you were to be applying for a loan. If your credit score is less than satisfactory you could be subject to unreasonably high monthly payments or just be refused altogether.

Basically...

All in all, relationships (and leasing) can get complicated. Before entering into either of those messy things, it’s important to know what kind of partner you are – it makes the road you’re driving on much less bumpy.