Car leasing is a financial arrangement where you lease a vehicle for a specific period, typically 2-4 years. Instead of fully owning the car, you pay monthly lease payments.
Once the lease period is over, the vehicle must be returned to the lessor (the owner of the asset). If buying a new car is expensive, consider leasing it for a specific period. Here, you pay only for the period you use the vehicle and minimize the impact of maintenance and depreciation costs.
Before you sign up for a car lease, you need to understand the terms and conditions associated with the process. Here is how leasing works in India:
Some of the notable features and benefits of leasing a car are as follows:
one of the notable advantages of leasing is that you get to drive a vehicle that is brand new and in good condition. When a car is brand new, it provides great performance.
You can enjoy the best value of a car for a fixed monthly payment. This is ideal for people who like to change their cars frequently
The procedure that must be followed to lease a car is mentioned below:
*These prices are representative. Actual prices may differ depending on the car and the tenure of the lease agreement and other factors. Please check the latest prices before applying.
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The process involved in leasing a car is very simple. The first and foremost thing involved in leasing a car is finding the right vehicle and dealer. Research the market to find the best vehicle suitable for your needs.
You need to do your research based on the various aspects including price, mileage, affordability, car safety features, rating, etc. Once you have chosen the vehicle and dealership, you can visit the dealership and submit an application for leasing a particular model.
Car lease is a relatively niche concept in India. Though it is not very common among individuals, leasing is a popular option among corporates who provide vehicles for their employees. Here, companies can sign up for a lease program with a specific dealer and provide vehicles on lease for their employees. Here, the employer is the primary lessee and the employee is the secondary lessee.
The vehicle will be leased in the name of the company. The cost of the lease is calculated based on various factors like car lease tenure, vehicle model, price, maintenance charges, insurance costs, etc.
Leasing can benefit companies in multiple ways. The most important advantage is that they can have a fleet of vehicles for a fixed amount without worrying about additional expenses for maintenance and repairs. Once the car lease tenure is over, corporates have the option of buying the vehicle at the residual price. |
The key differences associated with leasing and renting a car are given below:
Car Lease | Car Rental |
Leasing is a long-term commitment that ranges from two years to five years. | Renting a vehicle is done on a short-term basis for a few days at most. You can even rent a car for just a few hours. |
Leasing is generally less expensive than renting for the same tenure. | Since rentals are primarily short-term, the cost is significantly high when extended beyond the limited time frame. |
Lessors typically have mileage limits on leased vehicles. You need to check the least contract to know whether there are additional charges involved for exceeding this limit. | If you exceed the specified number of kilometres set for the rental duration, you need to pay extra for the additional kilometres. |
You can get tax relief on the amount paid for your car lease. | There is no tax benefits on the amount paid for car rentals. |
When you lease a car, there is a possibility of ownership at the end of the tenure. | Car rentals do not provide any ownership options to customers. |
Leasing provides an alternative to traditional ownership of a vehicle where you use car loans to buy a vehicle. | Rentals are typically used when you visit a place for a short-period of time, like a vacation or a business visit. |
Closed-end lease: This sort of car lease is the most typical; it follows the above-described standard leasing procedure and expires on a specific date. For instance, if you sign a lease for a car on 1 January 2024, it must be returned by 1 January 1, 2027. The lease is for a three-year period.
o Pros: The cost of the car at the end of the lease is fixed.
o Cons: If you return the automobile earlier or later than the scheduled time, you could face fines.
Open-end lease: An end date is not specified in open-end leases. Instead, they offer a wide window of time with no extra fees for returning the automobile early or late. This window's size can change.
o Pros: Allows you to choose when to return the vehicle.
o Cons: Because the cost of the car isn't established, you have to pay the difference between the predicted value at the beginning of the lease and the real value at the conclusion.
Subvented Lease: This is a particular discount offered by the leasing firm and is a subtype of a close-ended lease. This discount may take the shape of a lower interest rate (often known as the money factor), which lowers the APR, or a discount on the purchase price of the car, which lowers the capitalised cost.
o Pros: Enables you to reduce your lease costs.
o Cons: To qualify for this form of lease, you typically need a high credit score.
Single-Payment Lease: In this kind of lease, you pay the entire lease price up front rather than making monthly payments. This lease type can be combined with additional choices, such as a close-ended single payment subvented lease.
o Pros: Savings obtained over time by eliminating interest on monthly payments.
o Cons: Demands a sizable lump-sum payment up advance.
Used Lease: Leasing a used car is an option, albeit it's less typical than leasing a new one. You might be able to obtain a used automobile lease through a dealership, a used car lot, or by "lease swapping," which is the practise of taking over another person's lease. Although a used car lease may have less rigorous credit standards than a new car lease, approval from a leasing company is often required.
o Pros: Compared to new automobile leases, monthly payments are lower.
o Cons: Since the vehicle is no longer covered by a guarantee, you can be liable for the expense of repairs.
Short-term and long-term lease: The words "short-term" and "long-term" car leases refer to the shortest and longest lease lengths offered for the types of leases previously mentioned. Long-term leases last longer than four years, while short-term leases often last less than two years. It's vital to keep in mind that not all leasing businesses provide these particular alternatives for lease terms.
o Pros: While long-term leases can help keep your monthly car payments cheaper, short-term leases might be more affordable than standard rentals.
o Cons: Long-term leases may require paying the full worth of the automobile without ownership rights at the conclusion of the lease term, although short-term leases may be comparatively expensive because a car's depreciation is most in the first year.
Before you decide to sign up for leasing a car, you need to consider the following factors:
This varies from one model to another. You need to check the value of the car along with the monthly EMI payments for car lease and car loan. You need to calculate your payments and compare them before deciding.
Considering the tax benefits and lack of maintenance charges, leasing may be cheaper than taking a car loan. However, you need to do the math just to be sure of this.
Car lease contracts typically come with fixed terms. It may not be easy to end this contract early. Most of the dealers include a specific clause for ending the lease tenure early. This may involve additional charges. You need to check your lease document to understand the expenses involved in terminating this agreement.
No, the lease contract is for the vehicle you have chosen. You cannot change your vehicle in the middle of the tenure.
Yes. Most of the dealers set a mileage limit on a leased car. This limit will be mentioned clearly in the car lease document. If the vehicle exceeds this limit by the end of the tenure, you may have to pay some additional charges.
No. Most dealers in the market have a minimum lease tenure of at least two years. You can research the market and enquire with the lessors directly before taking a car on lease.
Yes, a good credit score is required to lease a car.
Yes, you can move to a different state with the car that has been leased. However, the lease agreement will need to be changed as the taxes vary from state to state.
Karishma VP has over a decade of experience in content writing which includes over five years specializing in personal finance. Her career in BankBazaar has given her the opportunity to write on a wide variety of financial products ranging from credit cards and home loans to insurance policies and government schemes. She believes that an understanding of personal finance is an important step to leading an independent, empowered life. This has led to her being passionate about learning more about the BFSI sector and writing about it as clearly, concisely, and accurately as possible to make it accessible to a larger audience through BankBazaar.
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