Check Dropdown Lease For Free

Subtract the residual value from the current market price or cash offer. This is an estimate of how much equity you have in the car and how much money you could make on the deal.

All it takes is ONE hit. Look up the original value of the car in your lease terms or on the Kelley Blue Book website. Subtract the calculated depreciation value from the original value of the vehicle. This new result is the total residual value of the car.

If you've been thinking about purchasing your lease, you may be searching for the answer to the question, Can you negotiate a lease buyout? In short, yes. Most leasing agreements include an estimated buyout price in the contract, but in most cases, it's possible to negotiate a better deal.

If your car is a year or more away from the end of the lease term and you want to check for current equity, call your leasing company and ask for a buyout price. Subtract the buyout price from the current market value of the car to see if you have equity.

But you typically can't negotiate it like you can with other lease terms (although you can try). Still, residual value is something you should think about when you're considering whether the terms of a car lease make sense to you and something you can ask about as you shop around.

Look for a buyout amount or payoff amount that will be listed on your monthly leasing statement. This buyout amount is calculated by adding up the residual value of your vehicle at the beginning of the lease, the total remaining payments, and possibly a car purchase fee (depending on the leasing company.)

In fact, a 2021 iSeeCars analysis shows cars leased three years ago have, on average, $7,000 worth of equity built up. If you're near the end of your lease and find your car has unexpected equity, here are some ways you might be able to tap into it.