Off topic, but without getting into much specifics. I`m curious what the average cost is on a dealership visit. I can only imagine...Case in point. Relative had you typical wire bitten from rodents ..Said dealer repair was a wire harness replacement to the tune of $1500+ if I recall
Heh heh, the one time we had rodent damage to an Audi it was thousands, and not just two or three. But that was ages ago...usually it`s not expensive enough to lodge in my memory for long. Fixing the A8`s A/C last week was only $260.
Leaving aside that we don`t *want* anything different, every time I ran the numbers it cost more to lease something in the same category as what we have. Fixing the A8 costs less than what our friends pay to lease cars that seem like cheap little POS by comparison.
I get loaners for the Audis, but not the Tahoe (no biggie, right down the street) or the Crown Vic (quite a ways away, was hard to find the right dealer, none would work on the previous car with its mods)
Eh, I can do a lot of stuff on the Tahoe/Crown Vic myself easily enough anyhow, but not those Audis!
I just can`t picture if one is not able to wrench themselves, and to own one past warranty.
Eh, for somebody like my wife, for that matter, for *ME*, it`s the only way to go. She *loves* her cars and won`t hear of replacing them unless/until something renders them utterly unserviceable (e.g., major wrecks, invariably caused by others, or issues getting parts) and there are no independent service facilities she can rely on for nation-wide service. If any vehicle breaks down anywhere, she`s gotta have a hassle-free, guaranteed way to fix it right away with a cell phone and VISA card and that means "dealerships".
I have been leasing for a smidge over the last decade. Stopped doing purchasing quite some time ago. Cars are always under warranty. Have a loaner if it needs servicing. Accountant writes off X.
As long as you like today`s vehicles, and can write it off as an expense, I certainly think it makes a lot of sense! Same with people like our friends who simply don`t care about anything automotive except having reliable transportation they don`t have to think about (and can afford to lease). Different people, different "best approaches"
But I`ve *never* seen anybody make the $ numbers work out in favor of leasing compared to just buying (preferably for cash) and keeping. Maybe that "for cash" thing is the deal-breaker, I won`t borrow $ for a vehicle and nice cars cost as much as my first house! I thought the S8 was pricey, but *pickup trucks* cost that much now!
