A lease ad hides part of its cost in the fine print. These three calculators show the numbers that the ad does not, and each one starts from a real lease offer of November 2026.
True cost of a lease
The monthly cost of a lease with the amount due at signing counted in, and counted once.
The Chevrolet Colorado advertises $249 a month. With $6,521 due at signing, it costs $510 a month.
Money factor to APR
Turn the money factor of a lease into an interest rate, and compare it with the money factors in this month’s offers.
The lowest money factor this month is 0.00001 on the Toyota C-HR, a rate of 0.02%. The highest is 8.28% on the Toyota Sienna.
Lease or buy
The cost of a lease against the cost of a car loan over the same months, with the value of the car counted.
Over 36 months, buying the Toyota RAV4 costs $1,860 less, with a 7% loan.
Which calculator do you need?
You have a lease ad or a dealer quote, and you want to know what it costs: use the true cost calculator. It counts the amount due at signing once, and many other calculators count the first payment two times.
A dealer gave you a money factor, and you want to know if it is a fair rate: use money factor to APR, and compare your number with the rates in this month's offers.
You cannot decide between a lease and a loan: use lease or buy. It counts the value of the car that a buyer keeps.