Auto Lease Payment Calculator
.lease-calc-container {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 20px auto;
padding: 25px;
border: 1px solid #e1e4e8;
border-radius: 12px;
background-color: #ffffff;
color: #333;
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
}
.lease-calc-header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
.lease-calc-header h2 {
color: #1a202c;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.lease-calc-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 20px;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.lease-calc-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
}
.lease-input-group {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.lease-input-group label {
display: block;
font-weight: 600;
margin-bottom: 8px;
font-size: 14px;
color: #4a5568;
}
.lease-input-group input {
width: 100%;
padding: 12px;
border: 1px solid #cbd5e0;
border-radius: 6px;
box-sizing: border-box;
font-size: 16px;
}
.lease-input-group input:focus {
outline: none;
border-color: #3182ce;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(66, 153, 225, 0.2);
}
.lease-btn-container {
grid-column: span 2;
text-align: center;
margin-top: 20px;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.lease-btn-container { grid-column: span 1; }
}
.lease-calc-btn {
background-color: #3182ce;
color: white;
padding: 15px 40px;
border: none;
border-radius: 6px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.2s;
}
.lease-calc-btn:hover {
background-color: #2b6cb0;
}
.lease-result-box {
margin-top: 30px;
padding: 20px;
background-color: #f7fafc;
border-radius: 8px;
display: none;
}
.lease-result-title {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #2d3748;
margin-bottom: 15px;
text-align: center;
}
.lease-main-result {
font-size: 36px;
color: #2f855a;
text-align: center;
font-weight: 800;
margin: 10px 0;
}
.lease-breakdown {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 10px;
margin-top: 20px;
border-top: 1px solid #e2e8f0;
padding-top: 15px;
}
.lease-breakdown-item {
font-size: 14px;
color: #718096;
}
.lease-breakdown-val {
font-weight: bold;
color: #2d3748;
}
.lease-content-section {
margin-top: 40px;
line-height: 1.6;
color: #4a5568;
}
.lease-content-section h3 {
color: #2d3748;
border-bottom: 2px solid #edf2f7;
padding-bottom: 8px;
margin-top: 25px;
}
.lease-content-section ul {
padding-left: 20px;
}
MSRP (Sticker Price) ($)
Negotiated Sales Price ($)
Down Payment ($)
Trade-In Credit ($)
Lease Term (Months)
Residual Value (%)
Money Factor (or APR %)
Enter as decimal (0.00125) or APR % (3.0)
Sales Tax (%)
Calculate Monthly Payment
Estimated Monthly Payment
$0.00
Monthly Depreciation:
$0.00
Monthly Rent Charge:
$0.00
Monthly Tax:
$0.00
Total Lease Cost:
$0.00
Residual Value ($):
$0.00
How Car Lease Payments are Calculated
Understanding car lease math can save you thousands of dollars at the dealership. Unlike a standard car loan, a lease payment is primarily based on the portion of the car's value you "use up" during the term.
1. Depreciation Fee
This is the most significant part of your payment. It represents the loss in the vehicle's value over the lease term.
Formula: (Adjusted Capitalized Cost – Residual Value) / Lease Term.
2. Rent Charge (Money Factor)
The rent charge is essentially the interest you pay for the leasing company to carry the car's value.
Formula: (Adjusted Capitalized Cost + Residual Value) × Money Factor.
Note: If you have an APR, divide it by 2400 to get the Money Factor.
3. Sales Tax
In most states, sales tax is applied to the monthly payment, not the full value of the vehicle. However, some states (like Texas or Maryland) require tax on the full sales price upfront.
Example Calculation
If you lease a car with an MSRP of $35,000 , a negotiated price of $32,000 , and a $2,000 down payment:
Adjusted Cap Cost: $30,000Residual Value (58%): $20,300Depreciation: ($30,000 – $20,300) / 36 months = $269.44Rent Charge (0.00125 MF): ($30,000 + $20,300) * 0.00125 = $62.88Base Payment: $332.32 + Tax
Leasing Tips for Better Deals
Negotiate the Sale Price: Never lease based on MSRP. Negotiate the price of the car just as if you were buying it.Check the Residual: A higher residual value means lower monthly payments. Research cars that hold their value well.Watch the Money Factor: Ask the dealer for the "buy rate" money factor. Some dealers mark this up for extra profit.
function calculateLease() {
var msrp = parseFloat(document.getElementById('msrp').value);
var salePrice = parseFloat(document.getElementById('salePrice').value);
var downPayment = parseFloat(document.getElementById('downPayment').value) || 0;
var tradeIn = parseFloat(document.getElementById('tradeIn').value) || 0;
var term = parseInt(document.getElementById('leaseTerm').value);
var resPct = parseFloat(document.getElementById('residualPct').value);
var mfInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('moneyFactor').value);
var taxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('taxRate').value) || 0;
if (isNaN(msrp) || isNaN(salePrice) || isNaN(term) || isNaN(resPct) || isNaN(mfInput)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers in all required fields.");
return;
}
// Convert APR to Money Factor if input > 0.5 (safe assumption for APR vs MF)
var mf = mfInput;
if (mfInput > 0.5) {
mf = mfInput / 2400;
}
// 1. Adjusted Cap Cost
var adjCapCost = salePrice – downPayment – tradeIn;
// 2. Residual Value
var residualValue = msrp * (resPct / 100);
// 3. Monthly Depreciation
var monthlyDepreciation = (adjCapCost – residualValue) / term;
if (monthlyDepreciation < 0) monthlyDepreciation = 0;
// 4. Monthly Rent Charge
var monthlyRent = (adjCapCost + residualValue) * mf;
// 5. Base Payment
var basePayment = monthlyDepreciation + monthlyRent;
// 6. Monthly Tax
var monthlyTax = basePayment * (taxRate / 100);
// 7. Total Monthly Payment
var totalMonthly = basePayment + monthlyTax;
// 8. Total Lease Cost (excluding fees like acquisition/doc fees)
var totalCost = (totalMonthly * term) + downPayment + tradeIn;
// Display Results
document.getElementById('monthlyPaymentResult').innerHTML = "$" + totalMonthly.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('depreciationVal').innerHTML = "$" + monthlyDepreciation.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('rentChargeVal').innerHTML = "$" + monthlyRent.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('taxVal').innerHTML = "$" + monthlyTax.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('totalCostVal').innerHTML = "$" + totalCost.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('residualDollarVal').innerHTML = "$" + residualValue.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('leaseResultBox').style.display = 'block';
}