[bradleyland]

The cost of a car is equal to:

Net Cost + Finance Fees

Net Cost: Total Price Paid - Total Recovered at Time of Sale
Finance Fees: Total of Interest Paid

When you lease a car, the net cost is the negotiated cost of the car minus the residual value. Leases are basically pre-negotiated buy-backs.

This makes the current lease terms a garbage deal. After a typical lease term, you'll be "selling" the car back to BMW at below market value. No thanks.

You're basically stuck buying the car at the end of the lease and selling it privately. In which case you might have well just financed it traditionally to begin with, because you'll pay less finance fees.

There is basically no way that an M2 lease makes financial sense right now. That is true of any car where lease residuals are below the expected value of the car at the end of the lease term.

My strategy would be to estimate my own residual value (be realistic here) at an intended sale date, then target my loan terms to balance the value at the intended sale date to be close to this estimated residual. The balance is between the finance rate and the loan amortization at the intended time of sale. I won't pay over 2% for auto financing on principal. Everyone likes to trot out the "free money" argument, but expenses are expenses. It's like people who buy shit they can't afford just because "it's a tax write-off". You're still spending money you probably shouldn't be.