Your Car Lease Questions in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY

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Are you trying to decide whether to buy or lease your next vehicle in the Buffalo or Niagara Falls, NY area? There are many questions to consider, and while there is no general right or wrong answer, there can certainly be a right answer for your specific situation. 

Buying or leasing a car is a large investment and the more knowledge you have, the more comfortable you can be in your decision. For instance, did you know there's a difference between a "zero down Jeep lease" and a "zero out of pocket Jeep lease"? Have you tried to find out if you can lease a vehicle with bad credit? Have you ever wondered why the lease payment advertised is not the payment you are receiving from the dealership? These are just some of the lease questions answered below.

While we focus on lease deals for Ram trucks and Jeep SUV's, our goal is to use our experience to educate all car shoppers. If you have any car leasing questions that we don't address below, you can email Michael Jensen directly at or call 716-286-9455. We're happy to help!


Leasing a Ram truck or Jeep SUV without a down payment is possible. This type of lease deal is typically called either a Zero out of Pocket OR a Sign and Drive lease deal. In these situations, all up-front costs including, taxes and DMV fees are rolled into the monthly payment. 

While they sound the same, a zero out of pocket deal is actually different then a zero down lease deal. When you're taking advantage of a zero down lease deal you are not putting a down payment on your vehicle, however, there may be additional costs due at signing. These costs may include a first payment, taxes, Acquisition fee (ACQ Fee) and/or DMV fees. If you review the fine print at the bottom of the lease ad you will find all of the up-front costs.

If you're shopping for a lease deal with no money up-front, remember to look for the zero out of pocket, or sign and drive lease deal.


Yes, customers with all different credit situations can lease car. In order for a customer to lease a vehicle they must be approved for a lease by a bank. Banks will look at several factors including:

1. credit history
2. Job history
3. Current household income

Typically, the higher your credit score is, the lower your interest rate will be. Your Interest Rate will have an impact on how high or low your monthly payment will be. 

If you are having trouble getting approved for a lease, or the interest rate is too high, another option is to use a co-signer. A co-signer can be a close friend or family member with good credit who is willing to co-sign the vehicle lease contract with you. If the bank approves of your co-signers financial profile, this can help you get approved for a vehicle lease at a lower interest rate.


There are certain costs associated with leasing an SUV, truck or car besides the monthly payment. These costs may include taxes, DMV fees, first payment and  an Acquisition Fee (ACQ Fee). As mentioned above, if you are taking advantage of a sign and drive or zero out of pocket lease deal, these costs will be rolled into your monthly payment. 

Let's break down each of these vehicle leasing costs:
  • What is a first payment charge?: When a first payment is due at signing, this will be the first of your contracted lease payments. For example, if you leased a vehicle for 36 months and your first payment is due at signing, you will have 35 payments remaining on your contract.
  •  What are DMV Fees?: DMV fees are all of the costs associated with registering your vehicle during the lease period
  • What is an ACQ Fee when leasing a car?: The ACQ Fee is a charge from the leasing company. Many leasing companies require this cost and it is most likely not negotiable.
  • How much will I pay in taxes when I lease a car? When leasing a car in Buffalo or Niagara Falls, NY, your taxes will vary depending on the county you live in. If  you have specific questions about your tax amount, your Finance Manager should be able to assist.

The Internet has completely changed the way customers shop for vehicles. Today, you can search several dealership websites to find the lease deal that works best for you before you ever step foot in the showroom. One question many customers have is why their lease payment is actually higher than the payment being advertised. Often, this has to do with the rebates that are included in the advertised price. These rebates are typically provided to customers by the manufacturer, and are typically non-negotiable. If you do not qualify for all of the rebates used in the advertised price, you may find that your payment will be slightly higher.

Two examples of lease rebates that are often advertised are conquest and returning lessee.

What is a conquest lease rebate?: The Conquest lease rebate is applicable to customers who have a leased vehicle in the household from a different manufacturer. For example, if a customer wants to lease a Jeep Cherokee and someone in their household is currently leasing a Chevy Equinox, then they would qualify for the conquest lease rebate

What is a returning lease rebate?: Some manufacturers prefer to provide rebates to customers who already have a lease from the same manufacturer in their household. For example, if a customer wants to lease a New Body Style Ram 1500 Big Horn and someone in their household is currently leasing a Ram 1500 Express, they would qualify for a returning lease rebate.

There are many more rebates that may be applied for lease savings, including owning a business, military service and more. Make sure to ask your salesperson about any rebate that you may qualify for.
Do you have a question about leasing a car in the Buffalo or Niagara Falls, NY area? Call us today at (716)286-9455 or email We're happy to help.
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