Stelvio or Macan lease ?

Deschodt · 01:28 PM

Wife's looking at ditching her Range rover Sport ( nearing 100K mi, starting to hemorrhage parts and labor monthly) and replacing with a base Stelvio or Macan...

Couple Qs... I had no idea you could trade-in on a lease.. Is that common or something they won't want to do, generally ?

I have split loyalties on Porsche and alfa Romeo, you guys probably understand the +/- of both brands... Base model wise, the stelvio is less common, more powerful, gets good reviews, also 10% cheaper than the Macan, with much cheaper lease deals it seems... Base Macan - I drove one as a loaner from the dealer - is a surprisingly decent vehicle with a definite rear wheel bias which I like, despite the small engine and less torque. Macan steering feels dead after the alfa, but the italian could possibly have you accidentally change lane when you sneeze... super responsive which is fun but might take getting used to for relaxed driving.

Normally it'd be Porsche #1 (and #2, and #3) but we're still considering both because the Alfa dealer is a 10 min walk from my house (porsche is a mandatory drive instead with required loaner) and are pushing aggressive leases right now - even if not as reliable it'd be super easy to drop it off for them to fix... Minus for the alfa is the tiny rear window and the newness/debugging... Porsche is a Porsche, but more $ for less power and $$$$ options and less willing to deal. kind of a draw at the moment.

Wondering if anyone here has driven both or has strong opinions on either... Both would be base models, but still fairly fun to drive...She's not into Japanese cars, nor BMWs... Any other options in that range you like ?

Nickshu · Nickshu's Garage

Stelvio comparison review/challenge on the recent season of Top Gear was very positive...I was surprised at how well the vehicle did in the tests, I figured it would be the first to break but it was the opposite. That's all I can offer.

Deschodt · 05-08-2018, 01:35 PM

True, they proved it can jump and not self destruct ;-)

matthewb0051 · matthewb0051's Garage

I rode in a Macan when looking for my current DD. Very nice ride and quality is exceptional.

Steve Carlton · 05-08-2018, 02:49 PM

You can always trade in a car on a lease- it's like cash down. A 100K Range Rover is not likely to excite anyone, so you might want to research what it's worth. See if Carmax will give you a bid- they're generally very fair bids. Ask a few Rover dealers the name of their used car manager, then make sure you're talking to him before you describe the one you'd like to sell to them. The Rover used car managers will probably quote the most market accurate values, but a Carmax or Alfa dealer might step on their dick. If you go in blind without knowing what it's worth, it'll be bend over, Rover.

My former dealership's sister store in Berkeley had Stelvios stacked to the rafters and I believe they were digging deep to blow them out. I might be able to hook you up there unless you want to give the business to your local Alfa outfit.

I've been reading great reviews on the Stelvios and it's definitely a turn down Strange Ave. But if it's a lease, what could go wrong? If it was a buyback, you might come out really good, anyway.

I haven't driven a Stelvio or a Macan, but I know the new Volvo XC40 is killer for what it is. The problem is you'll have to wait for months to get one (generally) and pay MSRP, so bang for the buck is probably not good.

What part of CA are you in?

wildthing · 05-08-2018, 02:53 PM

Trade in for a lease means you are paying an upfront fee to rent a car. I've only leased a car once but never would I think to pay out a huge chunk of cash for that arrangement... Remember, on return, you get nothing.

Steve Carlton · 05-08-2018, 03:02 PM

Trading in just means you're prepaying a chunk of the payments, and un-borrowing at the lease interest rate, which is 2400 times the money factor. For example a MF of 0.00018 = equivalent APR of 0.432%.

If a lease has gap insurance built in, I'd say don't put any money down. Any part of your down payment that drops the payoff to below what your insurance company will pay for the car if totaled is lost money. If the gap insurance covers the difference, the down payment money is still in your pocket (or your wife's).

Deschodt · 05-09-2018, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildthing

Trade in for a lease means you are paying an upfront fee to rent a car. I've only leased a car once but never would I think to pay out a huge chunk of cash for that arrangement... Remember, on return, you get nothing.

I get that, but in this case if we kept the RR, after 3 years of no lease, we'd also have nothing ;-) The Range would devalue even more, and likely cost us $$$$$ in repairs.
For info, that model and that year specifically is infamous for head gaskets ($5000!) and timing chain guides ($3500). That's if you don't blow it up ($15K). It's a probability game more than anything... 3 y of near free lease with zero repair issues and loaners down the street vs a gamble.

The Macan has sadly been ruled out by the wife, on a totally "not its fault" criteria (new job, she doesn't want people to see her in a new Porsche yet, so Alfa or nothing - only car people know alfas)

wildthing · 05-09-2018, 10:07 AM

If it were me, I'd sell, get the cash, then find someone who will lease it for little to no "down payment", like maybe just equivalent of one lease payment at signing.

But again, I've only leased once and it was an Audi. Not sure what Porsche or Alfa has in lease deals.

slow&rusty · 05-10-2018, 06:02 AM

Macan..period.

berettafan · 05-10-2018, 06:49 AM

I'm not a fan of leasing BUT if you're gonna drive expensive vehicles that just can't make 100k miles without killing you on repairs then a lease is probably the way to go.

Deschodt · 05-10-2018, 07:04 AM

I must confess that the Stelvio is very fun to drive for the $, more lively than the Macan and a nice interior as well...Feels more car like than SUV like... It feels cheaper though, doors feel light, less "bank-vaulty" overall.
My issue at the moment is that the advertised lease $ is BS, in real life it's anywhere from 50% to 100% more. Which would normally make me walk away except they promised me a test drive of the Alfa Giulia Quadrofolgio ( the sedan) and I want to try that car badly.

Also the dealer shares space with Maserati and that did not help at all. Wife loves the Levante ( I hate it). We'll go to Porsche next, it was ruled out before but maybe a CPO Macan S instead - purchase not lease. Meantime the Range rover repairs are proceeding and not as bad as feared. Might ultimately drive that into the ground, but it's risky. Pay now, pay later...