Lease - Gap Coverage

[coopns]

Leasing a Tacoma.

Put down 4k, lease is 100 a month/24 months. I decided on $25 a month for Wear/Use.

Any thoughts on GAP coverage which is the difference between loan amount and insurance settlement.

They explained it:
Gap insurance pays for the difference between the value of a car at the time it's totaled or stolen and the balance of its loan or lease. Though it seems to refer to that difference, "gap" actually stands for "guaranteed asset protection."

A new vehicle loses some value the minute you drive it off the lot — and 20% to 30% total in the first year. After that, the car's value will continue to decline. As of 2017, the average rate of depreciation, or lost value, will be 17.8% a year during years two to six, according to Black Book, which tracks used-car pricing.

But standard auto insurance pays only what a car is worth at the time of a theft or accident. When you owe more on your car loan or lease than that, gap insurance comes to the rescue..

So I put down 4k. Car is valued at 28. Residual Value is 24398.

Do I take the Gap coverage or not?

Advice / Recommendations

 

[GenesisGuy70]

I've leased once and my wife has leased twice, all 3 times GAP coverage was built-in. Wonder why that isn't the case here

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

GAP was built-in when I leased.

On a purchase/finance the "lost value" when you "drive off the lot", is mostly in the form of the sales tax you paid. So no, vehicles don't loose 20-30 percent of their value. That being said GAP insurance protects you and the finance company. It protects them because they'll get paid which also protects you because you won't have to worry about a charge off on your credit over the deficiency balance.

You can shop premiums of course.

Note: Never put money down on a lease. That money is gone.

 

[Hall]

If you want gap insurance, get it through your insurance company not the dealer or their finance company. Gap insurance is a big profit for them. I bet your insurance carrier's cost will be 1/2 what the dealer is quoting.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
If you want gap insurance, get it through your insurance company not the dealer or their finance company. Gap insurance is a big profit for them. I bet your insurance carrier's cost will be 1/2 what the dealer is quoting.

If it is available through your insurance.

GAP cost me $250 from the dealer; that's their cost.

 

[coopns]

Thanks for the info.

Liberty Mutual doesn't offer Gap on Lease.

So for 25 a month for 2 years, probably should get it?

 

[NO2]

It only protects you in the event your lease car is totaled. How much would affect your finances to have 2 lease payments? If that is easily affordable, skip the gap. If not, get it. Some auto insurance companies have 'newer car' insurance, which reimburses you at a rate of a 1 yr newer car. That might be worth considering.

The other time to get gap is on a heavily subsidized lease (where the car manufacturer artificially sets the residual higher than it would normally be). That usually is for luxury cars.

 

[JTK]

When I bought the van in my sig used, my sales guy tried slipping in gap insurance on the contract, just before I signed it. I was peeved. I got the typical 'I'm surprised you don't want it' look, then he went and reprinted the contract without it.

I really don't think gap insurance is necessary on a Toyota product, especially a truck, unless you are going into a purchase way upside down and rolling a ton into the loan.

 

[Wolf359]

On a lease you want to put down as little as possible. In theory nothing. You're defeating the whole point of gap insurance if you put down 4k. Then you don't have a gap and then the insurance won't pay out. Also ask what happens if there's an accident and the car is totaled out. You probably won't get your 4k back which is why posters above say to never put anything down on a lease. When it gets totaled, the insurance company sends the money to the owner of the car which is the leasing company. Good luck trying to get anything back. Take the gap coverage on a no money down lease or minimal initial payment.

 

[coopns]

NO2

Could you explain that a little further: "It only protects you in the event your lease car is totaled. How much would affect your finances to have 2 lease payments? If that is easily affordable, skip the gap. "

My lease payments are only 100 per month so can handle that.

Reason I put down 4k is our monthly is so important...needed as cheap as possible. (4 kids, college, cars...hellish house mortgage...all good but)

I might buy at the end but I think it will probably be too much again.

 

[ls973800]

Next time instead of such a large down payment on a Toyota lease, look into multiple security deposits. You put down the money and it reduces your money factor. At the end of the lease, you get all of your money back unless you have excessive wear and tear or over the miles allowed. My Highlander lease using 9 multiple security deposits ($3800.00 down) lowered my payments by a little over $40.00 a month. I received all of my money back at the termination of the lease.

Also, putting $4000.00 down as a down payment all you have done is bought a lower payment. If you put the $4000.00 aside and just made the extra cost of the payment each month out of that money put aside, you would still have that money in case of an emergency as you whittle away at it with each monthly payment.

You also do realize that if you wreck the car, even with GAP insurance, you will not get any of the $4000.00 back, correct?

Toyota Financial is one of the few companies which does not include GAP insurance in their leases. I paid around $40.00 a YEAR through my insurance company (Auto Owners) for full GAP coverage. Dealer issued GAP is always very expensive vs insurance issued GAP. Too bad your insurance company doesn't sell it.

 

[gathermewool]

What does that wear/use coverage cover?

From those I know who have leased and stayed within mileage restrictions, they've owed nothing at the end of the lease. One lady turned her lease in with a lot of dings, dents and mostly-worn tires.

//

Have you considered used? Get a beater for a couple of years and may may save enough for a 6-8 year-old truck with plenty of life left in it.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
From those I know who have leased and stayed within mileage restrictions, they've owed nothing at the end of the lease. One lady turned her lease in with a lot of dings, dents and mostly-worn tires.
I think people believe that leased vehicles must be returned in mint condition and that's really not the case. They make allowances for your typical parking lot dings or scrapes and don't penalize for that in most cases. It depends on the severity, of course. Tires wear out so unless they have their wear bars showing, they can't ding you for that.

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Have you considered used?
Too late for that now....

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by gathermewool
From those I know who have leased and stayed within mileage restrictions, they've owed nothing at the end of the lease. One lady turned her lease in with a lot of dings, dents and mostly-worn tires.
I think people believe that leased vehicles must be returned in mint condition and that's really not the case. They make allowances for your typical parking lot dings or scrapes and don't penalize for that in most cases. It depends on the severity, of course. Tires wear out so unless they have their wear bars showing, they can't ding you for that.

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Have you considered used?
Too late for that now....


The woman I'm talking about is my sister-in-law. The WRX she returned was in what I would call [censored] condition. What I mean, is that if I test drove it with the hopes of buyin it, I would immediately walk away and not even consider a low-ball offer.

Zero penalties and nothing out of pocket for her.

As an Aside: it's for some reason a cultural thing for my wife's family to put in MULTIPLE floor liners. My SIL had the factory cloth, a set of plastic, and then another set of plastic liners. When she had me test drive her WRX prior to lease turn in due to an extremely stiff clutch (that was five times stiffer than that in my STI), I finished, parked it, got out, and immediately threw both plastic liners on her lawn and said [censored] is this!? Do you remember all of those recalls due to floor liners? This had them beat by a mile! I felt unsafe driving the [censored] thing for a few miles and that was what she drove the last XXK miles!

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by gathermewool
From those I know who have leased and stayed within mileage restrictions, they've owed nothing at the end of the lease. One lady turned her lease in with a lot of dings, dents and mostly-worn tires.
I think people believe that leased vehicles must be returned in mint condition and that's really not the case. They make allowances for your typical parking lot dings or scrapes and don't penalize for that in most cases. It depends on the severity, of course. Tires wear out so unless they have their wear bars showing, they can't ding you for that.

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Have you considered used?
Too late for that now....



Used truck prices are crazy. Even more so when there is a Toyota badge on it. That's not a bad lease on the Tacoma.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by coopns
Leasing a Tacoma.

Put down 4k, lease is 100 a month/24 months. I decided on $25 a month for Wear/Use.

Any thoughts on GAP coverage which is the difference between loan amount and insurance settlement.

They explained it:
Gap insurance pays for the difference between the value of a car at the time it's totaled or stolen and the balance of its loan or lease. Though it seems to refer to that difference, "gap" actually stands for "guaranteed asset protection."

A new vehicle loses some value the minute you drive it off the lot — and 20% to 30% total in the first year. After that, the car's value will continue to decline. As of 2017, the average rate of depreciation, or lost value, will be 17.8% a year during years two to six, according to Black Book, which tracks used-car pricing.

But standard auto insurance pays only what a car is worth at the time of a theft or accident. When you owe more on your car loan or lease than that, gap insurance comes to the rescue..

So I put down 4k. Car is valued at 28. Residual Value is 24398.

Do I take the Gap coverage or not?

Advice / Recommendations


Depends if you have cash on hand in case of an issue. In the long run, you will always lose paying for insurance, extended warranties, etc. If you didn't lose, statistically, insurance companies would always be going broke. You lose so insurance companies can afford to pay out and still make profit. Just like going to the casino... Sometimes you win, but if you go 1000 times you're going to lose more often than not.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
What does that wear/use coverage cover?

From those I know who have leased and stayed within mileage restrictions, they've owed nothing at the end of the lease. One lady turned her lease in with a lot of dings, dents and mostly-worn tires.

//

Have you considered used? Get a beater for a couple of years and may may save enough for a 6-8 year-old truck with plenty of life left in it.

Maybe a cheap lease is OK ?

Its not like OP is leasing an AMG Benz....

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What does that wear/use coverage cover?

From those I know who have leased and stayed within mileage restrictions, they've owed nothing at the end of the lease. One lady turned her lease in with a lot of dings, dents and mostly-worn tires.

//

Have you considered used? Get a beater for a couple of years and may may save enough for a 6-8 year-old truck with plenty of life left in it.

Maybe a cheap lease is OK ?



He's paying about $270/mth. Not bad, but you can buy a new/lightly used Corolla with $4k down for less than that. But maybe OP needs (wants?) a truck? I could afford a Tacoma, and would love one, but instead of $100/mth in gas I'd be paying $200. That's $100 extra in hidden costs for me I don't want. Plus tires cost more, maintenance (differentials and such), etc. But I don't know OPs situation, other than he implies cash is tight every month.

 

[CKN]

The OP asked about Insurance. WE all know those who knock leases on here are the same one's who spend $20.00 worth of gas to drive around to each AutoZone (at clearance time) within a 50 mile radius in search of .25 cent/quart oil only to hoard it and try to sell or give it away when the vehicle(s) in question the oil was bought for become disabled and are no longer worth fixing or become totaled in an accident. OR-they need to relocate and can't take the oil with them.

That's a great lease on the Tacoma.
Life's too short.......

 

[NO2]

When I said 2 lease payments, I mean covering the residual difference + a lease for a replacement vehicle. It would probably be a good idea to have rental coverage on your truck in case of an accident. A fender-bender is a lot more likely than a total loss event.