Find the Best Car Deals Near You ⤵
Best Cars to Lease Right Now
March 31, 2011
The fundamental rule of thumb for car leasing is that vehicles with projected high resale values make the best lease vehicles.
That's because future resale value — called residual value in leasing — is one of the primary factors in determining monthly lease payments.
The higher the residual value, the lower the lease payment.
Any vehicle whose resale value after 3 years is 55% or more of its MSRP is a good lease choice.
Kelly Blue Book's Best Resale Value Awards lists those expected to retain the highest percentage of original list price — which means they're a good choice for lease or purchase.
Highlights from the list:
| Best Sub-Compact | Honda Fit |
| Best Compact | MINI Cooper |
| Best Mid-Size | Honda Accord |
| Best Full-Size | Ford Taurus |
| Best Wagon | Subaru Outback |
| Best Sports Car | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| Best High-Performance Car | Ford Mustang |
| Best Compact Utility Vehicle | Honda CR-V |
| Best Mid-Size Utility Vehicle | Toyota FJ Cruiser |
| Best Full-Size Utility Vehicle | GMC Acadia |
| Best Van | Toyota Sienna |
| Best Luxury Car | Audi A5 |
| Best Full-Size Pickup | Ford F-Series Super Duty |
Signup for The Weekly Newsletter
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
January 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Jan 15, 2026
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars January 2026 Jan 15, 2026
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Jan 15, 2026
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Jan 15, 2026
- Best 0% Finance Deals January 2026 Jan 09, 2026
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Jan 09, 2026
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Jan 09, 2026
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Jan 09, 2026
December 2025
- Best End of Year Car Deals for 2025 Dec 25, 2025
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Dec 25, 2025
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Dec 25, 2025
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Dec 25, 2025
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared December 2025 Dec 18, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Dec 18, 2025
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Dec 18, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Dec 11, 2025
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates Dec 11, 2025
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Dec 04, 2025
I welcome your car buying questions. Email Me and I'll be glad to answer them!
