Is it Actually a Good Idea to Lease a New Car Entirely Online?

• Author: Chris Remington
• Posted: 2024-09-05

When leasing a car online, there are some important factors that you'll definitely want to be aware of. Fortunately, this form of leasing doesn't differ all that much from the traditional form of leasing - as in, the kind that you do in person at a dealership. In both cases, the deal that you'll end up with is generally virtually identical. This means the terms of the deal and how much you'll be paying per month.

Some people still aren't sure if they want to try leasing a car online. It seems like a big decision to make, and having so much of the process online still makes many - understandably - uncomfortable and leery of these sorts of options. But these days, online is safe, secure, and oftentimes, the best way to lease a car. Utilizing the numerous online resources and leasing options also helps you to find out exactly what to expect ahead of time.

Find the Best Deals

And when you're leasing online, it's still entirely possible to make good use of any special deals that are sponsored by the manufacturer. These manufacturers regularly sponsor great deals that are just waiting for you to take advantage of. Going online gives you a wider selection of options, allowing you to find great rates that you may not have had access to if you limited your search to local dealerships.

When researching your new vehicle purchase leading up to the final decision, most, if not all, of the information will be coming from online sources. So it only stands to reason that you would continue this process online, making for a smooth and seamless transition from the decision-making to the driver's seat.

This makes it so you don't even have to go through the trouble of going to a dealership at all if you don't prefer to. Oftentimes, the dealership is more than happy to have the vehicle delivered right to your home. The same applies to the test drive, and they might even bring the car to your place of work if that's the more convenient option for you.

Removing the Discomfort From Buying a Car

For the majority of car buyers, a large bulk of the discomfort - even annoyance, anxiety, and downright frustration - with the process comes from the in-person element occurs when you have to walk into a dealership and deal with salespeople who might not want to take no for an answer. It's enough to make just about anyone feel more than a bit cajoled around, which is why more and more consumers are moving towards these purely online leasing options.

Shopping online puts the power in your hands as the buyer. You have freedom, and that gives you leverage. You're not limited to one or even just a few dealerships. Online, it's easy to take multiple offers from dealers and wait until the right one comes along.

And the best thing is that all of this can be done from the comfort of your own home. You don't have to deal with the irony of driving all over town trying to find a new car.

Online Dealers are Cutting Costs

All this comes at a time when online retailers are more focused on cost efficiency than ever, which may mean better deals for consumers. For instance, companies like Vroom have been significantly cutting down on their overall number of workers. This is largely due to the spike in interest rates that they've been experiencing - or some would say suffering through - and this has only been compounded by the fact that the morale among their investors is lower than ever.

In the first quarter of 2022, automotive retailers that are purely based in the e-commerce world changed their focus from growth to cutting costs. The Shifts and Vrooms of the world were looking to be as profitable as possible and not necessarily so focused on growing out their business as much as they had in previous years.

Leasing a car online means that the deal takes place in a time frame that you are comfortable with. It cannot be stressed enough how important the element of control is in this process. This is a major decision that nobody wants to rush through, and so a major benefit of taking care of this job online is that you can take all the time you need to think. You'll be in an environment that you are familiar with where you feel comfortable and safe, so it will be easier to take in all of the information that's coming at you.