Anonymous wrote:It sounds like money isn’t an issue for you.
I would lease a new id4 and be worry free.
360/month + 4k down -> ~21k spent after 4 years. I would pick that over purchasing the end of lease car for 20k. The car is probably out of warranty by now and would be a mess after 4 years. You would only win if you plan to keep the car beyond those 4 years.

The battery warranty on these cars is for eight years, fwiw.

Definitely don't buy the old one, get the new one.

Buy

If you were to buy the same car on the open market, would you pay more or less than $20,000.

There's your answer.

But leasing is generally a stupid financial decision for anyone (I make an exception for EVs given the quantum leaps in the technology at the moment).

I would buy the car. Leasing, then buying actually makes the most financial sense vs. original purchase. Run the numbers and you will see.

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like money isn’t an issue for you.
I would lease a new id4 and be worry free.
360/month + 4k down -> ~21k spent after 4 years. I would pick that over purchasing the end of lease car for 20k. The car is probably out of warranty by now and would be a mess after 4 years. You would only win if you plan to keep the car beyond those 4 years.

What? My car is 8 years old and is not a "mess." It is a great car and I have zero problems with it. OP says the car is low milage. If maintenance has been/will be kept up, no reason the car would be a "mess" at all.

OP, leasing cars almost always makes zero financial sense. Here is a newer 2023 id4 that is just under 27k for perspective: https://www.beyervolvocarsdulles.com/used/Volkswagen/2023-Volkswagen-ID.4-for-sale-near-washington-dc-5e0d52090a0e0a997a9f1e71239cb264.htm?store=76690&campaignid=20535303760&adgroupid=&adid=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJanL-1PLU3-jpmYkF57CmrxNG8cpkwBm184vjnPie8r-LO7m7-XdQRoCOBAQAvD_BwE

Buy the current car at the end of the lease. $20K is a good price and cars are still very expensive. As you said, it's in great condition and low mileage.

EVs have a lot less maintenance than ICE vehicles so I wouldn't be worried as much about making sure I have something "brand new."

Take your monthly car savings and put it into your investment account.

It sounds like money isn’t an issue for you.
I would lease a new id4 and be worry free.
360/month + 4k down -> ~21k spent after 4 years. I would pick that over purchasing the end of lease car for 20k. The car is probably out of warranty by now and would be a mess after 4 years. You would only win if you plan to keep the car beyond those 4 years.

I still start this by saying I really do not understand what’s best when it comes to cars.

We have a vw id4 coming to the end of its lease. Our payment was about $340 per month and we can buy it for about $20k. It’s in great condition and has really low mileage. Or we could lease a new id4 for about $360 and $4k down. It’d be nice to not have a car payment and we can pay the $20k. It’d also be nice to have a brand new car. I have no idea how to decide what the right approach is. Can someone please help?