The $149 lease deals are usually cars with high residual values (therefore smaller spread between new and trade-in value) and some amount of down payment to make the remaining balance $149 *36 months. What I've noticed in the past few months is that downpayment ("cap reduction") has increased from $2500ish to $5000+. The deals aren't what they used to be even though the big print still makes it look like it is.
As an aside, you can make any lease a $149/month by prepaying at the front end (more cap reduction).
67LS1
Reader
7/7/22 4:21 p.m.
I've never financed or leased a car and these stories are why.
67LS1 said:
I've never financed or leased a car and these stories are why.
I buy new, reasonably priced cars from top quality manufactures.
I put about 25% down and I add principle each month to get them paid off in around three years. Between good maintenance and being gentle, I'll typically get 250K+ miles (10 years) and I don't worry about getting top dollar at trade-in as the car has served its purpose to me and I've long since saved up my next down payment.
For me, it's like that famous scene in the Blues Brothers..."it's got cop engine, cop tires, cop transmission, etc", just replace "cop" with "zero time, never abused, latest tech" for all of the cars components.
I've got an 84 mile round trip commute, steep driveway at the top of a steep hill, and I'm raising two wonderful daughters. I love wrenching but that will be for future Brett, right now I'm happy to just cut a check and get on with the things I consider more important in my life.
If you're going to daily an old car, I'd suggest getting something that's really old (i.e. pre- vacuum, ECU, EFI, smog).
Quick test...if you randomly drop a wrench in the engine bay and it has a 50+ percent chance of hitting something on the way to the ground, it's not old enough. 
I used to work as an inventory manager for a dealer group that had did bhph at all stores and when a bhph customer called into the store, there was a specific code name for those calls when they came in. Also, all the bhph vehicles had a tracker and an ignition lock installed that would not turn on if payment on the vehicle was past due.
