So, you've decided that you want to lease that next vehicle. Can't really blame you. With today's incentives, rebates, and favourable lease rates why wouldn't you. Not only do you get to drive a new car, but a new car that you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford if you were to purchase and finance it. Buyer beware though. With leasing comes new and sometimes rather confusing vocabulary. Don't get lost in a sea of leasing jargon. Protect yourself. Learn and understand the industry language. For those seriously thinking of leasing that next vehicle, here is a useful glossary of "new" terminology that you should familiarize yourself with BEFORE you negotiate a lease:

Acquisition Fee: An administrative charge levied by the leasing company for processing a lease. This fee is typically NOT negotiable and can have a significant bearing on the overall cost of the lease.

Base Interest Rate: This is the cost of leasing and using a vehicle and is measured by the interest paid over the lease term.

Buy at end-of-term interest rate: This is the net interest rate for the lease if the lessee, at the end of the lease term, purchases the vehicle at the end-of-lease purchase price.

Capitalized Cost: This is the total purchase price of the vehicle. The price includes the cost of all extras such as vehicle options, extended warranties, life insurance, and rustproofing. The capitalized cost equals the amount you would pay for the vehicle if the vehicle were being purchased.

Capitalized Cost Reduction: A capital cost reduction is a down payment, in the form of cash or trade-in, that is applied to the final purchase price of the vehicle reducing the monthly lease payment.

Closed End Lease: Leases in which the lessee's financial obligation rests only with the negotiated monthly lease payment. Since the residual value of the vehicle is stated in the lease contract, the lessee is not financially responsible if the actual value of the vehicle is less than the stated residual value. The lessee need only return the vehicle at the end of the lease term with no further obligation.

Dealer Participation: A rebate or discount, contributed by the dealer, reducing the final purchase price of the vehicle.

Depreciation: The decrease in value of a vehicle over time. Depreciation in automobile leasing is the difference in value between the cost of a new vehicle and the value of the vehicle at the end of the lease term.

Disposition Fee: A fee charged by the lessor at the end of a lease to ready the car for sale. The lessor may apply this fee against the deposit made by the lessee at the beginning of the lease term.

Down Payment: A sum of money paid at the beginning of a lease contract, usually at the time of signing, that is applied to the final purchase price. In leasing, the down payment is referred to as the capitalized cost reduction. Typically, the larger the down payment, the smaller the lease payment.

Early Termination Fee: A penalty paid by the lessee for terminating a lease contract early. A lessee pays for the depreciation of a vehicle in equal monthly payments. Since a vehicle's depreciation is highest in the first months of a lease, terminating a lease early results in the lessee using more of the vehicle's value than what they've paid for subjecting the lessee to penalty.

End-of-Lease Purchase Price: Also known as the residual value. This is the price at which the lessee may purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease term.

Excess Wear & Tear: Wear and tear beyond what is deemed acceptable by the leasing company. It is the responsibility of the lessee to take reasonable care of the car and to ensure it is returned at the end of the lease term in good condition. Bald tires, body dents, and engine trouble due to neglect could subject the lessee to repair and replacement charges.

Gap insurance: The name given to a type of insurance coverage that covers the difference between the actual cash value of the leased vehicle and what is still owed on the lease contract. If a leased vehicle is destroyed in an accident or stolen, gap insurance coverage protects the lessee against additional losses due to "gaps " between the insurance settlement and the lessee's financial obligations set out in the lease contract.

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