Best Labor Day Lease Deals 2026: Top 10 Values, Cheapest Leases by Segment, and Negotiation Targets
Key Takeaways
- Best lease value in America: the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 S at $369 a month, $3,999 due at signing, 36 months, for $480 effective monthly and a 0.79% CarEdge Deal Quality Index, the lowest of any offer tracked.
- Cheapest lease, any segment: the 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE at $119 a month, $3,999 due at signing, 24 months, with a generous 15,000 miles a year, for $286 effective monthly.
- Where the value is: EVs, plug-in hybrids, and trucks fill seven of the top 10 slots. Manufacturers are subsidizing them hardest relative to sticker.
- Labor Day timing: 209 of the 1,133 offers run through September 8, 2026. Treat this guide as your walk-in baseline and expect a wave of Labor Day-specific incentives in the next two weeks.
- Short terms are rare: only 53 of 1,133 offers run 24 months or less. The Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, Tacoma, Wrangler, and Colorado lead them.
August 2026’s best car lease deals, ranked and verified by CarEdge: this month’s top 10 values nationwide, the cheapest lease in every vehicle segment, short-term 24-month picks, and real negotiated deals with dealer discounts, from 1,133 offers tracked across 34 manufacturers.
Jump to: Top 10 lease values · Cheapest leases by segment · 24-month leases · Negotiation targets · FAQ · How we measure
CarEdge scanned every manufacturer-advertised lease offer available nationally in August 2026 and kept only the ones a well-qualified shopper can walk in and get with no special affiliation: 1,133 offers across 34 brands. Two things stood out.
First, the best relative values this month skew heavily toward EVs, plug-in hybrids, and trucks. Not because those vehicles are cheap in absolute terms, but because manufacturers are subsidizing them harder relative to their sticker price, likely a mix of EV incentive pass-through and captive-lender support pushing volume. Second, what’s advertised nationally and what real buyers are actually signing don’t always match, and mileage allowance turns out to be one of the biggest hidden differences between the two. Several models with little national advertised presence still show up regularly in real signed deals, which we cover in the negotiation targets section.
All dollar figures are pre-tax and exclude title, registration, first payment, and dealer fees, which vary by state. Treat them as a comparison tool for finding the strongest offers, not an out-the-door quote. Buying or financing instead? Retail offers are ranked separately in our Best and Worst New Car Deals in August 2026 guide.
What Is the Best Car Lease Deal Right Now? The 10 Best Values by CarEdge Deal Quality Index
Most “cheapest lease” lists rank by monthly payment alone, which makes a $24,000 economy car and a $75,000 truck impossible to compare fairly. Of course the cheap car “wins.” CarEdge ranks by the CarEdge Deal Quality Index (DQI): your effective monthly cost as a percentage of the vehicle’s MSRP. Effective monthly is the monthly payment plus the due-at-signing amount spread across the term, so a low payment propped up by a big down payment doesn’t hide. A lower DQI means you’re leasing more car for less of its value, regardless of price point.
According to CarEdge’s national lease offer database, the best lease value in the country in August 2026 is the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 S: $369 a month with $3,999 due at signing for 36 months, $480 effective monthly, for a 0.79% Deal Quality Index, the lowest of the 1,133 offers tracked. The 2026 Kia EV9 Light Long Range (0.83%) and 2026 Ford F-150 XLT (0.86%) round out the top three.
The 10 best lease values in the country this month, any segment, any price point, ranked by CarEdge DQI (lower is better).
| Rank | Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly | DQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 S | $369 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $480 | 0.79% |
| 2 |  2026 Kia EV9 Light Long Range RWD | $439 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $550 | 0.83% |
| 3 |  2026 Ford F-150 XLT | $499 | $999 | 36 mo | 10,500 | $527 | 0.86% |
| 4 |  2026 RAM 1500 Big Horn/Lone Star | $429 | $3,949 | 39 mo | 10,000 | $530 | 0.88% |
| 5 | 2026 Kia Niro Wind | $269 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $380 | 0.89% |
| 6 |  2026 Jeep Wrangler 4-Door Sport S* | $349 | $3,629 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $450 | 0.94% |
| 7 | 2026 Ford Explorer Active | $339 | $4,709 | 36 mo | 10,500 | $470 | 0.95% |
| 8 |  2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5* | $399 | $399 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $410 | 0.96% |
| 9 |  2026 Mazda CX-70 PHEV SC | $239 | $7,136 | 33 mo | 10,000 | $455 | 0.99% |
| 10 | 2026 Ford Bronco 4-Door Big Bend | $399 | $4,309 | 36 mo | 10,500 | $519 | 0.99% |
*Multiple national lease programs exist for this trim in August 2026. The best-DQI offer is shown here; the segment and 24-month tables below show the offer that ranks in that view, so the same trim can appear with different terms.
Editorial note: two EVs, a plug-in hybrid, and four trucks in the top 10, none of them the cheapest vehicles on the market, shows where manufacturers are pushing volume this month. The Wrangler at #6 would rank even higher on its 7,500-mile program.
What Is the Cheapest Car Lease in August 2026? Cheapest Leases by Segment
For shoppers who already know what kind of vehicle they want, here are the five lowest effective-monthly offers in each segment, from CarEdge’s August 2026 scan. Every figure below is effective monthly (payment plus due-at-signing spread over the term), so a low headline payment can’t hide behind a big down payment.
Cheapest Compact Car Leases
The cheapest lease in the entire CarEdge dataset, any segment, is a compact sedan: the 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE at $119 a month with $3,999 due at signing on a 24-month term, $286 effective monthly, with a generous 15,000-mile annual allowance. This segment is unusually cheap right now, with five separate models under $310 effective.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE | $119 | $3,999 | 24 mo | 15,000 | $286 |
| 2026 Toyota Corolla LE | $179 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $290 |
| 2026 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE | $179 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $290 |
| 2025 Mazda Mazda3 S | $199 | $3,499 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $296 |
| 2026 Kia K4 LXS | $209 | $3,499 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $306 |
Cheapest Midsize Car Leases
The cheapest midsize sedan lease in August 2026 is the 2026 Nissan Altima SV: $199 a month, $3,869 due at signing, 36 months, $306 effective monthly, per CarEdge data. Nissan undercuts Honda and Hyundai here by about $35 a month effective despite a similar due-at-signing amount. Toyota’s Camry brings up the rear of this top five by a wider margin than you’d expect from its segment position.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Nissan Altima SV | $199 | $3,869 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $306 |
| 2026 Honda Accord LX | $229 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $340 |
| 2026 Hyundai Sonata SE | $229 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $340 |
| 2026 Kia K5 LXS FWD | $259 | $3,499 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $356 |
| 2026 Toyota Camry LE | $259 | $4,258 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $377 |
Cheapest Luxury Sedan Leases
The cheapest luxury sedan lease this month is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 at $539 a month with $2,963 due at signing, $621 effective monthly. Even the cheapest entry here runs over $600 a month effective, a reminder that “cheapest in segment” doesn’t mean cheap in absolute terms once you’re shopping luxury. Three German brands and one Korean brand fill out this list, and every one is on the standard 10,000-mile allowance.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 | $539 | $2,963 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $621 |
| 2026 Genesis G80 2.5T | $479 | $5,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $646 |
| 2026 Audi A6 Premium Plus | $599 | $4,330 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $719 |
| 2026 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | $699 | $4,799 | 39 mo | 10,000 | $822 |
| 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 | $849 | $3,443 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $945 |
Cheapest Sports Car Leases
The cheapest sports car lease in August 2026 is the 2026 Ford Mustang EcoBoost: $319 a month, $3,783 due at signing, $424 effective monthly on a slightly higher 10,500-mile allowance than the rest of the field. This is the thinnest segment CarEdge tracks, only six qualifying models nationally, which itself says something about how rarely manufacturers advertise broadly available sports car leases.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ford Mustang EcoBoost | $319 | $3,783 | 36 mo | 10,500 | $424 |
| 2026 Subaru WRX Base | $379 | $3,178 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $467 |
| 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport | $339 | $5,089 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $480 |
| 2026 Subaru BRZ Limited | $395 | $3,394 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $489 |
| 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring | $409 | $6,362 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $586 |
Cheapest Compact SUV Leases
The cheapest compact SUV lease in August 2026 is the 2026 Mazda CX-30 S at $189 a month with $4,370 due at signing, $310 effective monthly, according to CarEdge’s lease offer database. This is the most competitive segment in the whole dataset: 57 distinct models qualify, and all five of the top offers land within $26 of each other effective, all on the same 10,000-mile allowance. Mazda takes two of the top three spots.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mazda CX-30 S | $189 | $4,370 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $310 |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Base | $235 | $3,234 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $325 |
| 2026 Mazda CX-5 S | $189 | $4,912 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $325 |
| 2026 Hyundai Kona SE | $219 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $330 |
| 2026 Nissan Kicks SV | $219 | $4,199 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $336 |
Cheapest Midsize SUV Leases
The cheapest midsize SUV lease in the country this month is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe SE: $229 a month, $3,999 due at signing, on a 24-month term with an above-average 11,250-mile allowance, $396 effective monthly. Hyundai’s shorter term keeps the Santa Fe on top by a hair over Subaru’s 36-month Forester, a good example of why CarEdge ranks by effective monthly instead of headline payment. This is also the segment with the most total inventory, at 47 qualifying models.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe SE | $229 | $3,999 | 24 mo | 11,250 | $396 |
| 2026 Subaru Forester Base | $279 | $4,278 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $398 |
| 2026 Kia Sorento LX | $299 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $410 |
| 2026 Subaru Outback Premium | $305 | $4,304 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $425 |
| 2026 Mazda CX-90 Turbo Select | $239 | $6,364 | 33 mo | 10,000 | $432 |
Cheapest Full-Size SUV Leases
The cheapest full-size SUV lease in August 2026 is the 2026 Dodge Durango GT at $479 a month with $3,879 due at signing, $587 effective monthly. This is the only segment where a hybrid (the Toyota Land Cruiser 1958) cracks the top three, despite this being traditionally gas-truck territory. Pricing steps up sharply after the top two: a nearly $130 jump to third place.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Dodge Durango GT | $479 | $3,879 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $587 |
| 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 | $509 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $620 |
| 2026 Audi Q7 Premium | $619 | $4,593 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $747 |
| 2026 Toyota Sequoia SR5 | $799 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $910 |
| 2026 Lexus GX Premium | $779 | $5,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $946 |
Cheapest Truck Lease Deals
The cheapest truck lease in August 2026 is the 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5: $279 a month, $4,278 due at signing, $398 effective monthly, per CarEdge data. Three brands (Toyota, Ford, Jeep) sit within $10 of each other effective at the top, the tightest three-way race of any segment, though not on the same mileage allowance: the Wrangler’s 7,500-mile figure is notably lower than the Ranger’s 10,500.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5* | $279 | $4,278 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $398 |
| 2026 Ford Ranger XL | $299 | $3,619 | 36 mo | 10,500 | $400 |
| 2026 Jeep Wrangler 4-Door Sport S* | $299 | $3,899 | 36 mo | 7,500 | $407 |
| 2026 Ford Maverick XLT | $329 | $3,575 | 36 mo | 10,500 | $428 |
| 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE | $329 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $440 |
Cheapest Minivan Leases
The cheapest minivan lease this month is the 2026 Toyota Sienna LE at $319 a month with $3,999 due at signing, $430 effective monthly, making this the only segment led by a hybrid. It’s also the smallest segment CarEdge tracks, with just five qualifying models nationally. Note the sharp jump to the PHEV Pacifica in fifth: nearly double the effective cost of the LX at the top.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Sienna LE | $319 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $430 |
| 2026 Kia Carnival LX | $379 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $490 |
| 2026 Chrysler Pacifica Limited | $399 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $510 |
| 2026 Honda Odyssey EX-L | $429 | $3,999 | 36 mo | 10,000 | $540 |
| 2026 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV Select | $959 | $5,276 | 48 mo | 10,000 | $1,069 |
Are 24-Month Leases a Good Idea Right Now? The Best Short-Term Lease Deals
Most lease guides treat anything shorter than 36 months as a footnote. We think that’s backwards this year. A 24-month lease is a genuinely useful tool right now for three concrete reasons: it lets you try an EV or hybrid without locking into a segment that’s changing fast; it gets you out before the next model-year redesign or before EV tax credit rules shift again; and because manufacturers usually reserve short terms for moving current-year inventory fast, a good 24-month offer is often a real signal that a dealer or manufacturer needs to clear that specific vehicle.
They’re also rare: only 53 of the 1,133 non-conditional lease offers CarEdge tracked nationally in August 2026 run 24 months or less. The six best are below.
| Vehicle | Monthly | Due at Signing | Term | Miles/Year | Effective Monthly | Why It’s Smart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE | $119 | $3,999 | 24 mo | 15,000 | $286 | Cheapest lease in the dataset, any term, on a generous mileage allowance. |
| 2026 Hyundai Sonata SE | $179 | $3,999 | 24 mo | 15,000 | $346 | Same generous 15,000-mile allowance as the Elantra, at a two-year commitment. |
| 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe SE | $229 | $3,999 | 24 mo | 11,250 | $396 | Cheapest midsize SUV in the country, above-average mileage, two-year commitment. |
| 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5* | $289 | $3,999 | 24 mo | 10,000 | $456 | A short lease on a truck is unusual. Worth it for flexibility before the next Tacoma refresh. |
| 2026 Jeep Wrangler 4-Door Sport S* | $359 | $2,784 | 24 mo | 10,000 | $475 | Low due-at-signing and a short term together is rare. Most offers lean on one or the other. |
| 2026 Chevrolet Colorado LT | $399 | $2,779 | 24 mo | 10,000 | $515 | A rare short-term lease on a mainstream mid-size truck. |
Leasing an EV specifically? CarEdge’s best EV lease deals guide covers the electric-only picture, and the FTC’s guide to financing or leasing a car covers the contract terms to check before you sign any lease.
Lease Negotiation Targets: How CarEdge Would Structure Each Deal
Everything above is a published rate you can walk in and get today. This section is different: it’s how CarEdge structures deals on vehicles we see leasing well in practice. A real dealer discount on top of advertised manufacturer support, the actual residual value and money factor, and a target payment to negotiate toward. These are targets, not standing offers.
Two terms you’ll see on every deal: residual value (RV) is the percentage of MSRP the car is projected to be worth at lease end. Higher is better, because you only pay for the depreciation. Money factor (MF) is the lease’s interest rate expressed as a decimal; multiply by 2,400 to get the equivalent APR (a .00204 MF is about 4.9% APR). Base-rate MF unless noted. All targets at 10,000 miles a year. Inception fees due at signing on every deal: taxes, dealer doc fee, DMV/government fees, and the first month’s payment. No dealer add-ons.
Mazda3 Sedan 2.5 S Select Sport: target $275/month
- MSRP: ~$27,175 · Term: 36 months
- Target discount: 6 to 8% off MSRP before incentives
- Incentives: $1,100 lease cash
- Target payment: $275/mo before tax and inception fees
- RV / MF: 59% · .00072 (≈1.7% APR)
- Why it works: Best supply in the model range, and one of the last truly affordable leases on a desirable, modern, sporty sedan. Confirm current programs on Mazda’s offers page.
Hyundai Tucson SEL AWD: target $310/month (Northeast)
- MSRP: ~$34,400 · Term: 36 months · Region: Northeast
- Target discount: 6% off MSRP before incentives
- Incentives: $4,500 lease cash from Hyundai Finance plus a stackable $750 2026 Tucson ICE Lease Event Cash, $5,250 total. Military or first responder stacks another $500.
- Target payment: $310/mo plus tax and inception fees
- RV / MF: 61% · .0024 (≈5.8% APR)
- Confirm current programs on Hyundai’s offers page.
Honda Accord SE CVT: target $335/month
- MSRP: ~$31,900 · Term: 36 months
- Target discount: 7% off MSRP before incentives
- Incentives: $750 Accord Gas Captive Lease Cash + $1,250 Accord Gas Captive Lease/Finance Cash (stackable), $2,000 total
- Target payment: $335/mo plus tax, inception fees upfront
- RV / MF: 62% · .00204 (≈4.9% APR)
Genesis G70 2.5T RWD: target $340/month on a 24-month lease
- MSRP: ~$45,500 · Term: 24 months
- Target discount: about 6% off MSRP before incentives
- Incentives: the G70 carries heavy support. $7,250 lease cash on the 24-month program, stackable with $1,000 competitive-owner conquest cash (Acura, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Honda, INFINITI, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, MINI, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Tesla, Toyota, Volvo, 2008+ Hyundai), $8,250 total
- Target payment: $340/mo plus tax and inception fees
- RV / MF: 65% · .00211 (≈5.1% APR)
Kia Sportage Hybrid LX FWD: target $345/month
- MSRP: ~$32,450 · Term: 36 months
- Target discount: 3.5% off MSRP before incentives, no add-ons
- Incentives: $3,200 lease cash
- Target payment: $345/mo plus tax, inception fees upfront
- RV / MF: 63% · .00229 (≈5.5% APR)
- Confirm current programs on Kia’s offers page.
Toyota Tacoma 4WD Double Cab SR5: target $360/month
- MSRP: ~$44,000 · Term: 36 months
- Target discount: at least 10% off MSRP before incentives at base-rate MF, no add-ons
- Incentives: Ally Financial’s $750 CCRA Toyota Program
- Target payment: $360/mo plus tax, inception fees due at signing
- RV / MF: 83% · .00358 (≈8.6% APR)
- Note: Through Ally Financial, not Toyota Financial Services. The MF runs well above the rest of this lineup, but the 83% residual (the highest here by a wide margin) means the finance charge applies to a much smaller depreciation gap, which is why the payment still lands competitively.
Nissan Rogue AWD Platinum: target $365/month
- MSRP: ~$42,300 · Term: 36 months
- Target discount: at least 8% off MSRP before incentives at base-rate MF, no add-ons
- Incentives: $2,000 lease cash on the 36-month lease
- Target payment: $365/mo plus tax, before inception fees
- RV / MF: 63% · .00099 (≈2.4% APR)
2027 INFINITI QX60 LUXE AWD: target $445/month on a 24-month lease (NJ/NY)
- MSRP: ~$61,700 · Term: 24 months · Region: Northeast (NJ/NY)
- Target discount: 10 to 11% off MSRP before incentives at base-rate MF, no add-ons
- Incentives: $2,750 regional Special Lease Cash on the 24-month program, plus a $1,250 Costco Executive rebate if eligible, $4,000 total
- Target payment: $445/mo plus tax and inception fees, on a $62,000 SUV
- RV / MF: 73% · .00182 (≈4.4% APR)
BMW X5 xDrive40i: target $865/month
- MSRP: ~$76,500 · Term: 39 months
- Target discount: 10% off MSRP before incentives on the xDrive40i (not the M or M60)
- Incentives: $2,000 BMW Financial Services Lease Credit plus $1,000 loyalty, $3,000 total
- Target payment: $865/mo before tax and inception fees
- RV / MF: 52% · .0018 (≈4.3% APR)
- Why it works: A well-reviewed favorite in the luxury SUV class, not a leftover, and still highly negotiable.
Want one of these structures without doing the negotiating yourself? CarEdge’s experts handle the dealer conversation for you, lease math included: let CarEdge negotiate your lease.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest car lease right now?
According to CarEdge’s August 2026 scan of 1,133 advertised lease offers, the cheapest is the 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE: $119 a month with $3,999 due at signing on a 24-month term, or $286 a month effective, with a 15,000-mile annual allowance. The cheapest SUV lease is the 2026 Mazda CX-30 S at $310 effective monthly; the cheapest truck lease is the 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5 at $398.
What is the best lease deal for Labor Day 2026?
By CarEdge’s Deal Quality Index (effective monthly cost as a percentage of MSRP), the best lease value in the country is the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 S at a 0.79% DQI ($480 effective monthly), followed by the 2026 Kia EV9 Light Long Range (0.83%) and 2026 Ford F-150 XLT (0.86%). Of the 1,133 offers tracked, 209 run through September 8, 2026, covering Labor Day weekend.
Should I wait until Labor Day to lease a car?
The offers in this guide are a walk-in-ready baseline, and manufacturers typically layer Labor Day-specific incentives on top in the two weeks before the holiday (Labor Day is September 7, 2026). If your target already carries strong support and inventory is thin, locking it in now is reasonable. If you’re flexible on model, the holiday weekend usually brings a fresh wave of offers worth waiting for.
Is a 24-month lease a good idea?
Right now, yes, for the right shopper. A 24-month lease lets you try an EV or hybrid without a long commitment, gets you out before the next redesign or a change in EV tax credit rules, and usually signals real support, because manufacturers reserve short terms for inventory they need to move. They’re rare: only 53 of the 1,133 offers CarEdge tracked in August 2026 run 24 months or less.
What is “effective monthly” cost on a lease?
Effective monthly is the monthly payment plus the due-at-signing amount divided by the number of months in the term. It’s the fairest way to compare leases, because it stops a big down payment from making a payment look artificially low. Example: the 2026 Hyundai Elantra SE’s $119 payment plus $3,999 due at signing over 24 months works out to $286 effective monthly.
What is a good money factor on a lease?
The money factor is a lease’s interest rate expressed as a decimal; multiply it by 2,400 to get the equivalent APR. Among the negotiation targets in this guide, base-rate money factors range from .00072 (about 1.7% APR) on the Mazda3 to .00358 (about 8.6% APR) on the Tacoma through Ally Financial. A high money factor can still produce a competitive payment when the residual value is very high, because you’re financing a smaller depreciation gap.
What is the CarEdge Deal Quality Index (DQI)?
The CarEdge Deal Quality Index is effective monthly cost divided by MSRP, expressed as a percentage: the share of the vehicle’s sticker price you pay every month. Lower is better. It lets a $24,000 sedan and a $75,000 truck be compared fairly, which ranking by monthly payment alone can’t do. In August 2026 the lowest DQI in the market is the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 S at 0.79%.
How CarEdge Measures This
- Advertised offer data: CarEdge’s national lease offer database. In August 2026 CarEdge tracked 1,370 distinct manufacturer-advertised lease offers across 34 brands; after excluding anything requiring special eligibility (military, loyalty, conquest, current-lessee, employee, fleet, and similar restrictions), 1,133 offers are available to a well-qualified shopper with no special affiliation. Data as of the August 2026 scan.
- Effective Monthly = monthly payment + (due at signing ÷ term in months).
- CarEdge Deal Quality Index (DQI) = effective monthly ÷ MSRP × 100. Lower is better.
- Money factor to APR: MF × 2,400.
- All dollar figures exclude sales tax, title, registration, and dealer documentation fees, which vary by state and dealer and are added at signing.
- Negotiation targets are CarEdge’s own deal structures, not tracked market data. The acquisition fee is capitalized into the cap cost; “inception fees” there means taxes, DMV/registration, first month, and dealer fees only.
Ready to shop? Browse new-car inventory on CarEdge, and if you’re weighing a lease against a purchase, the retail side of the market (0% APR offers and cash rebates) is ranked in our Best and Worst New Car Deals in August 2026 and every 0% APR offer in August 2026.
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