Subscription, flexible leasing or buying used: which fits your case
Paying to use versus paying to own: how to compare honestly the real cost of flexible leasing against buying a used car.
The question is no longer just which car, but what relationship you want with it: an all-in monthly fee, or ownership with its costs. No answer is universal; the maths is.
What the fee really includes
Flexible leasing usually bundles insurance, maintenance and taxes, with short commitments. Add what it DOESN'T include: the sign-up, mileage caps, penalties for damage beyond the contract's idea of “reasonable wear”, and the price of flexibility — no-commitment fees are the most expensive.
What ownership really costs
Purchase price minus expected resale value, plus insurance, maintenance, taxes and surprises. Used cars play their trump card here: the steep depreciation was already paid by the first owner.
The honest comparison
Compare TOTAL cost over the same horizon (say, three years): fees × months versus depreciation + running costs. For stable, multi-year use, buying used almost always wins the maths. In transitory situations — a months-long project, a move on the horizon, variable income — flexibility can be worth its premium.
The mistake to avoid
Deciding on the isolated monthly fee. A comfortable fee for 36 months can add up to more than the whole car you'd have bought — and at the end there is no car. And if you buy: do it with the checks and payment safety that make buying from a stranger not an act of faith.