JamesTabs

im leasing my 06 ss/sc. i was wondering if modding my cobalt would void my lease or whatever. I wanted to get the stage 2 kit and a k&n cold air intake. I know if i went with just the intake i can take it off and put the stock one on when i upgrade in two years..but i really want the stage 2...

thanks in advance

DJMKAFKA

I Got My Lease As Well... Plan On Buying The Car Outright When It Comes Time For It. I'm Also Getting Ready To Have Stage Ii Installed

avro206

little things its not really an issue.

GM stage 2 is a GM part---so zero problems there.

CAI okay too--same with exhaust.

Just don't go painting the interior and any crazy stuff and you'll be fine

toydriver00

Just to add a little personal experience to your Lease. They may not always offer a purchase to you at the end of the lease. Also, you are better off trading the lease in rather than purchasing it at the end.

firesting

Actually, i love my car! I wouldn't trade it in for anything! Good gas miliage and performance! Im deffinatly buying it at the end of my lease for 10k CAD! About modding a lease, I'm putting AEM CAI, GMPP Performance Exhaust and, well i gotta buy winter tires haha!!! But next year im gunna put a stage kit for sure... The dealer doesn't care about the mods, as long as you buy it in the end, or as long as you put everything back to norm!

EDIT: Also, I'm only paying 17k CAD for the 4 year lease, so im getting a good deal (not getting screwed over with lease then purchase price)

DJMKAFKA

YES I ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO BUY MINE AT THE END AND PLAN ON TO.

zomghax

I don't see how that's really the case. When you lease a car, you are financing the difference between the list price and the expected residual over the lease term. The financing charge is your lease rate. At the end, if you buy it out, you're financing the residual over however long you negotiate with your bank, or whatever, and paying another interest rate. As far as I know, residual values do not accrue interest over the lease term.

So in short, leasing a vehicle for 3 years and then choosing to buy it out and financing that residual over another 3 by borrowing money from the bank is really no different than just taking out a loan to buy the car over 6 years. You might pay a bit extra in terms of fees or whatnot, but you might save if you score a really low lease rate over the first 3 years. Also, if you have a line of credit with a nice interest rate and have the room you might be able to finance your residual using that.

Also, I've never heard of GM refusing to allow someone to buyout their own lease. I would think they prefer it, and that the last thing they would want is to be stuck with lease vehicles at end of term. When I traded in my leased Sunfire to get my Cobalt, I was given a pamphlet explaining all of my end-of-lease options and responsibilities, and buying out my lease was not listed as being conditional at the discretion of GMAC.

zinner

You playing with fire modding a leased car and you could get really burnt.

firesting

If you are buying it back, why not?

zinner

Well if you are going to buy it at the end of the lease why not just buy and not lease to start w ith.

You shouldn't mod it for the simple reason is that it's not your car, it's the leasing companys and you just rent it.

06black

MINES A LEASE!
(mods in sig)

but i've been planing on buying it out sence day one....still funny tho!

zinner

But the only reason to lease a car is because you are giving it back at the end of the lease.

Otherwise you are really losing lots of money leasing fees and a high interest car loan on a used

zinner

So what are you going to do when you have to turn it in? Are you going to put it back to stock?

DJMKAFKA

Now This Is Something... I Could Not Get Approved To Just Purchase The Car. Due To Some Financial Reasons... However, They Did Approve Me On A Lease. I Know Its Not Really My Car But I Consider It To Be. I Do Have A Storage Place For All Of My Stock Parts So That Way When And If I Do Decide To Turn It Back In(100% Sure On Buying It) I'd Be Able To Put It Back To Stock. The Only Thing I Am Doing To Mine Are Simple Bolt On Mods. Stuff I Can Easily Take Off And Put Back On.

zinner

I read your post and it seems to me that maybe you have financial problems because you make decisions like modding a leased car that you can't afford to buy.

You need to stop lying to yourself about it being your car and face the real world. If you are patient maybe when the lease is up you can afford to buy the car and then start modding it.

Making smart decisions about your life/money is what helps you becomes wealthy enough to be able to afford to do what you want and ignoring the facts and just doing what you want is what keeps you in situations like you are in now.

I have had to lease cars in the past because I couldn't afford to buy it, and I didn't mod the car because I knew that I would just end up sinking money into something and getting a bad financial situation when the lease was up.

Sorry for the .net tough love.

JamesTabs

see...i for sure want to put an intake in it. i mean, i can always take that out when my lease is up. (im not sure if i want to buy or upgrade when the time comes) and would i dont know how much trouble it would be to put the stage II in and have it removed...kind of a waste of money to, if i dont buy it out. But mainly, what im getting here is: mod at my own risk while leasing.

JamesTabs

im also going to check with my dealship, who i happen to work for, so maybe they'll let me go with the mods lol

DJMKAFKA

See Whenever I Do Anything To My Car Its When I Have The Extra Cash Around. I Have A Side Business Of Detailing Cars. I Take Cash Only. The Money I Get From That Generally Goes Into My Car. However I Know I Should Be Saving That Money For A Downpayment On A House.

The 27th element

My car is leased................

mugencivicsi

im on a lease i wont let them take it back

im definatley buying it when im done

that and if anything happens i have spare everything, what ever i change i keep the stock parts, when i did my lights to black, i just got spare ones....

EricDFW

I wouldnt mod a lease or a smart buy, but hey its your money, your life, and your financial wellbeing.

snarkee

maybe some people lease cause they get bored of a car....or they want a smaller payment

I lease because i get a new one every 2 years....this way I can afford more of a car, have lower payments, and give it back in exchange for a new one

I also mod my lease, but the key is not to go overboard...stage 2, exhaust you wont have a problem with

06black

i dont plan on returining it back to stock...just roll the payments from the lease end to a bay..simple.

p7x

Mines leased!

Either buy it out or return to stock.

zinner

Yeah those are all the exact reasons to lease a car....

But when you decided to break the lease agreement and modify the car you are just opening yourself up to extra risk.

But in the end you are paying more for the same car than if you just financed the full purchase

I just went through all these numbers when I was getting my SRX and especially now with 0 percent you can't go wrong with financing the full price of the car. Ok well actually my wife ran the numbers she has the MBA hehe.