There is something about car leasing that makes it unpopular with some consumers, but what is it? Your payments are always well structured, and when you lease a car, it’s always new and comes with the security of warranty coverage. One truly needs to have a sense of security with their car and leasing is almost always the surest means of getting that sense.

However, with extra security often comes a reduction in freedom. In the case of a car lease, this is also true. Adherence to a strict maintenance schedule is part of almost any car lease deal, and it can cost a lot of extra money to skip these requirements. A car lease almost always comes with mileage restrictions as well, and going over that limit can also cost you greatly.

It’s certainly nice to have all the protection that comes with driving a shiny new car on lease, but you may not be able to drive that vehicle whenever or wherever you wish. Unless you want to pay exorbitant fees, you may have to decide against that trip you were planning with the family. It can sometimes be cheaper to buy plane tickets, train tickets, or rent a car than go over the mileage limit on a lease.

Even if you don’t have to worry about mileage, you might still find your trip spoiled by scheduled maintenance. You won’t be taking that car out of town that week without paying in some way, so you would have to make other arrangements. Due to such inconveniences, a person on the go would be wise to avoid leasing.

For those with good credit, payments on a car loan are often less than they would be on a lease. Since they often come at a low cost per mile, this is particularly true of used cars. When deciding on a car, one should always consider the cost per mile. This would not only include fuel costs, but the purchase price, interest, taxes, insurance, and maintenance estimates. Many prospective buyers and lessees disregard such important factors when making their decisions.

Another reason to consider buying is that one actually owns the vehicle when finished making payments on a loan. Owning it means you can have the full resale value or trade it in towards your next purchase. In other words, you reap the benefits of taking good care of your car instead of being threatened with punishment for failing earn those benefits on behalf of the leasing company. A lease operates on the assumption that the vehicle will be returned in prime condition.

When this does not occur, heavy costs can be involved because the leasing company expects to receive the full estimated resale value of the car. Putting such restrictions on the lessee makes it possible for leasing companies to protect themselves against losses. When you purchase, the risk is yours, but so is the reward.

Knowing what you now know, you might still find you’re better off leasing, but you might know someone who is about to make the wrong choice for themselves. With a lease, you pay for security and reliability, and you deal with the restrictions. When you purchase, the risks are all yours, but yours too is the freedom to drive as you please.