To start, lease terms are agreed upon based upon the value of the vehicle after the estimated depreciated residual value with an estimation of mileage during that time. A common lease mileage allowance is 12,000 miles per year which equals 1,000 miles per month. If at the end of your lease you have gone over the agreed upon mileage you will pay a set fee for every mile over to make up for the depreciation in the vehicles residual value. This fee will be in your lease agreement and is usually between $0.15-$0.30 cents per mile based on your vehicle.
Remember, the mileage only matters when you turn in your vehicle. If your mileage allowance is 36,000 miles for 3 years, it doesn't matter if you put 3000 miles in one month and 50 in another as long as the total does not exceed 36,000 when you turn your vehicle in at the end of the lease.
Using the example above, here's a quick calculation for lease mileage charges:
- Mileage at Lease Turn in 39,000
- Mileage Allowance 36,000
- Mileage Overage 3000 x $0.15 Overage Fee per Mile = $450.00 Total Mileage Overage Fee
So if you go over 3000 miles, you would have to pay $450 at lease turn in based on a 15 cent mileage overage fee (plus applicable state taxes).
How can I avoid going over my lease mileage allowance?
It can be hard to estimate how many miles you are going to be putting on your vehicle, especially for first time lease owners. To avoid going over your mileage allowance you should be aware of your driving habits and mileage trend. If in the first six months, you drive 7,000 miles on a 3-year, 36,000 mile lease, you are averaging about 1,166 miles per month and are likely to exceed the mileage allowance at the end of 3 years. By taking action early, you can make small changes to avoid using excess mileage.
Tips to lower mileage consumption:
- Car Pool to work or school - either with family or co-workers
- Use Public Transportation - instead of driving into Philly for the night, take the PATCO.
- Choose "Shortest Distance" on your GPS - Many GPS are set to find the route with the shortest time even if it requires more miles. By changing this setting, you may take an extra few minutes but can save on miles.
- Combine trips - Stopping at the pharmacy or grocery store on your way home from work instead of making an extra trip on the weekend may save time and miles.
- Choose to fly or rent a vehicle for getting to your vacation destination - Longer trips will definitely eat up your mileage allowance so be sure to factor in the risk of mileage overage when comparing costs to fly or drive.
Our sales team at Burns Honda in South Jersey near Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Mount Laurel, Medford, and Philadelphia can help you decide if a lease is right for you. We offer great lease specials on the Honda Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and all new Honda models.
