Lease Buyout Calculator
Cost examples updated November 6, 2026. By Driveonomics.
Your lease is ending and the buyout price is on the contract. Enter that price, your loan rate and term, and the car's market value, and see the payment, the total you will pay, and whether the buyout beats the market.
Pre-filled for you. Fields marked typical start with typical national averages so you see a result right away, change any number you know to make it yours.
Go ahead, play with it. Change any number and watch the total move.
Your buyout
What the buyout costs
Where the numbers come from: loan rate, Experian, Q2 2026, average used-car loan rate 11.19% · loan term, Experian, Q2 2026, average used-car loan term 67.9 months · market value, Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds appraisal.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration, and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact buyout total depends on where you buy and register the car.
Rules and time period. The buyout total is the residual value plus the purchase option fee plus tax and title, all from the contract and the state. The loan figures cover the term you pick, from 36 to 72 months. The market comparison uses a quote for the same year, model, trim, mileage, and condition.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Market values are quotes, not guarantees. Loan terms vary by lender, and your rate depends on your credit tier. A buyout quote from the leasing company is the document that binds.
Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market (Q2 2026); Tax Foundation State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau auto-loan guidance; Regulation Z (12 CFR Part 1026); Regulation M (12 CFR Part 1013); Edmunds appraisal values.
Primary sources: Experian, used-car loan rates; Experian, average car payment; Tax Foundation, 2026 sales tax rates, midyear; CFPB, auto-loan shopping guidance; Regulation Z, 12 CFR Part 1026; Regulation M, 12 CFR Part 1013; Edmunds, car appraisal values.
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How the buyout comparison works
The payment comes from the standard amortizing loan formula: a fixed payment where each month's interest is charged on the remaining balance first, and the rest reduces principal. Total paid is the down payment plus every monthly payment over the term. Total interest is total paid minus the amount financed, minus the down payment already counted in total paid. The market comparison is shown two ways on purpose, so interest never hides inside the price.
A worked example, using this calculator's own math
With the starting inputs, the all-in buyout price is $19,550 and the market value is $21,000, so the buyout price sits $1,450 below market. That is the same worked example as the lease buyout guide. Financed at 8% over 48 months with no down payment, the payment is about $477 a month, total interest is about $3,359, and total paid is about $22,909, which sits about $1,909 above the $21,000 market value. The car itself is priced below market. The loan is what pushes the total past it. That distinction is the whole point of showing both lines.
How to use
- Enter the all-in buyout price. Residual value plus buyout fee plus tax and title. The guide's worked example adds up to $19,550.
- Enter any down payment, or leave it at $0. The amount financed is the buyout price minus the down payment.
- Enter the loan APR. The average used-car loan rate is 11.19% (Experian, Q2 2026); super prime borrowers averaged 6.29%. The worked example uses 8%.
- Pick the loan term. The average used-car loan term is 67.9 months (Experian, Q2 2026). Shorter terms mean a higher payment and less interest.
- Enter the market value from a quote for the same car, then read the two comparisons. Price vs market shows whether the car itself is priced below market. Total paid vs market shows whether it still is once interest is added.
Formula
Buyout price, all in, equals the residual value plus the purchase option fee plus tax and title. That addition lives on the lease buyout guide; this calculator starts from the total.
Amount financed equals the buyout price minus the down payment. The monthly payment comes from the standard amortizing loan formula: amount financed times the monthly rate times one plus the monthly rate raised to the term, divided by one plus the monthly rate raised to the term minus one, where the monthly rate is the APR divided by 100 divided by 12. If the APR is zero, the payment is the amount financed divided by the term.
Total paid equals the down payment plus the monthly payment times the term. Total interest equals total paid minus the down payment minus the amount financed.
Buyout price vs market value equals market value minus buyout price. Total paid vs market value equals market value minus total paid. The worked example uses an 8% APR. The Q2 2026 average used-car loan rate is 11.19% (Experian), so a borrower at the average rate would pay more interest than the example shows.
Definitions
Residual value. The value the leasing company set for the car at the end of the lease, written in the contract on day one. It does not change during the lease.
Purchase option fee. A flat administrative fee for buying the car out, set in the contract. Purchase option fees commonly run $300 to $500; the contract states the exact fee.
Buyout price, all in. Residual value plus purchase option fee plus tax and title. This is the number the calculator starts from.
Amount financed. The buyout price minus the down payment. This is the loan principal the payment is calculated on.
Total interest. Total paid minus the down payment minus the amount financed. The cost of borrowing, on top of the price.
Market value. What the same car sells for now: same year, model, trim, mileage, and similar condition, from a quote, not a guess.
Disposition fee. The fee charged for returning the car at lease end, typically $300 to $500. Buying the car out avoids it; returning the car pays it.
Lease buyout questions, answered
What is a lease buyout?
Paying to keep the car when the lease ends. The starting price is the residual value written in the contract, plus a buyout fee and tax and title. Once those are paid, the car is yours and the lease ends.
How do I know if the buyout price is fair?
Compare the all-in buyout price with a market quote for the same year, model, trim, mileage, and condition. If the buyout price sits below market value, you keep a car you already know for less than its market price. If it sits above, the same money buys more car elsewhere.
Does financing the buyout change the comparison?
Yes, because interest is a real cost on top of the price. This calculator shows both sides: the buyout price against market value, and the total paid including interest against market value. A buyout that beats the market before financing can still cost more than market value once interest is added.
What fees come with a buyout?
Most buyouts add a purchase option fee from the contract, plus sales tax and title and registration charges from the state. Purchase option fees commonly run $300 to $500, and the contract states the exact fee. The calculator's buyout price field is the all-in total, so enter the residual plus the fee plus tax and title together.
Can I buy out my lease early?
It depends on the contract. Some leases allow an early buyout and some do not. An early buyout payoff is not the same as the end-of-lease residual, because remaining payments are part of it. This calculator is for an end-of-lease buyout, so ask the leasing company for the early payoff figure before running the numbers.
Related: Financing the buyout means a payment. See how much your car payment will be.
Related: Buyout or lease again? See the lease vs. buy comparison.
Related: A financed buyout can leave you upside down. See what that costs.
Educational estimates only, not financial advice. Market values are quotes, not guarantees, and loan terms vary by lender. Actual costs vary.
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