When you lease, you pay to drive someone else's vehicle. Monthly lease payments may be lower than loan payments, but at the end of the lease you have no ownership or equity in the car. To get the best deal, follow the advice below in addition to the general suggestions for buying a car.

• To help you compare leasing versus owning, the Consumer Leasing Act requires leasing companies to give you information on monthly payments and other charges. Check out Leaseguide.com, Leasecompare.com and Leasesource.com for online information on leases including current lease deals.
  
• Negotiate all the lease terms including the price of the vehicle. Lowering the base price will help reduce your monthly payments.
  
• Ask for details on wear and tear standards. Dings that you regard as normal wear and tear could be billed as significant damage at the end of your lease.
  
• Find out how many miles you can drive in a year. Most leases allow 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year. Expect a charge of 10 to 25 cents for each additional mile.
  
• Check the manufacturer's warranty. It should cover the entire lease term and the number of miles you are likely to drive.
  
• Ask the dealer what happens if you give up the car before the end of your lease. There may be extra fees for doing so.
  
• Ask what happens if the car is involved in an accident.
  
• Get all the terms in writing. Everything included with the car should be listed on the lease to avoid being charged for "missing" equipment later.
  

Credit and Sublease Brokers Con artists often prey on people who have bad credit and who cannot get car loans. "Credit brokers" promise to get a loan for you in exchange for a high fee. In many cases, the "broker" takes the fee and disappears. "Sublease brokers" charge a fee to arrange for you to "sublease" or "take over" someone else's car lease or loan. Such deals usually violate the original loan or lease agreement. Your car can be repossessed even if you've made all of your payments. You also might have trouble insuring your car.