Ok, I have finally decided on a second car (My usual is a 2006 Nissan Titan). My orignal thought was a used CTS with 20-25k on it with a plan of driving 15k a year. I finally drove one yesterday and really liked it and it solidified my deicision. But the guy at the dealship asked me a question that I had not thought about. He suggested a Lease on a New One. I am really torn on what to do but I'm sure I can figure that one out.

My real question is which engine to choose. My objective is a larger interior sedan that is real comfortable with good gas milage. Any thoughts would be great. Including a dealer suggestion in the South East (I am in Atlanta, GA).

TIA

I think the 3.6VVT is a must.
Leases build no equity. At the end you turn it back in and you have no cash for your next car.

Lease vs. purchase really depends on how you use your cars and how long you keep them. For those that like a new car every few years, drive average or lower mileage (i.e. ~12K/year) and budget in a constant payment, it makes sense. For those that tend to keep cars longer, drive higher mileage, and prefer to have periods with no car payment, purchasing makes more sense. Hope this helps.

I will never lease a car nor buy a new car....but I will buy a used car :) Get my moneys worth... definately go for the buy over the lease...the dealership makes more $$ when you lease it. You make.........???

Both have their advantages. If you are self employed and drive for work you can deduct the entire cost of your lease as well as excess mileage from your income taxes. If you buy with the same situation, you have to depreciate the car and get to deduct for mileage. You never build equity with buying or leasing. You will always sell for less than you bought it for.

Or you could choose door number three, the GM Smart Buy, which acts like a lease for the fisrt three years and then you have the option to turn the car in, refinance it and continue making the same payment, or pay it off through a balloon payment. I have used the Smart Buy option for my last two cars, including the CTS, because I wanted some flexibility and freedom to trade up at the end of three years. Best of all, with the Smart Buy my payments are lower than if I had done a conventional lease. With the new body style coming out next year, I might want to trade up to an '08 or '09 CTS when my term comes due, or I might keep the CTS for ten years. It's all about having options open.

Pick the 3.6 because it will have better resale value, there are more available mods, you get cooler options, and the fuel efficiencies are not really that different between the 2.8 and 3.6. The 3.6 certainly pulls a lot harder than the 2.8, so it really depends on how you drive. If you are looking at a CTS as a sports sedan, the 3.6 is the only way to go. If you just want a car to drive five adults around in relative comfort go for the 2.8.

Just my $0.02...

Thanks for the info. I am torn again with all of the info on the 2008. A Lease would trap me and I really would want a new one I am sure.

Highly depends on your situation. Since I have my own business I get to write off a portion of my lease payment. So that is the route I go. Writing off a loan payment is harder to do.

Financing does give you equity but considering what a bad investment a car is , it is not worth it. Leasing frees up cash for other investments!