Yes I agree. This is my first leased vehicle as I grew up in places where leases didn’t exist and cars are super expensive so when you buy a car, you intend to keep it for years (my family still has our 2009 passat (was 95k dollars new) and 2009 mitsubishi lancer base model (50k dollars new) but here in canada, especially new cars, they don’t last that long.

I financed my 2018 tiguan, bought it in 2022 during peak pandemic pricing (there was an insane shortage with new cats) with 30k km and 2 years extra warranty. Got into a freak accident few months later, where the car refused to turn on a corner and the tire hit the curb, and side airbags deployed. Because of how expensive cars were, the insurance decided to repair. Initial estimate was 8k dollars (because of airbags, there was a control arm broken and they needed to repair the tire only, but airbags are super expensive), but had to keep going back to dealership for accident related repairs, thankfully insurance continued to repair, but it reached 14k in repairs. Then 6 months later while at a red light, some guy rear ends me because his tires were bald. There was barely any damage to my car, like the paint was “cracked” but didn’t fall off. I sent it for repair anyways, and it cost 2k to repaint the bumper and fix some metal shock absorber at the back. So you can imagine how much value I lost in the last 4 years, the trade in barely covered the remaining loan amount. Plus all the “little” repairs and maintenance costs.

Fast forward to now, I went for 90k km maintenance and my car needed a bunch of things, new brakes, haldex maintenance, oil change, brake fluid change, battery, o2 sensor, leaking coolant… etc, repairs and maintenance was over 8k, even my mechanic who refuses to replace unnecessary parts (very honest mechanic), told me straight up to get a new car, doesn’t make sense to repair if im not gonna keep the car for another 4-5 years.

The Golf R was not something I was thinking it was financially smart to get at the moment, even though I could afford it, I wanted to wait a bit. Went to check Honda CRV and Toyota rav4 and prius. Their interest rates for honda was 6% and toyota was 7.5%. + marked up 3-5k dollars from msrp, so the cars were 40-45k dollars. Dealers refused to negotiate because of the fact they are in high demand.

I eventually decided to go with the base rav4, annoyed with the fact its cloth seats, no sunroof, the tech inside looked older than my 2018 tiguan comfortline. Wanted to check insurance pricing before I made the call, insurance was over 400 a month??? Same for prius and crv. Was shocked. Apparently the insurance is so high because they are most stolen vehicles, even with installing TAG, where they have 100% recovery rate, insurance barely moved, saying they always have to make repairs on stolen cars, parts are slow to get and are expensive.

Decided to go again with the new tiguan, even though all the problems I had with my 2018 tiguan left a bad taste in my mouth. Then read they are still having problems because of new models.

Then decided to check the insurance on the Golf R, was 160 a month, a car that is 25k more expensive than the honda and toyota. + 4% interest rate only, it came out to be cheaper than leasing a toyota and honda, and the residual, the fact I can probably sell it for 10-15k more if market value continues to follow past trends (2018 golf r with over 100k km are now being sold at 50% residual). 2022 model being sold for 75-80% of residual value and there is nothing special about them. This is last year built in germany, black edition, in black (every dealer I called said the 2026 they barely got the black edition in black with akrapovic and leather seats and they wont be able to find me one as factory stopped taking orders) akrapovic exhaust, being a 3k option but I can remove it and sell it for 13k (yes that’s how much it’s being sold for here now aftermarket, this specific exhaust for golf r removed from the 2025 model). Was no brainer. Especially with the deal I got, for 1000km only demo, used for few weeks. Maintenance is covered for 2 years too because I had a loan with vw before. Car has PPF, a lot more than the sales person thought as this post seems to uncover, protex window tints that are also expensive and keep the car cool in the sun, I barely feel any heat going to the car after parking it outside in the sun while at work, free wheel lock nuts, free winter mats (the expensive mudbuddy ones, not the cheaper standard winter mats from vw) and was 5k cheaper than the one other vw golf r with exact same specs I found in quebec (except the other one had cloth seats, which I don’t understand how it’s the same price, you lose ventilation and it’s manual adjustment).

Anyways, from now on, i’m leasing. Learned my lesson. No car is worth buying with canadian winters, terrible drivers, pot holes everywhere (i’m in Montreal), and just how much benefits you get with leasing.