When buying a car, many just look at the vehicle they want to buy and then choose a derivative based on the specifications it offers against the price being charged. But when it comes to leasing there are more factors at play.

Depreciation plays a big part in choosing the right derivative for buying and leasing, but at least with leasing it sticks out like a sore thumb right from the start, ensuring you get your derivative choice right. Lets be honest, the last thing a car salesman tells you about when buying a new car is how much it will be worth in 3 years time, but with leasing a car it is apparent in the monthly rental figure, as depreciation is really what you are paying interest on.

It can be really surprising how one derivative within the same model range can vary in price to another and how each version can depreciate at varying levels. Often these derivatives determine what size engine is fitted, whether it is Diesel or petrol, how that engine is tuned, for performance or economy, what gearbox is included, automatic or manual and this well before we consider the internal trim or external trim.

Some internal trim can cost a fortune whilst new but have little impact on the resalable value when used, fitted stereo systems for instance. Even leather interiors don’t always keep values high, however diesel engines that have superb reliability and high miles to the gallon, can slow down the depreciation of a car big time, something the Germans learned a long time ago.

So when leasing any vehcile, don’t just look at the chosen body style or model, drill it down to the right derivative, as it could save you big style and if you get the right choice, you may find it cheaper to lease a better equipped model.

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Leasebam is giving customers the chance to lease the latest £300,000 Rolls-Royce, the Drophead Coupe is one of the latest to hit the streets and it doesn’t disappoint.

As with all ‘Rollers’ this eludes class and luxury just from looking at it and hearing it thanks to its 6.0 litre engine. The vehicle which is handmade by the British company was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

The cars platform is based on the 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom and was originally proposed as a concept car back in 2003 and sticks to the nautical gentleman’s theme that the company launched with its Ghost model.

Produced made to order in Chichester, West Sussex the Drophead combines cutting edge aluminium technology with handmade materials and fittings, the interior of this car will blow you away. Styled in what Rolls-Royce describe as an “avant-garde reinterpretation of the traditional English gentleman’s club.

The £307,000 price tag is enough to put of even the biggest of big spenders, even a footballer with a Rolls Royce is a rare sight. But if you really have to have the ‘Roller’, as lets be honest nobody will fail to be impressed then leasing a drophead coupe Rolls Royce maybe a better option for you. Obviously it’s still going to set you back a decent sized monthly payment but the thrill of owning this car should offset the mental worries of that.

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When Skoda brought out the Octavia back in 1996 many people described it as a hatch with the manners of a Golf as that is what it’s built from.

Gone is the reputation that surrounded Skoda for years and now the Octavia is on the cusps of being a luxury saloon car along with the likes of BMW and Lexus but at a fraction of the price, a brand new top spec Octavia will set you back around about £23,000.

The car is comfortable and will give you all the support you need for both long or short journeys and Skoda’s new found reliability has not been lost on this model. The storage space in the boot is perfect for a family day out or a Friday trip to the golf course, the Octavia is an ideal choice for business during the week and pleasure on the weekend.

The car is built on a VW 2.0 litre engine and you can tell, it’s almost as if the engine is confidently punching above its weight in this car, engine noise will not be a problem either as it is one of the quietest around. Even in last years torrid time for car manufacturers the 2009 Octavia still managed to shift well over 300,000 units, making it the highest selling Skoda by nearly 100,000.

The video below compares the Skoda to the Audi R8, which to be honest is a completely different car. Albeit a very good one its not really fair on the Skoda to be comparing the two. But the handling of the car in the wet conditions speaks for itself. The weight of the steering always makes you feel in control.

A great thing about the newer Skoda’s is that they come with a three year warranty for services, which before the recent announcements of lifetime warranties was unique and is still very impressive. The diesel option is notably economic and will give you good miles for your money.

Leasing is an excellent option for the Skoda Octavia Leasing and also the Audi R8 Leasing as it will allow you to avoid the sticker prices and give you some flexibility, especially if you are the type of person who likes to change their car every couple of year. Leasing also allows business users to claim back certain amounts from the government.

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During the recent budget announcement Chancellor George Osbourne outlined a number of cost cutting measures and tax measures in a bid to pull Britain out this age of austerity.

Some of the announcements and implementations will directly affect people purchasing new cars and leasing as it will alter the type of finance agreement people enter into.

The standout impact will be the increase of VAT up to 20%, this could be a positive for car leasing as other restrictions being put in place will prevent people who buy vehicles from claiming back VAT on purchase prices.

The addition to the Writing Down Allowance will also play a big part in the leasing and purchasing business over the next few years. Previously vehicles with a C02 emission of less that 160g/km or less would receive a decrease of 20%, but under new regulations this is down to 18%.

The fuel duty will be kept at 1p but include an increase of 0.76p from January, by doing this the Government hope to stabilise fuel prices to prevent the yo-yoing prices we have had in previous years.

Mr Osbourne also confirmed other measures that will impact on the leasing industry including the new company car and van tax and increased Vehicle Exercise Duty (VED) charges based on weight and suspension type.

All of these measures will come into force in April 2011, Companies such as Leasebam will help you track down the car you need for the best price.

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Jaguars XF, wins the prestigious executive car of the year award. 

In the recent what car awards the Jaguar beat off stern competition from rivals BMW with their 5 series and Mercedes E-class.  With the jaguar taking this award and being Whatcar? magazine car of the year for 2008, it seems to never stop winning awards. 

Steve Fowler, Group editor at whatcar? magazine said:

“What we love about the jaguar is the way it drives…the interior is really dramatic and you will never get tired of it.”

This make or break car has really shown its worth.  Jaguar took a real gamble with this car and it appears to have paid off. The XF has recently had an upgraded diesel option with improved performance and economy. 

Prices start from £30,00 and rise with option to £50,000.; The model winner was the 3.0d luxury option which costs at list price "£34,636.

Down under:  Australia’s Top Gear put the Jaguar through its paces.

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A contributor to a recent MSN article on the costs of running a Supercar was Angus Frazer, but as the presentation was done as a slide show it is difficult to link to from Leasebam, so here are the key headlines instead.

Audi R8 V10
It will cost you around £333 to get an oil change on this Audi R8 and around a thousand pound per year to service even with the 3 year package. They claim £1200 a year for insurance, which is probably not bad for a supercar.

Bugatti Veyron
The stakes are upped massively here with an annual service cost of around £12500, probably the cosy of an average medium sized car now a days, tyres cost £5000 each and lets hope you do not need to change any of the parts.

Ferrari  599
Ceramic brake pads on this beauty are around $1613 and to replace the brake discs on this Ferrari  599 then expect to pay around £9621

Ferrari  430
Staying on the Ferrari theme, try a titanium petrol cap at £757 and even the wheel nuts will cost you over #1700 and this Ferrrari 430 is one of the cheapest models.

Lanborghini Gallardo
The main service fo this Lamborghini Gallardo is around £2650

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
For many car lease is the way to go, but don’t forget that company tax on that vehicle. It is estimated that the company tax on the Lamborghini Murcielago is around £2500 a month, just $30000 a year.

Pagini Zonda F
Expect to pay £2500 on a service for this supercar.

Porshe 911 Turbo
The main service on this German masterpiece is around £1050 and minor service around £400 makes this one of the cheapest supercars to run. (Did I say Cheap?)

Porsche Boxster
Not really a supercar  this Porsche Boxster is just a great sports car, the service here is around £610 which is really Mercedes or large BMW territory.

Aston Martin DBS
Cost will be around £995 to service this Aston Martin DBS British supercar, with a huge amount of style.
As we can see here it is not just the monthly leasing premium but the associated costs involved and with these vehicles you don’t want to be missing service intervals.

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