4. Car rentals are short term and car leases are long term. When I lease a car it is registered and insured to me. When I rent a car the rental company owns and insures the car. There are myriad legal and financial differences. However, it still remains that you pay by the month and have nothing to show for it at the end of the lease.
This is not really true, especially in a comparison with purchasing a car. For one, you can absolutely have equity in a lease. If you only drive 5,000 miles per year but you have a 15,000/yr lease, then most likely you will have equity in the vehicle which you can cash out on. This is also true if the used car market moves in your favor.
Two, at the point in the contract when your lease runs up, you have exactly the same value in the vehicle as someone financing. So to say you have "nothing to show for it" - which suggests that when financing you do, is missing the point.
For example, you have a $50,000 car, that is worth $30,000 in 36 months. If you purchase the car, you have nothing to show for the lost $20,000 either. So whether you lease or purchase, you have the exact same "nothing" at the end of 36 months.
The difference is that on a lease you are only paying for what you used, the actual depreciation. It's far smarter than buying - especially with aggressive lease deals. If you are smart with your money, you can take the money saved on your monthly payment and roll it into other investments.
My Q50 payment is $600/mo. The payment to purchase would be closer to $1,000/mo. I can do quite a bit with $400/mo, which is $15,600 at the end of my 39 month lease not counting any interest gains. With modest interest, closer to $18,000. To compare this to a purchase. After 39 months you would still owe roughly $16,000 on a purchased vehicle. If I count my savings with interest, I'd owe the equivalent of $14,000. So which is a smarter deal for the savvy consumer?
Ultimately, the difference between leasing and buying is simple. When leasing you pay for the actual depreciation of the car plus finance charges, in other words, you are paying for what you use. When purchasing, you are just paying for the car, in full, regardless of your usage.
Leasing is smart for many people.