For identical monthly finance payments, some cars will depreciate less than others and at trade-in time save thousands of dollars for the far-sighted owner

Getting residual values
This will take a little homework and shoe leather.
1. Identify several cars having similar features that can be leased for similar monthly payments.
2. Note and write down the residual value of the cars.
3. If youre not married to a brand name (most cars today have similar high quality) then if features are similar, go with the car having the highest residual value

The Internet may not be the best place to try to get this information. Surveys show that 60% of people looking to buy or lease a car do some searching on the Internet. This has made the manufacturers less willing to disclose residual values. In fact, some of the Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) will not print them in a quotation from the dealer.

Residual values risks