How to Lease a Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Leasing is one option for lower payments on a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Flag this photo

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a mid-sized sport-utility vehicle designed for families who want space and comfort. Because it's a hybrid, you'll save at the pump by filling up less often than if you had the vehicle's non-hybrid counterpart. When buying a car, however, getting the best monthly payments will factor greatly in which vehicle you choose. If you are set on a hybrid, the last thing you want is to get stuck paying more than you can comfortably afford. If you have good credit, Toyota offers leasing options that may allow you to drive the Highlander Hybrid that you want while making minimal payments.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Good credit
• Computer access

Suggest Edits

1. • 1

     Check for Toyota lease programs and incentives. Look up your local or a nearby Toyota dealership and call to find out if the dealership offers any lease incentives or deals for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Go to the official Toyota website and familiarize yourself with the leasing programs that Toyota offers. While online, also check for any specials that the company is offering for new hybrid leases. Newspaper advertisements are also a good place to look for Toyota leasing offers.

   • 2

     Read the fine print carefully. Research a little further when you find a lease deal. If you have found the lease special over the Internet, read the terms and conditions so that you fully understand what the leasing deal will involve in terms of the down payments, potential mileage limits or any additions to the monthly fee.

   • 3

     Determine how long of a lease you want. Most leases range from two to five years, but that may vary according to the terms of a specific leasing incentive. Allow your reason for leasing to determine if you would prefer a short-term lease over a long-term one. If you are leasing to always have a newer model vehicle, then a short-term lease may be the route to take; if you want to get a hybrid at a lower monthly payment, a longer lease will help you to accomplish that goal.

   • 4

     Estimate what type of lease payment you can afford. There are numerous websites online that can help you to determine this. Go to websites such as Motor Trends or Edmunds.com to get a quote or to use their online lease calculators. These options will give you a snapshot of what to expect based on your location, the cost of the vehicle, your credit score, interest rate, the length of the lease and other information. Use the results as a guide when visiting car dealerships.

   • 5

     Visit several car dealerships to find your Highlander Hybrid. Go to several different Toyota dealers that sell the type of Highlander Hybrid you are interested in. Find the vehicle with the color, interior and any other attributes that are to your liking and take it for a test drive before making the decision to talk lease terms.

   • 6

     Haggle for the best lease agreement. Get leasing quotes from each of the dealers that you have visited and compare them to each other and the estimate that you came up with online. Because you have more than one option, use these lease quotes to your advantage and negotiate the best deal.

   • 7

     Verify and sign the agreement. Read over the agreement carefully before you sign to verify that it reflects everything that you and the dealer discussed. Signing the agreement will seal you into the terms that are outlined in the lease.

Tips & Warnings

• When making the decision to lease, make sure that you understand what leasing involves and have a clear understanding that you do not own the vehicle that you are driving.

• Longer lease terms will require greater costs for upkeep, including the purchase of an extended-warranty program.

• Toyota or the car dealership may require that you buy gap insurance to cover the price difference in the event your vehicle is totaled in an accident or stolen.