Car leasing - can you take the car abroad and other questions

[DancinOnTheCeiling]

Hope I’m posting in the right bit. Wondering about getting a lease car, or possibly some other type of car finance. I’m driving an old car and have had so many repairs that it’s just not worth it anymore. Someone said to me some lease car companies offer maintenance ie it’s included in the monthly fee. Is this true? Also, does anyone know if you can drive to another country with a lease car, more specifically take it on a ferry to France/Netherlands and go on holiday..

Yes regarding maintenance, tends to approx £30-40 a month.

Not sure regarding going abroad in it? Assume so, I've never been questioned when I've had my lease cars about anything like that.

Yes, you can take it abroad. Maintenance is included in ours.

Thanks @Sunshineclouds11. Much appreciated. Have you had lease cars regularly and are you happy with it overall?

What you need to watch out for is mileage. You are asked how many miles you’ll be driving annually and the payments take this into account. If you say 5K and then go abroad taking annual mileage up to 8k you’ll have to pay an additional mileage charge at the end of the contract.
I’ve never included maintenance, only lease for 3 years so only need 1 service.

Ours is actually my husband's. He gets a good deal through work otherwise we wouldn't have one. The maintenance is a pain as they choose what garage it goes to and it isn't always v local or on a convenient date/time. Also, the list that he could choose from is relatively limited. I would rather take out a loan, but a car outright and be fully in control of what car i have and when/where it goes for maintenance.

Thanks @Sprig1that’s helpful. Do you mind me asking what company you use? Are you happy with it?

Sorry cross posted @Sprig1

Thanks @Soontobe60

I lease a car on a 3 year plan which includes road tax, servicing and tyres. I have a set mileage limit. I only pay for insurance. You can set your mileage and the payments adjust accordingly.

Thanks @searchforthesun

Would anyone here who is happy with their company be okay to share what company it is?

I have a lease car which we've taken to France a couple of times - it's definitely allowed. Try Yorkshire Fleet - they're very helpful and repsonsive.

With our lease car the contract stated that we needed their permission to take it abroad. So I would check the T&C’s.
we’ve had 2 lease cars with no issues.

We've used select car leasing and had 2 cars with them.
agree regarding mileage, do have to be careful, and obv kept in really good condition

For my previous cars I went directly with VW, but this time I’ve gone with Planet Leasing which is an online leasing company. The deals they offer seem to be much more competitively priced than VW, especially if you are flexible about what car you want.
I’ve just ordered a Peugeot 2008 for £245 a month without maintenance. It’s a top of the range model.

One thing with leasing you need to be aware of is that often, the full value of the car goes on your credit rating for the duration of the lease. This is only relevant if you are looking to move as it could affect the amount you can borrow.

Also, if your circumstances change, there are penalties for ending the lease early.

Thanks everyone.

@HappiestSleepingour mortgage is up for renewal in summer 2027, so that’s good to know.