Whether you’re leasing or buying your next car one of the main considerations when deciding what vehicle to choose will be how many miles you expect to do, as this can affect the performance, how often you fill up or charge the vehicle and ultimately your wallet.
When you decide to take out a lease you agree to the vehicle you want, the contract length, who will be responsible for maintenance of your vehicle along with an annual mileage allowance and overmiles cost should you go over this.
With the recent lockdown and changes it’s brought about we’ve seen a lot of requests for decreasing current lease mileage allowances and for new low mileage leases so thought it was time we took a look at just how low you can go with your lease allowance.
If you are interested in leasing but are unsure what you will need mileage wise then our Leasing Consultants are always available to talk through the options available for you. You can call them on 0330 221 000 or request a call back via the purple phone on the bottom left of your screen.
To help you decide if your mileage needs can be met in a lease we’ve spoken to each of our funders to get their minimum and maximum mileage allowances for you.
The below table shows the minimum annual mileage allowances:
| Funder: | Minimum: |
|---|---|
| ALD | 5,000 |
| Alphabet | 6,000 |
| Arval | 5,000 |
| Hitachi | 8,000 |
| LeasePlan | 8,000 |
| Leasys | N/A* |
| Lex Autlease | 5,000 |
| Wessex Fleet | 8,000 |
*Leasys have advised they have no annual minimum mileage but there must be a minimum of 10,00 miles over the duration of the lease.
As you can see the lowest mileage our funders can currently offer, apart from Leasys, is between 5,000 and 8,000 miles per annum.
If you don’t think you’re going to drive this much, then you can still lease a vehicle but there is no additional benefit to remaining under the mileage allowance.
Most of our funders have a maximum total mileage for the lease rather than the annual allowance so that no matter how long the lease is there are not too many miles on the clock at the end of the contract.
ALD offers a maximum of 120,000 miles for petrol vehicles and 160,000 miles for a diesel car.
Hitachi also differentiates between petrol and diesel with the maximum mileage allowed over the lease being 150,000 for a diesel car and 120,000 if it’s petrol.
Arval can only offer contracts with a maximum of 160,000 miles for the duration of the lease.
Alphabet advise they can offer leases with a maximum mileage of 150,000 for the contracted period.
Similarly, LeasePlan offers a maximum of 50,000 per year but with a cap at a total mileage of 150,000 so you can only opt for 50,000 miles annually if you are on a lease that’s three years or less.
Leasys have advised us that for a car the maximum mileage they can offer would be 120,000 and for light commercial vehicles like vans is 150,000 for the duration of the lease.
Lex advise that the maximum contractual mileage they offer depends on the type of the vehicle, car or van, as well as the fuel type.
If you decide to lease through Xcite Car Leasing we will advise you of the available mileage allowances for the vehicle you are interested in.
Another cost you agree to when taking out a lease vehicle is what’s known as the overmiles charge. This is the cost to you if you exceed the agreed mileage allowance and is usually charged in pence per mile at the end of the contract once the vehicle is collected.
If you opt for a maintenance package on your lease, then it’s important to note that you will have an overmiles charge for the finance contract and the maintenance agreement.
Unsurprisingly, one of the main concerns that drivers have when they decide to lease is the mileage allowance. Leases can last from a year up to five years and a lot can change during that time which could affect your driving habits.
Although you agree to a contracted mileage when taking out a lease most funders will also look at amending mileage during the contract if you get partway through and realise you need to increase or reduce your mileage.
Usually, they will not look at any amendments until you have had the vehicle for a year as they like to ensure they have an accurate estimate of your annual mileage to avoid having to increase or decrease your mileage again at a later date.
It’s important to note that if you do amend your mileage allowance then this could change the monthly rental cost. However, reducing your mileage does not guarantee your monthly payments will also reduce.
If you want to talk to us about your mileage needs or leasing in general you can call us on 0330 221 0000 or request a call back via the purple phone in the bottom left corner of your screen.
Leave a Comment