Down payment is the amount you pay upfront in order to reduce the amount financed over the course of a lease. Yes, zero down payment leases do exist but there are fees and other expenses to be paid before you drive off the lot in your new BMW:

• Document fees
• Taxes 
• License and registration 
• First month's payment
  

As you can see, before you get the keys to your new or pre-owned BMW you'll have to pay between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars. If, however, you insist on a $0 drive-off lease, the above-mentioned fees can be rolled into the monthly payments.

Read the fine print carefully

In case you were wondering, there's no standardized way of advertising leases. For that reason, terms like drive-offs, down payment, down and due at signing are used interchangeably and here's the kicker - sometimes they refer to different things.


Fine print: "36-month lease with $3009 due at sign. Includes first month's payment and $0 security deposit. 10,500 miles per year. Plus, tax, title, license and doc fee. With approved credit. Offer ends 2/28/19.

This ad from a Chicagoland Ford dealer includes $3009 due at signing. However, after taxes, title, license and documents fee the actual drive-off will be much more.

Alfa Romeo ad from a dealer in California

New BMW Lease Offers

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