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Worst Cars to Lease (High Hidden Costs)

Worst cars to lease high hidden costs in the US—low residual, fees, and overages so you avoid bad lease deals.

AutoPremo Team
January 31, 2026
2 min read

The worst cars to lease in the U.S. often have low residual value (high depreciation), high fees, or strict mileage/wear terms—so total lease cost is high. Here's what makes a car bad to lease and how to avoid it.

TL;DR Worst to lease = low residual (high depreciation), high acquisition/disposition fees, or strict mileage/wear. Lease payment and total cost are higher. Use autopremo.com lease calculator and lease vs buy to see total cost. Use autopremo.com.

Low Residual = High Lease Cost

Low residual (car depreciates a lot) = higher "depreciation" over the lease = higher payment. Cars with weak resale often lease poorly. Use autopremo.com depreciation calculator to see which cars lose value fast. Get depreciation at autopremo.com.

High Fees and Strict Terms

High acquisition or disposition fees and strict mileage or wear-and-tear terms add to true cost. Read the lease contract and factor in all fees. Use autopremo.com lease calculator. See lease at autopremo.com.

Compare Before You Lease

Run lease vs buy with autopremo.com lease vs buy calculator. If lease total cost is high, buying may be better. Check at autopremo.com.

Bottom Line

Worst cars to lease = low residual, high fees, strict terms. Use autopremo.com lease calculator and lease vs buy to see total cost so you avoid bad lease deals.

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