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Kids are expensive. In fact, studies show that raising a child costs more than $230,000. But money takes a backseat to safety when it comes to protecting your child. Parents often make sacrifices with convenience or a small margin of safety in mind rather than pure dollars and cents.
Leasing a car gives you more flexibility when it comes to choosing makes and models. With a shorter commitment than a purchase, leases allow you to upgrade just when you need it without binding you to the decision for a long period of time. Leasing a car when you have a child allows you to put their safety first without draining your bank account.
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Get the Latest Safety Features
Make sure every drive is a safe one after you bring home your bundle of joy. Car leasing allows you to have a higher end model with a lower monthly payment. With a lower monthly commitment, you can choose to drive a car with the latest safety features without sacrificing another piece of your budget.
Health and safety experts recommend that infants and small toddlers in car safety seats should sit in the middle of the back. Many small sedans can’t accommodate a child car seat in the middle. Give your children the safest possible ride by driving a car that meets the highest safety standards with space to latch seats safely in the middle.
Lower Monthly Payment
Leasing payments carry lower monthly payments than purchasing a car with a month-to-month loan. But that’s not the only savings you’ll reap. The down payment is typically low or non-existent, and you can be exempt from or pay less sales tax in many locations.
It’s less expensive to lease a new car than you might think. While a car you’ve owned for years might struggle with low gas mileage, new cars today are more efficient than ever. Carmakers are under a 2025 deadline to raise the average fuel efficiency of new cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon, so a newer model car will cost you less in gas.
No Maintenance or Repairs
Many car dealerships will offer free maintenance during the lease to encourage compliance with maintenance standards. Since the vehicle’s factory warranty covers the entirety of your lease, you won’t be responsible for any repair costs if the car were to malfunction. Most new cars are exempt from inspection fees for operating standards like emissions, safety features, or lights for the first two years of ownership, so you’ll save yourself the hassle and cost of a state inspection.
Bigger for Just the Years You Need It
Young children require a lot of equipment. There’s a reason that parents tend to gravitate to bigger cars and minivans. You’ll need enough space to haul playpens, strollers, swings, bouncy seats, and still have room to change a diaper.
Leasing is flexible and allows you to downsize without dealing with trade-in hassles or figuring out how to sell the car. Keep your carbon footprint small by only driving the bigger car during the years when you need the extra space, then downsizing to a more fuel-efficient model when it is practical.
Conclusion
When you have a new child, you invest in all kinds of equipment designed to keep them content and safe. You’ll find yourself perusing the safety records of swings, playpens, strollers, and cribs, so it only makes sense to choose a car with the best safety record.
Leasing a car allows you more flexibility to choose a make and model with the highest available safety features without a high monthly payment. Keep your child as safe as you can during the years it matters most.