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Is Your Lease Buyout Worth It? What the 2026 Data Shows About Lease Equity
Published 8/5/26
TL;DR (7-minute read): Based on 14,826 lease buyout transactions Lease End processed in 2026, 84.3% of drivers had positive lease equity, with an average equity position of $4,020. That means most people who bought out their lease paid less than their vehicle was worth on the open market. Before you return your leased vehicle, spend five minutes checking whether you're sitting on equity too.
When your lease ends, most people ask themselves one question:
"Should I keep the car or give it back?"
It's a reasonable question. But there's actually a better one.
"Is my car worth more than my buyout price?"
That single question can tell you whether buying out your lease is simply something you want to do...or whether it's also one of the smartest financial decisions available to you.
The good news? It only takes a few minutes to find out.
Even better, based on thousands of lease buyouts we've helped finance, there's a good chance you'll like the answer.
What Is Lease Equity?
Lease equity is simply the difference between what your car is worth today and what it costs to buy it.
The formula looks like this:
Current Market Value − Lease Buyout Price = Lease Equity
If the answer is positive, congratulations. You're buying a vehicle that's worth more than you're paying. If the answer is negative, you're paying more than the vehicle's current market value.
That doesn't automatically mean buying it is a bad decision. After all, you already know the vehicle's maintenance history, how it's been driven, and whether it's been reliable. That peace of mind has value.
But now you're making the decision with real numbers instead of guesswork.
Throughout this article, market value refers to the vehicle's Kelley Blue Book (KBB) Retail Value, which represents what a similar vehicle could reasonably sell for in today's market.
What Lease End's 2026 Data Says About Lease Equity
Here's the part that surprised us.
Based on 14,826 funded lease buyout transactions completed in 2026, 84.3% of customers had positive lease equity when they purchased their vehicle.
On average, those customers had $4,020 in equity.
Think about what that means. More than eight out of every ten people who bought out their lease weren't simply keeping a car they liked. They were purchasing a vehicle worth more than the price they paid for it.
That's a pretty good position to be in.
The market has changed since the unusual used-car pricing of the last few years. In 2025, positive equity was even more common, with 91.5% of Lease End customers averaging $5,606 in equity. While those numbers have come back down as the market normalized, positive equity is still the norm rather than the exception.
The takeaway?
Checking your equity is still one of the smartest things you can do before deciding what happens next.
Not sure what your buyout might cost? Automatic AI can estimate your lease buyout amount and monthly payment in just a few minutes.
Lease Buyout Equity Depends More on Your Vehicle Than You Think
One of the biggest surprises in our data wasn't that most people had positive equity. It was how dramatically the results changed depending on what they drove.
Some brands consistently produced strong equity positions. Others were much more of a coin flip. Let's start with the standouts.
The Brands With the Strongest Lease Equity
If you leased a Lexus, Toyota, or Honda, there's an excellent chance your lease buyout deserves a closer look.
According to Lease End's buyout data:
| Make | Positive Equity | Average Equity |
| Lexus | 99.1% | $11,984 |
| Toyota | 97.6% | $8,485 |
| Honda | 98.1% | $7,515 |
These aren't small sample sizes either.
Our dataset includes more than 7,100 Toyota buyouts and 8,400 Honda buyouts. Across those thousands of transactions, nearly every customer was buying a vehicle worth more than their payoff amount.
Why?
These brands tend to hold their value exceptionally well.
Residual values are set years before your lease ends. When a vehicle depreciates more slowly than expected, today's market value can end up well above that original estimate.
That's where equity comes from.
Some Brands Require a Closer Look
Not every manufacturer produced the same results.
According to Lease End's data:
| Make | Positive Equity | Average Equity |
| Jeep | 77.9% | $3,486 |
| Tesla | 79.4% | $4,104 |
| Audi | 79.0% | $4,431 |
Notice something? Jeep, Tesla, and Audi didn't necessarily produce bad outcomes. Many customers still had positive equity. But compared to Toyota, Lexus, or Honda, there was much more variation.
That means one thing:
If you're approaching the end of one of these leases, it's especially important to run the numbers before assuming buying it out is the right financial move.
Caveat: Why Lease Equity Isn't the Whole Story
Here's where people sometimes oversimplify the decision.
Positive equity is a strong reason to buy out your lease. It isn't the only reason.
Imagine two identical vehicles. One belongs to you. The other is sitting on a dealership lot. Even if they have the same market value, yours comes with something the other never will.
You already know everything about it. You know whether maintenance was done on time. You know whether it was smoked in. You know every strange rattle, every road trip, every winter storm, and every grocery run.
Buying your own leased vehicle removes a lot of uncertainty that normally comes with purchasing a used car. Sometimes that's worth just as much as the numbers themselves.
How to Check Your Lease Equity in About Five Minutes
By now, you're probably wondering:
"Okay...so how do I know if my lease has equity?"
The good news is you don't need to be a finance expert. You just need two numbers.
Step 1: Find Your Lease Buyout Price
Your lease buyout price, sometimes called your payoff amount, is the amount required to purchase your leased vehicle.
Depending on your leasing company, you can usually find it by:
- Logging into your leasing account
- Calling your leasing company
- Reviewing your lease documents
Keep in mind that your payoff amount may include taxes, fees, or daily interest depending on when you request it, so always verify the final number before making a decision.
Step 2: Estimate Your Vehicle's Market Value
Next, estimate what your vehicle is worth today.
Many drivers use Kelley Blue Book (KBB), Edmunds, or another trusted valuation source to get a retail market estimate.
You'll want to enter:
- Year
- Make
- Model
- Trim
- Mileage
- Vehicle condition
The more accurate your information, the more useful the estimate will be.
Step 3: Compare the Two Numbers
Once you have both values, the math is simple.
If your vehicle is worth $32,000 and your buyout price is $27,500, you have approximately $4,500 in positive lease equity.
If the numbers are reversed, you have negative equity. Either way, you've replaced guesswork with real information.
What Should You Do If You Have Positive Lease Equity?
If you discover you have positive equity, don't feel like you have to rush into buying out your lease. Instead, recognize that you have options.
Many drivers choose to buy out their lease because they're purchasing a vehicle worth more than the amount they're paying. Others simply want to keep a car they already know and trust.
Some drivers may even decide to trade or sell that vehicle after purchasing it.
The important part is that positive equity gives you flexibility. You're making a decision from a position of value instead of obligation. That's a much better place to be than simply handing the keys back without ever checking what they're worth.
What If You Don't Have Positive Equity?
Negative equity doesn't automatically mean buying out your lease is the wrong decision. Numbers matter. So does everything else.
Maybe you've maintained the vehicle perfectly. Maybe you know it's been reliable. Maybe replacing it would cost more than keeping it. Maybe you'd rather continue driving the car you know than gamble on a different used vehicle with an unknown history.
Lease equity is one important part of the decision. It isn't the only part. Think of it as another tool that helps you make a smarter choice.
One Mistake We See Drivers Make All the Time
The biggest mistake isn't buying out a lease with negative equity. It isn't returning a lease with positive equity. The biggest mistake is never checking.
We've talked to countless drivers who assumed returning their lease was simply what you do at the end of the contract; only later did they realize they had thousands of dollars in equity they never knew existed.
The opposite happens too. Some drivers assume buying out their lease is automatically a great deal without ever comparing the buyout price to today's market value.
In both cases, the mistake isn't choosing one option over another. The mistake is making the decision without the information. Fortunately, finding that information only takes a few minutes.
The Bottom Line
Lease equity isn't a loophole. It isn't a trick. It's simply the difference between what your leased vehicle is worth today and what it costs to buy it.
Based on 14,826 lease buyouts completed through Lease End in 2026, more than 84% of customers had positive equity, averaging $4,020. That's a strong reminder that checking your equity before returning your lease isn't just worthwhile. It's one of the smartest financial steps you can take.
Whether you ultimately decide to buy out your lease, return it, or move into something new, your decision should be based on real numbers rather than assumptions.
If you're wondering where your own lease stands, use Automatic AI to estimate your lease buyout amount and monthly payment. In just a few minutes, you can compare your buyout against today's market value and see whether buying out your lease makes financial sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have equity in my leased car?
Compare your vehicle's current market value with your lease buyout price. If your vehicle is worth more than it costs to purchase, you have positive lease equity.
Is positive lease equity common?
Based on 14,826 Lease End lease buyouts completed in 2026, 84.3% of customers had positive equity at the time they purchased their vehicle. The average positive equity position was $4,020.
Can I buy out my lease if I have negative equity?
Yes. Positive equity isn't required to buy out your lease. Many drivers still choose to purchase their vehicle because they know its maintenance history, trust its reliability, or prefer keeping a vehicle they're already familiar with.
Which vehicles tend to have the most lease equity?
According to Lease End's 2026 transaction data, Lexus, Toyota, and Honda had some of the strongest positive equity rates among lease buyout customers. However, every vehicle is different, so it's always worth checking your own numbers before making a decision.
What's the fastest way to estimate my lease equity?
Start by finding your lease buyout amount, then compare it to your vehicle's estimated market value. Our lease buyout calculator can help you estimate your buyout amount and monthly payment, making it easier to understand where your lease stands before deciding what to do next.
Teresa
June 24, 2026
The representative Nick was extremely…
The representative Nick was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He made the entire process seamless. My only issue was on me, not him. I rushed through the signing process with Nick when typically I would have taken this slower and completely read everything on my own time. If I had taken my time I would not have taken the service warranty/contract. I do not plan on keeping the car more than a year or so tops. Rolling that service into the length of the loan put me at a place where my value for the car is a bit upside down. So for anyone reading, take your time and look at what you really plan on doing with the car. If you plan on keeping it then the extra warranty may be perfect for service repair coverage. If you have any doubts in keeping your car then make sure your loan does not cost more than the car is worth when adding service. To be clear this was not Nick or anyone at the companies fault it was my own. Everything about how this was handled from the start of the call right to the end was fast, friendly and professional. I would recommend them for sure.