You misunderstood the point of this thread. I did not ask fot advice on whether to lease or buy, but to put out the monthly payment I am hoping to secure on this particular lease. After deliberating the pros and cons of leasing with family members and colleagues who have extensive knowledge about financial contracts and services, I determined that leasing is the option that best suits my needs. I realize common belief is that leases are for "idiots" or those that "waste money", but I humbly disagree with those assessments. Vehicles depreciate rapidly, and I prefer not to pay a premium (interest) to finance an asset that will never appreciate in value. Especially a vehicle whose costs to operate increase once the manufacturers warranty has expired. Instead, I see a vehicle as a luxury item with monthly expenses whether that's a lease payment, loan payment, repairs, and etc.

My goal, is to make my monthly vehicle expense as low as possible, and earn interest on the cash savings. An ideal situation would be to purchase a car in cash, anticipating annual maintenance costs and lost interest income would be less than lease or loan payments plus interest income. But any vehicle I could comfortably pay cash for at this time (without liquidating my entire house saving fund) would likely have high maintenance costs. With that option eliminated, it comes down to the decision of purchasing a new or used car with financing, or leasing a new car. Both purchase options would give me a monthly payment higher than leasing, and have additional maintenace costs after 3-4 years. Leasing is less expensive, has free maintenance (from BMW only), and fits well within my budget allowing me to tuck more cash away for my house. Also, I don't drive cars into the ground. I get bored after a few years and want a new one.