From our own archived monthly program snapshots. 45 brand-months, trims matched per consecutive month-pair, 36 months / 12,000 miles / Northeast. Panel recomputed Aug 19, 2026.

The federal funds target has not changed in five straight meetings. Lease payments moved anyway, at almost every brand. So we split every month-over-month payment change into the three levers a manufacturer's own lender can pull, and looked at which one did the work.

The three levers

Lever	What it does	Can you see it?
Money factor	Rent on the money. Touches the rent charge only.	Only if you ask. Dealers can mark it up.
Residual	Sets how much value the car loses on your watch.	Almost never volunteered.
Lease cash	Comes off the cap cost, so it cuts depreciation and rent charge together.	Advertised publicly, changes monthly.

Monthly = (Cap - Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF
Cap = MSRP - lease cash

They are not equally negotiable. A cash cut is the factory taking a discount back and arguing will not restore it. A rate increase can usually be argued down to the published buy rate. A residual you cannot touch, but you can shop a different term around it.

Every dollar figure below is an average change per matched trim, not a payment. One trim can move hard against its brand's average, and your quote adds tax, fees, and whatever the dealer does to the rate.

Finding #1: The rate is the number everyone blames and it moved least

Brand	Mar to Apr	Apr to May	May to Jun	Jun to Jul	Jul to Aug
Acura	Quiet $0	Rate -$6	Residual +$3	Quiet $0	Quiet $0
BMW	Rate -$1	Rate +$14	Rate +$11	Rate -$2	Quiet +$2
Ford	Rate -$21	Rate +$5	Rate +$1	Rate -$30	Rate -$24
Genesis	Rate -$4	Rate +$2	Quiet +$1	Residual -$6	Rate -$1
Honda	Rate -$43	Rate +$5	Rate -$11	Cash -$1	Cash +$7
Hyundai	Residual +$8	Cash -$8	Cash +$3	Cash -$2	Cash -$9
Kia	Cash -$5	Residual -$2	Quiet $0	Cash -$1	Cash +$12
Porsche	Rate -$182	Rate -$6	Quiet -$2	Residual +$39	Rate +$153
Subaru	Rate -$15	Residual +$4	Rate -$3	Rate -$10	Residual +$6

Each cell names the lever with the largest share of that month's movement, then the average payment change per matched trim. Quiet means under $2/month of total movement.

In 30 of the 45 brand-months the median money factor moved exactly zero. Of the 2,932 comparisons, 49% did not change at all, 27% got cheaper, 24% got more expensive.

In six months, exactly two brands handed shoppers a visibly higher payment through the rate: BMW in mid-spring, about $25/month over two steps, and Porsche in August. Every other move cut the payment, held it, or gave the money back through another lever.

Finding #2: Mass market pulls cash. Luxury pulls the rate.

Segment	Rate	Residual	Cash
Mass market (1,901 comparisons)	34%	28%	38%
Luxury (1,031 comparisons)	72%	14%	13%

Share of all payment movement attributable to each lever. Mass market: Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Acura. Luxury: BMW, Genesis, Porsche.

Hyundai was cash-led in four of its five months, Kia in three of its four active ones. Kia's August is the cleanest cash month on the board: 94% of the movement was cash, an average of $392 pulled per trim, with the rate contributing 2%.

Honda is the counterexample. Its biggest move of the window was a spring rate cut, 74 basis points off the median trim in April, after which its summer ran entirely through cash. Ford refuses the pattern outright, rate-led in all five months and mostly downward. It prices like a luxury brand wearing a work shirt.

Finding #3: Both of August's big rate increases were something other than a price increase

Porsche looks like the real thing: 216 basis points onto the rate, no cash behind it, 86% of its trims more expensive. But Porsche had cut exactly 216 basis points in April. Its two outliers in the table above are one promotion opening and closing, and for the median Porsche trim, August's money factor is exactly March's.

Genesis raised the money factor by an average of 218 basis points and added an average of $3,040 in lease cash in the same month. Net change to the payment: under a dollar. Its cheapest sedan went from a near-zero promotional rate to an ordinary one while the cash behind it roughly quadrupled. Same deal, restructured.

Compare only two months and you would have called both of these a price hike.

Finding #4: Nothing in the macro data raised your payment

The federal funds target has sat at 3.50% to 3.75% since the cut of December 10, 2025, through five straight holds, with the effective rate at 3.63% in mid-August. Against a benchmark that did nothing, brand medians spread over 430 basis points. A manufacturer's money factor is a marketing budget, not a cost-of-funds pass-through.

The incentive budget does line up. Industry spending held near 7% of average transaction price all spring: 7.2% in March, 6.9% in April, 7.1% in May, 7.0% in June. July dropped to 6.4%, against 7.3% a year earlier, with the average new vehicle at $49,855. That drop is the same event our panel reads as a cash cut.

Used values were up 1.3% year over year in July and down 1.4% for the month. Soft, not falling. Residual led in only 7 of 45 brand-months.

Finding #5: What to do with this at the dealership

Get three numbers in writing before you negotiate anything: money factor, residual, lease cash. Ask what each was last month. The one that changed decides your move.

If this moved	Do this
Cash went down	Negotiate the selling price instead. The factory discount is gone and arguing will not bring it back, but roughly $1,000 off the price is about $30/month at 36 months.
Rate went up	Ask for the published buy rate, then check whether cash went up too. If it did, the deal was restructured, not raised.
Residual dropped	You cannot negotiate this one. Price a different term side by side, and check the lower mileage tiers, which carry higher residuals.
Nothing moved	Your quote should match last month's. If it does not, the difference is the dealer, not the program.

A monthly payment on its own is not enough information. Three levers produce the same number and only one of them is negotiable.

Assumptions

Matched pairs, not lineup averages. For each consecutive month pair we kept only the trims present in both. Otherwise a brand that adds one cheap trim looks like it cut prices.

One lever at a time, shares on absolute effects. Each trim's payment recomputed three times, moving one lever and holding the other two at last month's value. A rate rise and a cash rise that cancel still read as active, which is the Genesis case.

Quiet is a real category. Seven brand-months barely moved at all. Calling a leading lever there would invent a story.

Aggregates only. Pre-tax, 36 months, 12,000 miles, Northeast, MSRP cap. No per-trim rate or residual figures here.

Snapshots for Acura, BMW, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Porsche and Subaru. Macro figures from the Federal Reserve H.15 release and FOMC statements, the Cox Automotive Kelley Blue Book transaction price reports for March through July 2026, and the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index for July 2026.

TL;DR

• The median money factor moved exactly zero in 30 of 45 brand-months.
• Half of the 2,932 trim payments did not change at all, and more went down than up.
• Mass-market brands move lease cash, 38% of their payment movement. Luxury brands move the rate, 72% of theirs.
• Ford is the exception and prices like a luxury brand.
• Porsche's 216 basis point August increase is its own April promotion ending.
• Genesis raised its rate 218 basis points and the payment did not move, because the cash moved with it.
• Incentive spending fell to 6.4% of transaction price in July after four months near 7%. That is the cash cut.
• Ask which of the three numbers changed before you accept that the deal got worse.
• quotedefender.com scores your dealer quote and totals what you can negotiate back.

Programs change monthly and by region, so treat this as the shape of the market, not a quote.

Kia Finance America, Northeast, August 2026. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, cap = MSRP minus the cash shown, nothing down. Conditional programs excluded. 108 carryover trims priced.

Kia cut lease cash in August. 42 of 108 trims lost it, two gained. Rates and residuals barely moved, so the cut lands straight on the payment.

Lease cash is Kia's money against the price of the car. Not a deposit, not money you pay. When it shrinks, your payment grows.

These are sticker payments, not targets

Full MSRP, nothing down, pre-tax. A ceiling to measure your own deal against.

Off the sticker	Payment drops
$500	about $15/mo
$1,000	about $30/mo
$2,000	about $60/mo
$3,000	about $90/mo

A $300/mo Sportage does not contradict the ~$348/mo below. It is about $1,600 off sticker, or money down, or loyalty cash on top.

Finding #1: Where the money went

Family	Cash cut	Payment
EV6	$1,600 to $1,700	Up $48 to $51
Sorento (gas)	$1,280 to $1,320	Up $38 to $40
Sportage, Sportage Hybrid	$950 to $990	Up $29 to $30
K4 upper trims	$970 to $990	Up $29 to $30
Niro Hybrid, Niro EV	$950 to $970	Up $29
Seltos	$660	Up $20
Carnival, Carnival Hybrid	$650 to $660	Up $20
K5	Two gained, three lost	Two down, three up
EV9	None	Flat except one trim
Telluride	$0 all year	Four trims down $8 to $14
Sportage PHEV, Sorento PHEV	None	Flat

Your markup test: 63 of the 78 trims here sit at a money factor of 0.00228 to 0.0023, or 5.47% to 5.52% APR. Meaningfully above that with good credit means the dealer added it, not Kia.

Rate is not the whole story. The Niro EV Wind has Kia's lowest money factor at 0.00225, or 5.40% APR, and its lowest residual at 48%. It still needs $11,050 of lease cash to reach ~$374/mo.

Finding #2: The EV6 paid for the month

EV6 Trim	MSRP	Cash Jul to Aug	~Monthly	vs July
Light LR RWD	$41,200	$7,150 held	~$445	Unchanged
Light RWD	$37,900	$7,800 to $6,100	~$474	+$51
Light LR AWD	$45,200	$7,700 to $6,100	~$542	+$48
Wind RWD	$44,800	$7,500 to $5,900	~$552	+$48
Wind AWD	$48,800	$7,600 to $6,000	~$601	+$48
GT-Line RWD	$48,700	$7,400 to $5,700	~$623	+$51
GT-Line AWD	$53,000	$7,700 to $6,100	~$680	+$48

The Light Long Range RWD is the only one that kept its cash. It now leases $29/mo under the short-range car on a $3,300 higher sticker. Buy the bigger battery.

Finding #3: Five broken trim ladders

Kia cut the car on the left and left the one on the right alone. The right-hand cars sticker $1,000 to $1,800 higher and cost less per month.

Kia cut this	Cash	~Monthly	Take this instead	Cash	~Monthly
Sportage LX FWD	$2,100	~$348	Sportage LX AWD	$3,270	~$339
Sportage EX FWD	$1,450	~$378	Sportage EX AWD	$2,590	~$368
K5 GT-Line FWD	$950	~$385	K5 GT-Line AWD	$2,370	~$366
K4 EX	$550	~$326	K4 GT-Line	$1,340	~$311
Seltos S FWD	$1,650	~$340	Seltos EX FWD	$1,660	~$335

The Niro Hybrid nearly joined them. The LX lost $970, the EX kept all $3,420, and one dollar a month now separates them on a $2,800 sticker gap.

September re-cuts the cash and these flip back. August only.

Finding #4: Three families froze

Trim	MSRP	Cash	~Monthly
Sportage PHEV X-Line	$40,490	$4,510	~$392
Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige	$47,190	$4,800	~$494
Sorento PHEV EX	$48,290	$6,440	~$508
Sorento PHEV X-Line SX Prestige	$53,490	$6,020	~$583
EV9 Light RWD	$54,900	$14,700	~$494
EV9 Light LR RWD	$57,900	$14,780	~$514
EV9 Wind AWD	$63,900	$15,280	~$565
EV9 Land AWD	$68,900	$15,280	~$645
EV9 GT-Line AWD	$71,900	$15,000	~$685 (+$12)

The Sportage PHEV X-Line pairs that $4,510 with a 67% residual, the highest of any 2026 Kia. That is how a $40,490 plug-in beats a mid-trim gas Sportage.

The EV9 held over $15,000 against the cap in a month when everything else got trimmed. Only the GT-Line AWD moved: 0.00217 to 0.00229, or 5.21% to 5.50% APR, worth $12/mo. It had the lineup's lowest rate in July.

Finding #5: The K5 is the only winner

Two K5 trims picked up lease cash, the only improvements in the entire lineup. The LXS FWD gained $630 and now leases at ~$325/mo. The GT-Line AWD gained $680 and lands at ~$366/mo, which is $19 under its own front-drive twin.

Finding #6: Never lease the base K4

The K4 LXS leases at ~$277/mo. The LX below it stickers $1,100 less and costs $110/mo more.

Three numbers, none of them on the window sticker: $0 cash, a 0.00282 money factor (6.77% APR), and a 53% residual, the weakest in the family. Worst of all three, on the cheapest car on the lot.

Finding #7: Only 36 months is funded

Term	~Monthly, Telluride LX FWD
24 months	~$521
36 months	~$491
39 months	~$534
48 months	~$524

At 39 months every trim resets to that same 6.77%, the residual drops, and the cash does not follow you there. 48 lands within a few dollars of 36 and adds a year of payments. 24 costs more per month.

The Telluride shows it cleanly because it carries no cash at any term.

What Kia is not supporting

Telluride. $0 cash on all 18 trims, all year. The LX FWD at ~$491/mo costs more to lease than a Carnival LX at ~$474 with $2,950 of cash behind it. Best residuals in the lineup at 69%, and it still is not enough. Buy it or finance it.

2027 launches. Carnival, Sportage Hybrid, and Sportage Plug-In arrived on $630 to $1,260 a trim, against $1,200 to $4,800 on the 2026 versions. Held out of the table below. On the Carnival and the Plug-In the older car is cheaper today.

Full lineup, key trims by model

Model	Trim	MSRP	Cash	~Monthly	vs July
K4	LXS	$23,390	$2,110	~$277	Unchanged
K4	GT-Line	$25,490	$1,340	~$311	Unchanged
K4	EX	$24,490	$550	~$326	+$29
K4	GT-Line Turbo	$28,390	$150	~$381	+$30
K4	LX	$22,290	$0	~$387	Unchanged
K5	LXS FWD	$27,490	$3,150	~$325	-$19
K5	GT-Line AWD	$30,090	$2,370	~$366	-$20
K5	GT-Line FWD	$28,490	$950	~$385	+$20
K5	GT FWD	$33,590	$1,350	~$456	+$22
K5	EX FWD	$34,990	$1,950	~$467	+$14
Seltos	LX FWD	$23,790	$3,240	~$290	Unchanged
Seltos	LX AWD	$24,990	$2,600	~$311	Unchanged
Seltos	EX FWD	$26,490	$1,660	~$335	Unchanged
Seltos	S FWD	$25,490	$1,650	~$340	+$20
Seltos	SX AWD	$31,490	$1,460	~$397	Unchanged
Sportage	LX AWD	$30,590	$3,270	~$339	Unchanged
Sportage	LX FWD	$28,790	$2,100	~$348	+$29
Sportage	EX AWD	$32,390	$2,590	~$368	Unchanged
Sportage	EX FWD	$30,590	$1,450	~$378	+$30
Sportage	X-Line AWD	$33,090	$2,050	~$411	+$30
Sportage	SX Prestige AWD	$38,190	$1,750	~$483	+$30
Sportage	X-Pro Prestige AWD	$39,690	$2,350	~$506	+$30
Sportage Hybrid	LX FWD	$30,490	$2,250	~$367	+$29
Sportage Hybrid	EX AWD	$33,790	$2,690	~$384	Unchanged
Sportage Hybrid	S AWD	$32,790	$1,200	~$399	+$29
Sportage Hybrid	X-Line AWD	$35,690	$2,440	~$409	Unchanged
Sportage Hybrid	SX Prestige AWD	$40,590	$1,650	~$509	+$30
Sportage PHEV	X-Line	$40,490	$4,510	~$392	Unchanged
Sportage PHEV	X-Line Prestige	$47,190	$4,800	~$494	Unchanged
Niro Hybrid	LX	$27,390	$2,750	~$350	+$29
Niro Hybrid	EX	$30,190	$3,420	~$351	Unchanged
Niro Hybrid	SX	$33,390	$2,050	~$431	+$29
Niro EV	Wind	$39,700	$11,050	~$374	+$29
Niro EV	Wave	$44,700	$12,300	~$427	Unchanged
Sorento	LX FWD	$32,390	$2,650	~$415	+$38
Sorento	S FWD	$35,290	$3,150	~$454	+$39
Sorento	EX FWD	$38,490	$3,770	~$465	Unchanged
Sorento	S AWD	$37,290	$2,850	~$475	+$38
Sorento	SX FWD	$42,290	$3,620	~$516	Unchanged
Sorento	EX AWD	$39,990	$2,100	~$518	+$40
Sorento Hybrid	EX FWD	$38,890	$4,290	~$456	Unchanged
Sorento Hybrid	EX AWD	$40,690	$4,180	~$476	Unchanged
Sorento Hybrid	X-Line SX Prestige AWD	$47,190	$1,250	~$624	+$40
Sorento PHEV	EX	$48,290	$6,440	~$508	Unchanged
Sorento PHEV	X-Line SX Prestige	$53,490	$6,020	~$583	Unchanged
EV6	Light LR RWD	$41,200	$7,150	~$445	Unchanged
EV6	Light RWD	$37,900	$6,100	~$474	+$51
EV6	Wind RWD	$44,800	$5,900	~$552	+$48
EV6	Wind AWD	$48,800	$6,000	~$601	+$48
EV6	GT-Line RWD	$48,700	$5,700	~$623	+$51
EV6	GT-Line AWD	$53,000	$6,100	~$680	+$48
EV9	Light RWD	$54,900	$14,700	~$494	Unchanged
EV9	Light LR RWD	$57,900	$14,780	~$514	Unchanged
EV9	Wind AWD	$63,900	$15,280	~$565	Unchanged
EV9	Land AWD	$68,900	$15,280	~$645	Unchanged
EV9	GT-Line AWD	$71,900	$15,000	~$685	+$12
Carnival	LX	$37,390	$2,950	~$474	+$20
Carnival	EX	$41,590	$2,800	~$542	+$20
Carnival	SX	$46,490	$3,710	~$587	Unchanged
Carnival Hybrid	LXS	$41,390	$3,350	~$533	+$20
Carnival Hybrid	SX	$48,490	$3,710	~$618	Unchanged
2027 Telluride	LX FWD	$39,190	$0	~$491	Unchanged
2027 Telluride	S FWD	$42,090	$0	~$527	Unchanged
2027 Telluride	EX AWD	$45,790	$0	~$577	Unchanged
2027 Telluride	X-Line SX AWD	$51,790	$0	~$669	-$11
2027 Telluride	X-Pro SX Prestige AWD	$56,790	$0	~$749	-$14
2027 Telluride Hybrid	EX FWD	$46,490	$0	~$578	Unchanged
2027 Telluride Hybrid	SX Prestige AWD	$56,590	$0	~$747	+$6

Key trims per model. Telluride is 2027 only, everything else 2026. The 2027 Carnival, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-In, Seltos, and Carnival Hybrid are excluded as unsettled launch programs.

Assumptions

Cap = MSRP minus the cash shown. No discount, no money down. Loyalty and military stack on top and are not included.

36 months, 12,000 miles, Northeast. Cash and residuals differ by region and by mileage tier.

Pre-tax, pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the $650 KFA acquisition fee (about $19 to $20/mo capitalized), the doc fee, and first payment.

MSRP excludes destination, roughly $1,245 to $1,645 depending on model, and the dealer adds it to the cap.

These are buy rates. A dealer can mark the money factor up and it hides inside the payment. Get the money factor, the residual, and the cash in writing as three separate numbers.

Source: Kia Finance America published August programs, Northeast, with MSRPs from Kia's official pricing sheets. Programs change monthly and by region.

TL;DR

• Cash cut, not a rate change. 42 of 108 trims lost lease cash, two gained.
• The EV6 paid for it, down $1,700 a trim. The Light Long Range RWD kept its cash and is now the cheapest EV6 to lease.
• Five ladders inverted. Two Sportage front-drive trims and the K5 GT-Line FWD cost more than their AWD versions.
• Best lease Kia sells: Sportage PHEV X-Line, ~$392, untouched.
• Cheapest way in: K4 LXS, ~$277.
• Only improvement: K5 LXS FWD, ~$325, down $19.
• Skip the base K4 LX. $0 cash and 6.77% make it $110/mo more than the LXS above it.
• Take 36 months. 39, 48, and 24 all cost more per month.
• Telluride has no lease cash at all, on any of its 18 trims.
• Your markup test: most trims run 0.00228 to 0.0023. Higher with good credit means the dealer added it.

quotedefender.com scores your dealer quote and totals what you can negotiate back.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. Every payment is a computed estimate from Kia's published August programs. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Rates from Hyundai Motor Finance (HMF), Northeast region, verified against the August 14, 2026 program pull. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP minus all non-conditional cash. Conditional programs (military, college grad, first responder) not included.

August was a cash month at Hyundai, not a rate month. Most of the lineup is still on a 0.0024 money factor and the rate changes that did happen are worth a dollar or two. What moved was the incentive budget: into the Santa Fe and the Palisade, out of the IONIQ 5, and almost all of what it added is dated August 31 rather than the September 8 the rest of the sheet carries.

The other thing worth knowing is that Hyundai's 24, 36, 39, and 48 month programs are not built the same way. Six families have no subsidized 24-month rate at all, the Palisade is cheaper at 39 months than at 36, and at 48 months the subsidy has effectively stopped existing. None of that surfaces if you walk in and ask for a 36-month payment, which is what most of us do.

Finding #1: Every August improvement is event money dated August 31, while the rest of the sheet runs to September 8

Every Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid trim except the two SE FWDs picked up exactly $1,500, and two Palisade Hybrid trims went from nothing to a real number, all of it with the money factor, residual, and sticker identical to July.

Now look at what that money is. Hyundai stacks up to three cash programs on a lease and they do not share an end date. The plain Lease Cash here runs to September 8. The Lease Event Cash and Sales Event Cash sitting on top of it stop on August 31. Every improvement below is that event layer.

The Santa Fe shows it cleanly. All eleven trims carry $1,500 of Lease Event Cash, and in July the only one that had it was the SE FWD, which is exactly why the SE FWD is the trim with nothing to show for the month.

The Palisade Limited AWD shows what happens when it goes. It picked up $1,800 of event cash on top of an unchanged $500 Lease Cash and $1,000 Sales Event Cash, which took it to $3,300 and ~$604/month, the biggest cut in the lineup. On August 14 Hyundai withdrew that $1,800 in every region, and the trim went back to $1,500 and ~$658, exactly where July left it. Twenty-nine of the thirty cells carrying event cash still have it. That one did not.

Trim	Total Cash Jul → Aug	~Payment Jul → Aug
Palisade Limited AWD	$1,500 → $3,300 → $1,500	~$658 → ~$604 → ~$658
Palisade Hybrid SEL Premium AWD	$0 → $1,800	~$666 → ~$612
Palisade Hybrid Limited FWD	$0 → $1,800	~$775 → ~$720
Santa Fe SE AWD	$1,500 → $3,000	~$491 → ~$445
Santa Fe SEL AWD	$2,750 → $4,250	~$530 → ~$485
Santa Fe Limited AWD	$3,750 → $5,250	~$629 → ~$584
Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD	$0 → $1,500	~$666 → ~$622
Santa Fe Hybrid SE AWD	$2,500 → $4,000	~$489 → ~$444
Santa Fe Hybrid SEL AWD	$1,250 → $2,750	~$528 → ~$482
Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy AWD	$1,500 → $3,000	~$742 → ~$697

It reaches well past the SUVs. A thousand dollars of the Elantra SE's cash and $750 of the Tucson SE FWD's are the same August 31 money, so the two cheapest leases Hyundai sells are also two of the most exposed to that date. Make the dealer name each cash program on the worksheet with its own expiry, rather than handing you one "rebate" total.

Finding #2: The IONIQ 5 funded it with residual, and every trim got worse

Hyundai cut the IONIQ 5 residual on all eight trims, by one to three points. Cash came down on four of them and up on two. Money factors improved on six, which sounds like it should have covered the difference and did not, because a residual cut raises the depreciation you are buying while a money factor cut only shaves the rent charge on top of it.

The rear-drive cars took the worst of it. At the bottom of the range the Standard Range now sits on the weakest residual Hyundai publishes on anything, which is a bad place to be when you are paying nearly SE RWD money to sit there.

Trim	RV Jul → Aug	~Payment Jul → Aug
SE Standard Range RWD	46% → 44%	~$411 → ~$440
SE RWD	52% → 49%	~$415 → ~$444
SE AWD	54% → 52%	~$436 → ~$455
SEL RWD	50% → 49%	~$458 → ~$486
SEL AWD	53% → 51%	~$495 → ~$515
Limited RWD	53% → 51%	~$502 → ~$530
Limited AWD	54% → 51%	~$573 → ~$592

The IONIQ 9 did not move at all and now looks like the better car to lease. It carries the biggest incentives in the lineup, and a three-row electric SUV that leases below the entire upper half of the IONIQ 5 range is the more interesting thing Hyundai is doing with EVs this month.

Finding #3: Six model families have no 24-month program at all

HMF publishes two rate programs per car: a discounted Special Lease Rate, and a flat Standard Lease Rate of 0.00282, which is 6.77% APR. Every quote is one or the other. Where the special program does not exist for a term, you are not being penalized, you are just paying the undiscounted rate, and Hyundai tends to thin the cash at that term too.

At 24 months the special program is missing entirely on the Santa Cruz, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, and Venue. Every other model keeps it.

The gap that creates is not subtle. Across the models that do run a 24-month program, shortening from 36 to 24 costs a median of $45/month, and on six trims it is actually cheaper to take the shorter lease. Across the six families that do not, the median is $333/month.

24-month term	RV	Lease Cash	~24mo Payment	vs its own 36mo
Venue SE	58%	$0	~$486	+$142
Santa Cruz SE FWD	64%	$0	~$608	+$193
Sonata Hybrid Blue	58%	$0	~$665	+$253
Tucson Hybrid SE FWD	59%	$0	~$710	+$338
Santa Fe Hybrid SE AWD	57%	$1,500	~$777	+$333
Tucson PHEV SEL	63%	$750	~$799	+$389

24-month terms. All six sit on the standard rate, so a money factor column would read 0.00282 all the way down.

The practical version: on those six, do not let anyone build you a 24-month deal. On everything else, 24 months is worth pricing out, because it lands close to 36-month money for a year less commitment.

Finding #4: Hyundai is paying for its halo trims with rate instead of cash, and rate buys you less

Four top trims carry $0 Lease Cash and a money factor far below anything else on the sheet. The Tucson PHEV Limited runs 0.00032, which is 0.77% APR. The Tucson Hybrid Night AWD is 0.00088 and the Limited AWD 0.00117. Those are real published buy rates, and they replaced the cash rather than joining it. The PHEV Limited carried $4,750 in Lease Cash in July and carries none now, for a net move of $9/month.

The same trade shows up at 24 months on the Tucson and the Santa Fe, where several trims get a rate close to zero. The Tucson XRT AWD is the cleanest example. Its 24-month money factor is 0.00002, roughly 0.05% APR, which means the bank is lending you a $36,000 car for free, and it still costs $101/month more than the same car at 36 months:

Tucson XRT AWD, $36,575 MSRP

24 months, MF 0.00002, 66% residual, $500 cash
  Adjusted cap:                             $36,075
  Residual:                                 $24,140
  Depreciation ($36,075 - $24,140) / 24:      $497/mo
  Rent charge ($36,075 + $24,140) x MF:         $1/mo
  Payment:                                   ~$499/mo

36 months, MF 0.0023, 60% residual, $4,750 cash
  Adjusted cap:                             $31,825
  Residual:                                 $21,945
  Depreciation ($31,825 - $21,945) / 36:      $274/mo
  Rent charge ($31,825 + $21,945) x MF:       $124/mo
  Payment:                                   ~$398/mo

Free money on the top block, and it still loses by a hundred dollars. Rate only ever touches the rent charge. Cash comes off the cap cost, which pulls down depreciation and rent charge together. That is why the extra $4,250 of Lease Cash at 36 months beats wiping out the money factor entirely, and why "we got you 0.77%" deserves the reply "what was the Lease Cash last month."

Finding #5: The Palisade is cheaper at 39 months than at 36 on 25 of its 28 versions

In most of the market the 39-month term is where a captive parks a worse rate and hopes you do not notice. Hyundai did the opposite on the Palisade this month. Counting drive types and seat layouts separately, the gas and hybrid trees cover 28 versions between them, and 25 of those put more cash, a better rate, or both at 39 months, so the payment falls even though you keep the car three months longer.

39-month term	MF	RV	Lease Cash	~39mo Payment	vs its own 36mo
Palisade SEL AWD	0.00232	63%	$2,000	~$548	-$11
Palisade SEL Premium FWD	0.00228	62%	$1,750	~$581	-$19
Palisade SEL Convenience AWD	0.00198	64%	$0	~$586	-$13
Palisade Limited AWD	0.00165	61%	$1,000	~$648	-$10
Palisade Hybrid SEL Premium AWD	0.0024	64%	$2,050	~$603	-$9
Palisade Hybrid Limited AWD	0.0024	64%	$250	~$751	-$44
Santa Fe Hybrid SE AWD	0.00237	57%	$5,250	~$410	-$34
Tucson PHEV SEL	0.00239	63%	$5,500	~$402	-$8

39-month terms. The bottom two sit outside the Palisade tree and are the largest 39-month wins elsewhere in the lineup.

The Santa Fe Hybrid SE AWD row is the one to act on. It is the cheapest three-row hybrid payment anywhere in this post, and it only exists at 39 months, because that is where the Lease Cash sits.

Across the whole lineup, 40 of 112 trims are cheaper at 39 months than at 36, so it is worth asking for on anything. Just make them quote the 39-month money factor separately, because it moves on its own: the Palisade Limited AWD's drops to 0.00165 at 39 while the Tucson SE FWD's climbs from 0.00229 to 0.00242.

Finding #6: Twice this month the cheaper sticker leases for more

Trim ladders do not always climb with the sticker. Two trims cost more than the better-equipped car above them, both because of cash and residual rather than anything about the cars.

The Venue SEL with the Two-Tone Roof stickers $225 below the plain SEL and leases $29/month above it, on a worse rate, a worse residual, and no cash. It is a paint package that costs a thousand dollars over the life of the lease.

The Santa Cruz XRT AWD stickers $1,995 under the Limited AWD and lands within $5/month of it, because the XRT is the only Santa Cruz trim with nothing on the hood.

What Hyundai is not supporting in August

48 months. The special program technically still exists at 48 months on nearly everything, but it has been priced up until it meets the standard rate. On 51 of the 122 Northeast configurations we priced, the 48-month special money factor is at or above 0.00282, so the standard rate is what you actually get. Only 34 of 114 trims are cheaper at 48 months than at 36, which is a remarkable thing to be able to say about spreading the same depreciation over a year longer.

Three trims with no support of any kind. Each carries $0 Lease Cash and an ordinary money factor, so unlike the Tucson halo trims there is no rate subsidy hiding behind the missing cash.

Trim	MSRP	MF	RV	~Payment
Venue SEL w/Two-Tone Roof	$24,200	0.00242	55%	~$393
Santa Cruz XRT AWD	$42,950	0.00232	60%	~$637
Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy FWD	$60,500	0.00242	62%	~$876

The Santa Cruz and the Venue as whole families. Nothing in either moved from July, and neither gets meaningful money: Santa Cruz cash tops out at $1,250 across eight trims, the Venue at $500 across three. On both, the sticker is the only lever you have left, so negotiate the price or wait for a month when Hyundai decides to help.

Full lineup, key trims by model

Model	Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	Lease Cash	~Payment
Elantra	SE	$23,870	0.00241	5.78%	59%	$3,000	~$273
Elantra	SEL Sport	$24,995	0.00239	5.74%	62%	$1,250	~$323
Elantra	N-Line	$30,645	0.00221	5.30%	66%	$0	~$402
Elantra Hybrid	Blue	$26,695	0.00258	6.19%	59%	$3,000	~$322
Elantra Hybrid	SEL Sport	$27,425	0.00236	5.66%	62%	$1,000	~$364
Elantra Hybrid	Limited	$31,045	0.00233	5.59%	64%	$250	~$422
Venue	SE	$22,150	0.00234	5.62%	56%	$250	~$344
Venue	SEL	$24,425	0.00228	5.47%	57%	$500	~$364
Venue	SEL w/Two-Tone Roof	$24,200	0.00242	5.81%	55%	$0	~$393
Kona	SE FWD	$25,500	0.00234	5.62%	56%	$3,250	~$307
Kona	SE AWD	$27,000	0.00242	5.81%	58%	$3,000	~$328
Kona	SEL Sport AWD	$28,325	0.00227	5.45%	59%	$2,500	~$350
Kona	SEL Premium FWD	$28,425	0.00237	5.69%	60%	$2,000	~$363
Kona	Limited AWD	$34,035	0.00239	5.74%	62%	$1,500	~$446
Sonata	SE FWD	$29,050	0.00238	5.71%	59%	$2,750	~$358
Sonata	SEL Sport FWD	$30,750	0.00229	5.50%	59%	$1,750	~$410
Sonata	SEL Sport AWD	$32,250	0.00256	6.14%	59%	$2,250	~$430
Sonata	N-Line FWD	$37,650	0.00239	5.74%	62%	$500	~$528
Sonata Hybrid	Blue	$30,295	0.00233	5.59%	60%	$1,250	~$412
Sonata Hybrid	SEL	$33,545	0.00238	5.71%	54%	$3,000	~$461
Sonata Hybrid	Limited	$38,250	0.00239	5.74%	59%	$1,250	~$543
Tucson	SE FWD	$31,050	0.00229	5.50%	60%	$4,750	~$316
Tucson	SE AWD	$32,550	0.00240	5.76%	60%	$4,250	~$358
Tucson	SEL AWD	$33,900	0.00237	5.69%	61%	$4,250	~$368
Tucson	XRT AWD	$36,575	0.00230	5.52%	60%	$4,750	~$398
Tucson	Limited AWD	$42,525	0.00237	5.69%	61%	$4,500	~$487
Tucson Hybrid	SE FWD	$32,900	0.00240	5.76%	59%	$4,250	~$372
Tucson Hybrid	Blue SE AWD	$34,400	0.00241	5.78%	62%	$3,500	~$392
Tucson Hybrid	SEL Convenience AWD	$36,850	0.00231	5.54%	65%	$2,250	~$431
Tucson Hybrid	Limited AWD	$44,025	0.00117	2.81%	63%	$0	~$536
Tucson Hybrid	Night AWD	$44,525	0.00088	2.11%	61%	$0	~$545
Tucson PHEV	SEL	$41,570	0.00233	5.59%	66%	$4,750	~$410
Tucson PHEV	Limited	$49,795	0.00032	0.77%	63%	$0	~$538
Santa Cruz	SE FWD	$30,995	0.00235	5.64%	61%	$1,250	~$415
Santa Cruz	SEL AWD	$35,500	0.00231	5.54%	61%	$750	~$494
Santa Cruz	XRT AWD	$42,950	0.00232	5.57%	60%	$0	~$637
Santa Cruz	Limited AWD	$44,945	0.00240	5.76%	60%	$1,000	~$642
Santa Fe	SE FWD	$36,650	0.00240	5.76%	58%	$5,000	~$416
Santa Fe	SE AWD	$38,450	0.00240	5.76%	64%	$3,000	~$445
Santa Fe	SEL AWD	$40,990	0.00240	5.76%	60%	$4,250	~$485
Santa Fe	XRT AWD	$43,640	0.00240	5.76%	60%	$4,250	~$524
Santa Fe	Limited AWD	$48,000	0.00240	5.76%	58%	$5,250	~$584
Santa Fe	Calligraphy AWD	$51,000	0.00138	3.31%	61%	$1,500	~$622
Santa Fe Hybrid	SE FWD	$36,400	0.00236	5.66%	60%	$4,000	~$421
Santa Fe Hybrid	SE AWD	$37,750	0.00240	5.76%	60%	$4,000	~$444
Santa Fe Hybrid	SEL AWD	$39,850	0.00240	5.76%	63%	$2,750	~$482
Santa Fe Hybrid	Limited AWD	$49,050	0.00239	5.74%	61%	$3,250	~$622
Santa Fe Hybrid	Calligraphy AWD	$54,500	0.00240	5.76%	62%	$3,000	~$697
Palisade	SE FWD	$41,035	0.00239	5.74%	66%	$1,000	~$520
Palisade	SEL AWD	$45,540	0.00202	4.85%	68%	$0	~$559
Palisade	XRT Pro AWD	$51,470	0.00240	5.76%	66%	$2,750	~$608
Palisade	Limited FWD	$51,370	0.00240	5.76%	63%	$3,000	~$638
Palisade	Limited AWD	$53,370	0.00240	5.76%	67%	$1,500	~$658
Palisade	Calligraphy AWD	$58,160	0.00240	5.76%	63%	$4,250	~$697
Palisade Hybrid	Blue SEL FWD	$45,760	0.00236	5.66%	66%	$750	~$589
Palisade Hybrid	SEL AWD	$47,760	0.00240	5.76%	68%	$250	~$610
Palisade Hybrid	SEL Premium AWD	$50,200	0.00230	5.52%	66%	$1,800	~$612
Palisade Hybrid	Limited FWD	$55,590	0.00240	5.76%	64%	$1,800	~$720
Palisade Hybrid	Calligraphy AWD	$62,500	0.00240	5.76%	62%	$250	~$895
IONIQ 5	SE Standard Range RWD	$38,200	0.00241	5.78%	44%	$9,500	~$440
IONIQ 5	SE RWD	$40,500	0.00234	5.62%	49%	$9,000	~$444
IONIQ 5	SE AWD	$43,000	0.00234	5.62%	52%	$9,000	~$455
IONIQ 5	SEL RWD	$43,000	0.00230	5.52%	49%	$9,000	~$486
IONIQ 5	Limited RWD	$46,950	0.00228	5.47%	51%	$9,000	~$530
IONIQ 5	Limited AWD	$52,175	0.00232	5.57%	51%	$10,000	~$592
IONIQ 9	S RWD	$60,555	0.00232	5.57%	55%	$16,250	~$486
IONIQ 9	SE AWD	$64,365	0.00238	5.71%	54%	$18,000	~$516
IONIQ 9	SEL AWD	$67,920	0.00239	5.74%	57%	$17,250	~$546
IONIQ 9	Performance Calligraphy AWD	$76,590	0.00240	5.76%	55%	$16,250	~$752

Key trims per model, all 2026 model year. Where a model splits 6, 7, and 8 seat layouts on identical rate, residual, and cash, one row covers them. MF x 2400 = approximate APR.

Assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP minus all non-conditional cash, which on many trims is a stack of Lease Cash plus one or two event programs, not a single number. No dealer discount, no down payment. Every $1,000 off the sticker takes roughly $28/month off a 36-month payment, so these are ceilings, not targets.

36 months and 12,000 miles a year unless a table says otherwise. All residuals are the Northeast 12K tier. Lower mileage carries a higher residual, higher mileage a lower one.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the HMF acquisition fee, the dealer doc fee, and the first payment at signing.

Formula: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%. Every payment here is computed that way, including the 24, 39, and 48-month numbers.

These are published buy rates. A dealer can mark the money factor up, and the markup goes straight into the rent charge where it is easy to hide. Get the buy-rate money factor, the residual, and the term in writing.

Conditional money sits on top and is not counted here. Hyundai runs military, college grad, and first responder programs across most of the lineup. Ask whether you qualify after the payment is agreed, not before.

Source: Hyundai Motor Finance rate sheets, Northeast region, August 2026. Money factors, residuals, and incentives change monthly and by region. Base Lease Cash on this sheet is dated September 8 and the event cash layered on top of it is dated August 31.

TL;DR

• Sign in August or plan to renegotiate. Every cash increase this month is Lease Event Cash dated August 31, while the base Lease Cash underneath it runs to September 8.
• August was a cash month, not a rate month. Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid picked up $1,500 on every trim but the two SE FWDs, with the money factor and residual untouched.
• The Palisade Limited AWD had the biggest cut in the lineup and lost it on August 14, when Hyundai withdrew the $1,800 of event cash and sent it back to ~$658.
• The IONIQ 5 paid for it. Residuals were cut on all eight trims and every one costs more than in July. The IONIQ 9 did not move and is the better Hyundai EV now.
• Six families have no subsidized 24-month rate: Santa Cruz, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson Hybrid, Tucson PHEV, and Venue. Shortening to 24 months on those costs a median of $333/month.
• Ask for a 39-month quote on a Palisade. Almost every version of it is cheaper at 39 months than at 36, the reverse of how captives usually price that term.
• The best number here is the Santa Fe Hybrid SE AWD at 39 months, around $410/month, and it exists only at that term, because that is where the Lease Cash sits.
• Do not pay for a headline rate. The Tucson PHEV Limited swapped every dollar of its Lease Cash for a near-zero APR and the payment moved $9/month.
• Skip 48 months. Only 34 of 114 trims cost less per month at 48 than at 36, and the rest cost more.
• Cheapest way in is still the Elantra SE at ~$273/month, with the Tucson SE FWD the cheapest SUV.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come from Hyundai Motor Finance rate sheets for the Northeast, August 2026, and the 24, 39, and 48-month payments are computed from those same sheets. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Rates from American Honda Finance (AHFC), Northeast region, August 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP minus base lease cash only. Conditional programs (military, college grad, loyalty) not included. Programs run through September 1, 2026.

Honda spent August taking things away. The HR-V lost its subvented rate outright, 0.00192 to 0.0028 (4.61% to 6.72% APR), worth $41 to $46 a month across the line. The Pilot and Passport both lost their $500 lease cash. The gas Civic Hatchback Sport lost its $500 too, and the Accord Sedan's cash got trimmed from $1,000 to $750. Twenty-five trims got worse. None got better.

Only one money factor moved all month, and it moved up. Everything else that changed was cash coming off the hood. What survived matters more: the Prologue still runs 1.78% APR with $7,250 in lease cash, the gas CR-V kept its $1,700, and the Ridgeline and Odyssey still hold the two lowest gas rates Honda has. The rest of the board is a straight carryover from July.

All payments below use MSRP as the cap, minus base lease cash only, no dealer discount, no money down. Negotiate under sticker and the payment falls dollar for dollar. And whatever you land on, sign 36 months; the back half of this post shows what the other terms cost you.

Finding #1: The HR-V lost its program, and the 2027 is now the cheaper car

The 0.0028 the 2026 HR-V carries this month is not a tuned rate. It is the same number every Honda falls to at 39 months, the standard rate. Honda did not raise the HR-V's money factor so much as delete the subvented one, and with no lease cash on the car there is nothing to soften the landing.

2026 HR-V LX 2WD at $27,950:

Residual (65% x $27,950):                     $18,168
Depreciation ($27,950 - $18,168) / 36:        $272/mo
Rent charge ($27,950 + $18,168) x 0.0028:     $129/mo
Base payment:                                 ~$401/mo

Same car in July at 0.00192: rent $89/mo, so ~$360/mo

That flips last month's advice. The redesigned 2027 kept its 0.0026 (6.24% APR) and a slightly better residual, so the newer car now undercuts the leftover on every matching trim. On the LX 2WD the gap is $35 a month in the 2027's favor. If a dealer is pushing a 2026, the discount has to close that gap before the old body style makes any sense.

2026 Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
LX 2WD	$27,950	$0	65%	0.0028	~$401
LX AWD	$29,450	$0	65%	0.0028	~$422
Sport 2WD	$29,750	$0	65%	0.0028	~$427
EX-L 2WD	$30,350	$0	64%	0.0028	~$443
Sport AWD	$31,250	$0	65%	0.0028	~$448
EX-L AWD	$31,850	$0	64%	0.0028	~$465

2027 Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
LX 2WD	$26,600	$0	66%	0.0026	~$366
LX AWD	$28,100	$0	66%	0.0026	~$387
Sport 2WD	$28,400	$0	66%	0.0026	~$391
Sport AWD	$29,900	$0	66%	0.0026	~$411
EX-L 2WD	$30,450	$0	65%	0.0026	~$427
EX-L AWD	$31,950	$0	65%	0.0026	~$448

Finding #2: Pilot and Passport, the $500 is gone on all 16 trims

Both kept their money factors, the Pilot at 0.0019 (4.56% APR) and the Passport at 0.00226 (5.42%). The cash cut is worth $15 a month on every single trim: the Pilot Sport 2WD ran ~$552 in July, the Passport RTL ~$613. Nothing else about either program moved.

The Pilot is still the better lease, almost a point of APR cheaper with the bigger residuals. Take it unless you specifically want the two-row layout, and either way, ask the dealer to give the $500 back as a cap cost discount. They know exactly how much just came off the hood.

Pilot Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
Sport 2WD	$42,395	$0	63%	0.0019	~$567
Sport AWD	$44,495	$0	63%	0.0019	~$595
EX-L 2WD	$44,695	$0	64%	0.0019	~$586
EX-L AWD	$46,795	$0	64%	0.0019	~$614
TrailSport AWD	$50,595	$0	64%	0.0019	~$664
Touring AWD	$51,295	$0	63%	0.0019	~$686
Touring-S AWD	$52,295	$0	63%	0.0019	~$699
Elite AWD	$53,695	$0	63%	0.0019	~$718
Black Edition AWD	$55,195	$0	63%	0.0019	~$738

Passport Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
RTL	$44,950	$0	63%	0.00226	~$628
RTL Towing	$45,650	$0	63%	0.00226	~$637
RTL Blackout	$46,150	$0	63%	0.00226	~$644
TrailSport	$48,650	$0	62%	0.00226	~$692
TrailSport Blackout	$49,850	$0	62%	0.00226	~$709
TrailSport Elite	$52,650	$0	61%	0.00226	~$762
TrailSport Elite Blackout	$53,850	$0	61%	0.00226	~$779

Finding #3: The cheapest Honda is now a Civic sedan

The gas Hatchback Sport lost its cash, the only Civic change of the month. It ran ~$345 in July as the cheapest way into the brand; that title now belongs to the Sedan LX. Everything else, gas and hybrid, is a straight carryover at 0.00208 (4.99% APR) with nothing on the hood.

The hybrids hold the strongest residuals among Honda's small cars, which is why the Hybrid Hatchback Sport prices only $11 over the gas hatch on $2,700 more sticker. If you are stepping up anyway, that is the step worth taking.

Civic Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
Sedan LX	$25,890	$0	64%	0.00208	~$347
Hatchback Sport	$27,895	$0	66%	0.00208	~$360
Sedan Sport	$27,890	$0	65%	0.00208	~$367
Hybrid Hatchback Sport	$30,595	$0	69%	0.00208	~$371
Hybrid Sedan Sport	$30,590	$0	68%	0.00208	~$379
Hybrid Hatchback Sport-Touring	$33,595	$0	68%	0.00208	~$416
Hybrid Sedan Sport-Touring	$33,590	$0	67%	0.00208	~$425

The Si and Type R run a different program and are covered in the no-support section.

Finding #4: Accord, a $7 trim and an untouched pile of cash

The sedan's cut is the smallest change of the month, worth $7 a month; the LX ran ~$388 in July. The real story is what did not happen: the Accord Hybrid's cash matches the gas CR-V's and Honda left it alone. Its 5.95% APR looks ugly next to the sedan's 4.90%, and it does not matter, because the cash covers it. The Hybrid Sport prices $30 a month over the Sedan SE on $4,295 more car.

Skip the Hybrid Touring. The lowest residual on any Accord and the highest sticker compound in the wrong direction.

Accord Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
Sedan LX	$29,590	$750	61%	0.00204	~$395
Sedan SE	$30,695	$750	61%	0.00204	~$411
Hybrid Sport	$34,990	$1,700	64%	0.00248	~$441
Hybrid EX-L	$36,290	$1,700	62%	0.00248	~$477
Hybrid Sport-L	$36,690	$1,700	63%	0.00248	~$474
Hybrid Touring	$40,690	$1,700	60%	0.00248	~$562

Finding #5: The CR-V is the best-protected lease on the board

Honda pulled cash off four models in August and left the CR-V alone. The gas car's 5.86% APR is the second-worst tuned rate in the lineup, and it is irrelevant, because the cash cancels it: the LX 2WD prices under every other Honda SUV except the HR-V.

The hybrid gets no cash and does not need it. It carries the strongest residual of any Honda SUV, and the FWD-to-AWD step on the Sport costs just $19 a month.

CR-V Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
LX 2WD	$32,370	$1,700	63%	0.00244	~$410
LX AWD	$33,870	$1,700	63%	0.00244	~$431
EX 2WD	$34,600	$1,700	64%	0.00244	~$433
EX AWD	$36,100	$1,700	64%	0.00244	~$454
EX-L 2WD	$36,850	$1,700	63%	0.00244	~$474
EX-L AWD	$38,350	$1,700	63%	0.00244	~$495
Hybrid Sport FWD	$35,630	$0	67%	0.00222	~$459
Hybrid Sport AWD	$37,130	$0	67%	0.00222	~$478
Hybrid Sport-L FWD	$38,725	$0	66%	0.00222	~$508
Hybrid TrailSport AWD	$40,250	$0	67%	0.00222	~$518
Hybrid Sport-L AWD	$40,225	$0	66%	0.00222	~$528
Hybrid Sport-Touring AWD	$43,700	$0	66%	0.00222	~$574

Finding #6: The Prologue is the one thing Honda left completely alone

Same rate, same cash, same residuals; every payment matches July to the dollar. At 0.00074 the money factor is close enough to free that the rent charge nearly disappears:

Prologue EX 2WD at $39,900:

Lease cash:                                   -$7,250
Adjusted cap:                                 $32,650
Residual (48% x $39,900):                     $19,152
Depreciation ($32,650 - $19,152) / 36:        $375/mo
Rent charge ($32,650 + $19,152) x 0.00074:    $38/mo
Base payment:                                 ~$413/mo

The catch has not changed either. Residuals in the mid-40s mean you are paying off more than half the car in three years, so the cash and the rate carry this deal, not the resale value. That is exactly why it only makes sense as a lease. If you have a Honda in the driveway or are coming off a competitor, ask about loyalty and conquest money; the Prologue is where Honda stacks it.

Prologue Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
EX 2WD	$39,900	$7,250	48%	0.00074	~$413
EX AWD	$42,000	$7,250	48%	0.00074	~$446
Touring 2WD	$44,200	$7,250	47%	0.00074	~$492
Touring AWD	$47,000	$7,250	47%	0.00074	~$536
Elite AWD	$50,400	$7,250	45%	0.00074	~$617

Finding #7: Odyssey and Ridgeline hold the two best gas rates

Neither moved. The Odyssey keeps 0.00164 (3.94% APR) with $750 on the hood, and the Ridgeline keeps 0.00131 (3.14% APR), the lowest rate on anything Honda sells with an engine. Cross-shop the family haulers and the van wins on paper: the Odyssey EX-L prices $31 a month under the Pilot EX-L 2WD on a $1,900 smaller sticker and a better rate.

The Ridgeline is a pure rate play. With no cash in the deal, the discount you negotiate off sticker is the entire game.

Odyssey Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
EX-L	$42,795	$750	61%	0.00164	~$555
Sport-L	$43,895	$750	61%	0.00164	~$569
Touring	$47,495	$750	59%	0.00164	~$643
Elite	$51,695	$750	58%	0.00164	~$715

Ridgeline Trim	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
Sport	$40,795	$0	61%	0.00131	~$528
RTL	$43,595	$0	61%	0.00131	~$564
TrailSport	$45,995	$0	62%	0.00131	~$583
TrailSport Plus	$47,195	$0	62%	0.00131	~$598
Black Edition	$47,395	$0	61%	0.00131	~$613
Black Edition Two-Tone	$47,895	$0	61%	0.00131	~$620

Finding #8: What 39 and 48 months actually cost

The August sheet prices 24, 36, 39, and 48 month terms. At 39 months every model resets to 0.0028 (6.72% APR), at 48 to 0.00295 (7.08%), and the residual steps down with the term. The subsidized rates live at 24 and 36 only, and the bigger the subsidy, the harder the reset hits: the Prologue gives back $96 a month if you stretch to 39.

Trim	36mo	39mo	48mo
Prologue EX 2WD	~$413	~$509	~$505
Odyssey EX-L	~$555	~$619	~$594
Ridgeline Sport	~$528	~$554	~$536
Pilot Sport 2WD	~$567	~$615	~$591
Accord Sedan LX	~$395	~$421	~$405
Accord Hybrid Sport	~$441	~$451	~$441
CR-V LX 2WD	~$410	~$421	~$411
Civic Sedan LX	~$347	~$370	~$356

39mo at 0.0028 and 48mo at 0.00295 on every model, with the term's own lower residual. Ridgeline long-term rows include its term-gated cash, next paragraph.

Honda does one strange thing here: the Ridgeline, and only the Ridgeline, gets $2,000 of lease cash gated to the 39 and 48 month terms. It is not enough.

Ridgeline Sport at $40,795, 39 months:

Lease cash (39/48mo terms only):              -$2,000
Adjusted cap:                                 $38,795
Residual (59% x $40,795):                     $24,069
Depreciation ($38,795 - $24,069) / 39:        $378/mo
Rent charge ($38,795 + $24,069) x 0.0028:     $176/mo
Base payment:                                 ~$554/mo

The $2,000 buys the payment almost back to the 36-month number and still loses by $26 a month, because the rate more than doubles underneath it. If a dealer floats a 39-month Ridgeline with cash on it, that is why.

The short end has its own trap. Most models keep their 36-month rate at 24 months, though the payment still runs higher; the Civic Sedan LX costs $68 a month more at 24 than at 36. Three cars get actively punished instead: the 2026 HR-V, the Civic Si, and the Prelude all jump to 0.0038 (9.12% APR) at 24 months, the worst rate in the pull.

Trim	24mo	36mo	48mo
HR-V LX 2WD (2026)	~$519	~$401	~$380
Civic Si	~$573	~$445	~$425
Prelude Coupe	~$780	~$602	~$571

Those three are also the only Hondas that get cheaper per month as the term stretches, because they have no subsidy to lose. It is still a bad idea: 48 months means renting at 7.08% for a year longer than anyone should hold a lease. Sign 36, on everything.

What Honda is not supporting this month

The no-program list is the performance cars. The Civic Si and the Prelude sit at the standard rate with nothing on the hood, exactly where they have been every month they have appeared on the sheet. The Civic Type R shows up in the August pull for the first time at that same standard rate; we are treating that as unconfirmed launch data, so it stays out of the rankings. And the 2026 HR-V just joined this club, covered in Finding #1.

Model	MSRP	Cash	RV	MF	~Monthly
Civic Si Manual	$32,145	$0	67%	0.0028	~$445
Prelude Coupe	$42,000	$0	65%	0.0028	~$602
Prelude 2-Tone Coupe	$42,500	$0	65%	0.0028	~$610

If you want the Si or the Prelude, buy or finance it. Leasing a standard-rate car with zero support is the worst money on this page.

Full lineup, every trim on the August sheet

Model	Trim	MF	APR	RV	Base Cash	~Payment
Prologue	EX 2WD	0.00074	1.78%	48%	$7,250	~$413
Prologue	EX AWD	0.00074	1.78%	48%	$7,250	~$446
Prologue	Touring 2WD	0.00074	1.78%	47%	$7,250	~$492
Prologue	Touring AWD	0.00074	1.78%	47%	$7,250	~$536
Prologue	Elite AWD	0.00074	1.78%	45%	$7,250	~$617
Ridgeline	Sport	0.00131	3.14%	61%	$0	~$528
Ridgeline	RTL	0.00131	3.14%	61%	$0	~$564
Ridgeline	TrailSport	0.00131	3.14%	62%	$0	~$583
Ridgeline	TrailSport Plus	0.00131	3.14%	62%	$0	~$598
Ridgeline	Black Edition	0.00131	3.14%	61%	$0	~$613
Ridgeline	Black Edition Two-Tone	0.00131	3.14%	61%	$0	~$620
Odyssey	EX-L	0.00164	3.94%	61%	$750	~$555
Odyssey	Sport-L	0.00164	3.94%	61%	$750	~$569
Odyssey	Touring	0.00164	3.94%	59%	$750	~$643
Odyssey	Elite	0.00164	3.94%	58%	$750	~$715
Pilot	Sport 2WD	0.0019	4.56%	63%	$0	~$567
Pilot	Sport AWD	0.0019	4.56%	63%	$0	~$595
Pilot	EX-L 2WD	0.0019	4.56%	64%	$0	~$586
Pilot	EX-L AWD	0.0019	4.56%	64%	$0	~$614
Pilot	TrailSport AWD	0.0019	4.56%	64%	$0	~$664
Pilot	Touring AWD	0.0019	4.56%	63%	$0	~$686
Pilot	Touring-S AWD	0.0019	4.56%	63%	$0	~$699
Pilot	Elite AWD	0.0019	4.56%	63%	$0	~$718
Pilot	Black Edition AWD	0.0019	4.56%	63%	$0	~$738
Accord Sedan	LX	0.00204	4.90%	61%	$750	~$395
Accord Sedan	SE	0.00204	4.90%	61%	$750	~$411
Civic Sedan	LX	0.00208	4.99%	64%	$0	~$347
Civic Sedan	Sport	0.00208	4.99%	65%	$0	~$367
Civic Hatchback	Sport	0.00208	4.99%	66%	$0	~$360
Civic Sedan Hybrid	Sport	0.00208	4.99%	68%	$0	~$379
Civic Sedan Hybrid	Sport-Touring	0.00208	4.99%	67%	$0	~$425
Civic Hatchback Hybrid	Sport	0.00208	4.99%	69%	$0	~$371
Civic Hatchback Hybrid	Sport-Touring	0.00208	4.99%	68%	$0	~$416
CR-V Hybrid	Sport FWD	0.00222	5.33%	67%	$0	~$459
CR-V Hybrid	Sport AWD	0.00222	5.33%	67%	$0	~$478
CR-V Hybrid	Sport-L FWD	0.00222	5.33%	66%	$0	~$508
CR-V Hybrid	Sport-L AWD	0.00222	5.33%	66%	$0	~$528
CR-V Hybrid	TrailSport AWD	0.00222	5.33%	67%	$0	~$518
CR-V Hybrid	Sport-Touring AWD	0.00222	5.33%	66%	$0	~$574
Passport	RTL	0.00226	5.42%	63%	$0	~$628
Passport	RTL Towing	0.00226	5.42%	63%	$0	~$637
Passport	RTL Blackout	0.00226	5.42%	63%	$0	~$644
Passport	TrailSport	0.00226	5.42%	62%	$0	~$692
Passport	TrailSport Blackout	0.00226	5.42%	62%	$0	~$709
Passport	TrailSport Elite	0.00226	5.42%	61%	$0	~$762
Passport	TrailSport Elite Blackout	0.00226	5.42%	61%	$0	~$779
CR-V	LX 2WD	0.00244	5.86%	63%	$1,700	~$410
CR-V	LX AWD	0.00244	5.86%	63%	$1,700	~$431
CR-V	EX 2WD	0.00244	5.86%	64%	$1,700	~$433
CR-V	EX AWD	0.00244	5.86%	64%	$1,700	~$454
CR-V	EX-L 2WD	0.00244	5.86%	63%	$1,700	~$474
CR-V	EX-L AWD	0.00244	5.86%	63%	$1,700	~$495
Accord Hybrid	Sport	0.00248	5.95%	64%	$1,700	~$441
Accord Hybrid	EX-L	0.00248	5.95%	62%	$1,700	~$477
Accord Hybrid	Sport-L	0.00248	5.95%	63%	$1,700	~$474
Accord Hybrid	Touring	0.00248	5.95%	60%	$1,700	~$562
2027 HR-V	LX 2WD	0.0026	6.24%	66%	$0	~$366
2027 HR-V	LX AWD	0.0026	6.24%	66%	$0	~$387
2027 HR-V	Sport 2WD	0.0026	6.24%	66%	$0	~$391
2027 HR-V	Sport AWD	0.0026	6.24%	66%	$0	~$411
2027 HR-V	EX-L 2WD	0.0026	6.24%	65%	$0	~$427
2027 HR-V	EX-L AWD	0.0026	6.24%	65%	$0	~$448
HR-V	LX 2WD	0.0028	6.72%	65%	$0	~$401
HR-V	LX AWD	0.0028	6.72%	65%	$0	~$422
HR-V	Sport 2WD	0.0028	6.72%	65%	$0	~$427
HR-V	EX-L 2WD	0.0028	6.72%	64%	$0	~$443
HR-V	Sport AWD	0.0028	6.72%	65%	$0	~$448
HR-V	EX-L AWD	0.0028	6.72%	64%	$0	~$465
Civic Si	Manual	0.0028	6.72%	67%	$0	~$445
Prelude	Coupe	0.0028	6.72%	65%	$0	~$602
Prelude	2-Tone Coupe	0.0028	6.72%	65%	$0	~$610

Sorted by rate, best first. All 2026 model year except the rows marked 2027. The Civic Type R is excluded as unconfirmed launch data. Every model resets to 0.0028 (6.72% APR) at 39 months and 0.00295 (7.08% APR) at 48. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, base cash applied, no acquisition fee.

Assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP minus base non-conditional lease cash. No dealer discount, no down payment. Every $1,000 you negotiate off sticker cuts roughly $30 a month.

36 months / 12,000 miles per year, Northeast region. The 10K mileage tier runs about a point of residual higher, 15K about two points lower.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the $595 AHFC acquisition fee (about $17 a month if you cap it), the dealer doc fee, and the first payment at signing.

Formula used: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%.

Published buy-rate MF. Dealers can mark the money factor up, and on this lineup one point of markup (0.00010) adds about $4 to $8 a month. Get the buy rate in writing before you sign.

Conditional cash is not in these numbers. Honda runs military and college grad programs on nearly everything, and the Prologue stacks loyalty and conquest money on top. If you qualify, it comes straight off the cap.

Source: American Honda Finance rate sheets, Northeast region, August 2026. Money factors, residuals, and lease cash change monthly and by region. Programs run through September 1, 2026.

TL;DR

• August was a takeaway month. Twenty-five trims got more expensive and none got cheaper. One money factor moved, the HR-V's, up. Everything else was cash coming off the hood.
• Skip the 2026 HR-V, take the 2027. The 2026 lost its subvented rate and now sits at Honda's standard money factor with no cash. The redesigned 2027 is cheaper on every matching trim, LX 2WD ~$366.
• Pilot and Passport lost their lease cash, $15 a month on every trim. Rates held. The Pilot is still the better lease of the two.
• The CR-V kept its $1,700. The best-protected lease on the board, and the cash cancels the ugly headline rate.
• The Prologue is untouched. Still 1.78% APR, still the most cash Honda offers, still the best lease the brand sells.
• The Odyssey EX-L at ~$555 is the family value, cheaper than the equivalent Pilot on a better rate. The Ridgeline holds the lowest gas rate with no cash behind it, so the cap cost discount is the whole deal.
• Sign 36 months. Every subsidized rate dies at 39 and 48, the Ridgeline's term-gated cash included, and the HR-V, Civic Si, and Prelude get punished at 24 too.
• The cheapest Honda is now the Civic Sedan LX at ~$347, after the hatchback lost its cash.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come straight from American Honda Finance rate sheets, Northeast region, August 2026. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Program facts from CARB's MyFirstEV FAQ and the Governor's Office release of Aug 7, 2026. Lease math computed at a money factor of 0.0023, which is 5.52% APR, 36 months unless stated. Verified Aug 10, 2026.

MyFirstEV launched this month under SB 168. It pays $3,500 on a new battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell car and $1,750 on a used one, half from the state and half matched by the automaker. The program calls these zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs, and that term shows up in every rule below. It is instant at the dealership. No application, no tax filing, no waiting.

Leases qualify. CARB says so plainly. What CARB has not published is anything about how it works on a lease: no minimum term, no requirement that the money come off the capitalized cost, nothing on co-registrants. Eligibility is documented. Mechanics are not.

That gap matters because this is a point-of-sale rebate. It lands on the same worksheet as your selling price, so the two interact. Funding is $135.5 million matched to roughly $271 million, CARB projects it covers north of 73,000 vehicles, and it is first-come first-served until the money is gone.

Finding #1: On a lease it is worth more than $3,500

Money applied against the capitalized cost is called a cap cost reduction, and it does two things. It cuts what you depreciate, and it cuts the balance you pay rent charge on. Rent charge is the lease version of interest. So the value is $3,500 plus the rent charge you never pay.

Payment effect = rebate / term + rebate x money factor

36 months at 0.0023:  3500 / 36  +  3500 x 0.0023
                    = $97.22     +  $8.05
                    = $105.27 per month

Total value         = $3,500 + ($3,500 x 0.0023 x 36)
                    = $3,790

Term	Payment effect	Total value	Rent charge avoided
24 mo	~$154/mo	$3,693	$193
36 mo	~$105/mo	$3,790	$290
48 mo	~$81/mo	$3,886	$386

The monthly effect shrinks as the term stretches and the total grows, because you avoid rent charge on the $3,500 for more months. That is not a reason to take 48 months. It is a reason to stop treating $3,500 and what it saves you as the same number.

It also gives you a test. If the rebate goes on and your quoted 36-month payment does not drop by something close to $105, it did not reach you.

Finding #2: The rebate can end up paying for a discount you already won

Nothing gets hidden here, and every line on the paperwork is correct. The number that moves is the selling price.

Say you negotiate a $48,000 EV down to $44,500. That is $3,500 of discount you earned before the rebate came up.

Applied on top of your discount
  negotiated selling price      $44,500
  MyFirstEV                     -$3,500
  adjusted cap cost             $41,000

Absorbed into the selling price
  selling price shown           $48,000
  MyFirstEV                     -$3,500
  adjusted cap cost             $44,500   <- what you already negotiated

The second version lists the rebate on its own line and is completely accurate. Your cost just never changed. The discount is what got replaced.

The fix is order of operations. Agree the selling price in writing before the rebate enters the conversation, then have the rebate applied to that agreed number. If the selling price moves the moment the rebate shows up, you know the two got offset.

Ask for the lease worksheet with these lines itemized:

Line	What it should show
Selling price	The number you negotiated, unchanged by the rebate
Gross cap cost	Selling price plus anything rolled in, acquisition fee included
Cap cost reduction	MyFirstEV $3,500 on its own line, not merged into "rebates"
Lease cash / dealer discount	Separate lines. Automaker money is not state money.
Adjusted cap cost	Gross cap cost minus every reduction above

Finding #3: The price cap is narrower than most coverage says

New vehicles cap at $50,000 MSRP. Used cap at $25,000. The used car also has to be at least two model years older than the year you buy it, and bought from a manufacturer as a certified pre-owned vehicle. CARB's wording on that: private dealerships are not eligible.

The exemption is where the reporting gets sloppy. Most write-ups say the cap is waived for California-headquartered brands. It is narrower than that. Health and Safety Code 43215 waives it only for California-headquartered, EV-only manufacturers, measured as companies whose corporate management and staff are in-state as of Jan 1, 2026. Being based in California is not enough on its own.

Maker	Status	Cap	Effect
Lucid	Newark CA, EV only	none	whole lineup
Rivian	Irvine CA, EV only	none	whole lineup
Tesla	Austin TX since 2021	$50,000	cheaper models only
Everyone else	out of state, or not EV only	$50,000	cheaper models only

The cap reads MSRP, not your negotiated price, so discounting a $52,000 car to $49,000 does not make it eligible.

Plug-in hybrids are excluded entirely because they still have a tailpipe. New cars must be model year 2026 or newer.

Finding #4: There is no income cap, and the numbers you have seen are a different program

MyFirstEV has no income test. Any California resident acquiring their first ZEV qualifies regardless of what they earn. CARB uses the price cap as the affordability mechanism instead of means testing.

If you have seen $135,000 single and $200,000 joint attached to this, those belong to the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. Different program. People are mixing the two constantly right now.

Because MyFirstEV is income-blind, it stacks in the useful direction. CARB says it can be combined with other CARB and non-CARB incentive programs, so anyone who does qualify for an income-capped program like Clean Cars 4 All can layer that on top. Check your air district before assuming $3,500 is the whole number available to you.

Finding #5: Order before your brand goes live and you forfeit it

Automakers came online in waves because each one funds its own half of the match.

Automaker	Availability
Hyundai, Lucid, Tesla	live since Aug 7
Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Rivian	August
Toyota / Lexus, Honda, Subaru	September
Mitsubishi	November
Nissan, Volvo	committed, no date announced

A vehicle ordered or purchased before its manufacturer goes live does not get the incentive retroactively. There is no backdating. On a factory order placed a few weeks early that is the whole $3,500, lost to timing.

Worth knowing where this list comes from: CARB does not publish a brand-by-brand schedule. It says only that availability varies by manufacturer and that each will post its own eligible models. The dates above are from the Governor's Office, and reporting on the later waves has not been consistent. Confirm your own brand is live before you sign, and treat an order placed on the expectation that the rebate gets added later as an order without the rebate.

Finding #6: You get it once, and the lease rules are unwritten

One incentive per person for the life of the program, and eligibility turns on never having bought or leased a ZEV before. You sign a declaration at the dealership confirming it. Sign a lease with MyFirstEV on it and it is spent. Three years later when that lease ends and you go buy an EV, there is no second one.

That does not make leasing wrong. Leasing an EV still hedges battery and resale risk, and a $50,000 cap puts you in mainstream cars where lease support is usually strongest. It does mean the decision deserves a minute of thought rather than being made at the desk.

Three things CARB has not answered. Get the answer on each in writing before you sign:

Open question	Why it matters
Minimum lease term	None published. The 30-month floor people cite is the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project's rule, not this one. Do not assume a 24-month lease qualifies.
Co-registrants and co-signers	Unclear whether a joint deal is disqualified when one registrant is a first-time ZEV buyer and the other is not.
How it must be applied	Nothing requires the $3,500 to come off the cap cost rather than being handed back as a credit at signing. Both cut your total cost. Only one cuts your monthly payment.

Assumptions

Lease math. Payment effect of a cap cost reduction is rebate divided by term, plus rebate times money factor. Run it at your own money factor, not mine. A promotional EV rate changes these numbers.

Pre-tax, pre-fees. Nothing here includes state lease tax, the lender's acquisition fee, or dealer doc fee.

The MSRP cap reads MSRP. Not your negotiated price, not the price after the rebate.

Eligibility is about the buyer, not just the car. First ZEV ever, California resident, delivered and registered in California.

Program facts from CARB's MyFirstEV FAQ and the California Governor's Office announcement of Aug 7, 2026. Rollout dates from the Governor's Office. Everything checked Aug 10, 2026.

TL;DR

• $3,500 new, $1,750 used, instant at the dealer, half state and half automaker money.
• On a 36-month lease, taken off the cap cost, it is worth about $105/mo and roughly $3,790 total.
• If your payment does not drop close to $105 when the rebate goes on, it did not reach you.
• Agree the selling price in writing before the rebate comes up, or it can end up replacing your own discount.
• $50,000 MSRP cap, waived only for California-headquartered EV-only makers, meaning Lucid and Rivian. Tesla is capped.
• No income cap. The $135k/$200k figures going around belong to a different program.
• Order before your brand goes live and you lose it. No retroactive credit.
• One per person, ever. Spend it deliberately.

Rates from BMW Financial Services Northeast, August 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP minus the base BMW FS Lease Credit. No dealer discount, no down payment, no acquisition fee. Conditional programs (loyalty, conquest, college grad, military) not included.

The only change to a consumer lease program in August is the 2027 M3, where all three trims lost residual. Every other money factor, residual and lease credit in the lineup carried over from July.

So the story this month is not the change list. I pulled all 124 trims at 24, 36, 39 and 42 months, and the money factor is the same number at every one of them. BMW does not price the term through the rate. It prices the term through the residual, and the residual swings hard enough to move a payment by a third. Two of those four terms are quietly bad and one is quietly the best deal on the sheet.

Finding #1: The money factor is identical at 24, 36, 39 and 42 months

Not close. Identical to the fifth decimal, on all 124 trims. A 330i is 0.00090 whether you sign for two years or three and a half. The entire cost of the term sits in the residual.

At 24 months you get four more points of residual than at 36, on every trim without exception. Four points does not come close to covering the depreciation you eat in twelve fewer payments, so the short term runs 28% to 35% more per month.

At 42 months the residual drops eight or nine points and the six extra payments do not cover it. On 112 of the 124 trims, 42 months costs the same or more per month than 36, and you are on the hook half a year longer.

540i xDrive, $69,050 MSRP, $1,000 Lease Credit, cap $68,050:

36 months, 57% residual ($39,359)
  Depreciation ($68,050 - $39,359) / 36:      $797/mo
  Rent charge ($68,050 + $39,359) x 0.0014:   $150/mo
  Base payment:                               ~$947/mo

42 months, 48% residual ($33,144)
  Depreciation ($68,050 - $33,144) / 42:      $831/mo
  Rent charge ($68,050 + $33,144) x 0.0014:   $142/mo
  Base payment:                               ~$973/mo

Same rate, same cap, six more payments, and it costs more every month. The nine points BMW takes out of the residual at 42 are worth more than the extra time.

Trim	RV 24 / 36 / 42	24mo	36mo	42mo
X2 xDrive28i	58 / 54 / 45%	~$980	~$759	~$763
430i Gran Coupe	57 / 53 / 44%	~$1,140	~$879	~$882
Z4 sDrive30i	57 / 53 / 44%	~$1,217	~$938	~$942
X5 xDrive40i	55 / 51 / 42%	~$1,465	~$1,117	~$1,128
M5 Sedan	60 / 56 / 47%	~$2,556	~$1,990	~$2,013

If a dealer offers to stretch it to 42 months to bring the payment down, ask what the residual does. It goes the wrong way.

Finding #2: 39 months is a separate program, and it is the cheapest term BMW sells

At 24, 36 and 42 months a trim comes back with two rate lines, a subvented special rate and a standard rate, and you get the special one. At 39 months there is only one line and it has its own name, the BMW US 39-Month Lease Rate. Its own program, its own residual table.

That table is the good news. The 39-month residual matches the 36-month residual exactly on 69 of the 72 trims that offer the term, and is one point lower on the other three. The rate is unchanged. You are amortizing identical depreciation over three more payments, which takes 4.6% to 7.2% off the payment for nothing.

Trim	36mo	39mo	Difference
228i Gran Coupe	~$567	~$528	-$39
330i	~$644	~$600	-$44
X3 30 xDrive	~$754	~$706	-$48
M340i	~$868	~$810	-$58
550e xDrive PHEV	~$1,004	~$935	-$69
X6 xDrive40i	~$1,357	~$1,275	-$82
840i Coupe	~$1,428	~$1,339	-$89
760i xDrive	~$1,732	~$1,607	-$125

The catch is availability: 72 of 124 trims have it. The 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 Series have it, and so do the X1, X3, X5, X6 and X7, though not on every model year, so check the last column of the lineup table. No electric BMW has it. No M car has it. The X2, the Z4, the XM and the Alpina XB7 do not have it. If you are shopping one of those, 36 months is your floor.

One warning specific to this term. At 39 months the sheet also carries a BMW US Limousine and Hospitality Program worth $3,500 to $13,000 depending on the model. That is a commercial fleet program, not a consumer credit, and none of the numbers above use it. If a 39-month quote comes back hundreds under this table, that is what is funding it, and you have to actually qualify.

Finding #3: The 2027 M3 lost three points of residual and the 2026 did not

All three 2027 M3 trims went from a 55% residual to 52%. The money factor did not move, the lease credit is still zero, and the sticker is identical to the 2026 car.

Trim	MSRP	2026 RV	2026 ~36mo	2027 RV	2027 ~36mo
M3 Sedan	$80,650	55%	~$1,308	52%	~$1,370
M3 Competition	$84,850	55%	~$1,376	52%	~$1,441
M3 Competition xDrive	$89,950	55%	~$1,459	52%	~$1,527

Same car, same price, same rate, roughly $60 to $70 a month apart on the residual line alone. Lease the leftover 2026 while your dealer still has one. And note the M3 has no 39-month program, so the lever from Finding #2 will not rescue you here.

Finding #4: Every 2027 line is a worse lease than its 2026 twin

The M3 is not a quirk. BMW has not moved the lease credit onto the new model year yet. Of the 41 trims in the 2027 pull, exactly three carry any credit at all, and all three are the i5.

Model	2026 rate + credit	2026 ~36mo	2027 rate + credit	2027 ~36mo
530i	3.36%, $1,000	~$846	4.32%, $0	~$915
740i	1.68%, $2,000	~$1,395	3.48%, $0	~$1,575
X7 xDrive40i	3.24%, $1,000	~$1,341	3.36%, $0	~$1,377
i5 eDrive40	1.44%, $3,750	~$869	3.84%, $3,750	~$971
i7 eDrive50	2.40%, $7,500	~$1,354	2.04%, $0	~$1,546

The i7 row is the one to internalize. BMW gave the 2027 a better rate than the 2026 and took away $7,500, and the car came out $192 a month more expensive. Rate gets the headline. Cash moves the payment.

If you want a 2027 anything other than an i5, wait for the credit to land.

Finding #5: The credit is where BMW's real money is, and it is nearly all electric

Six credit levels this month. The top two are EV only.

Credit	Where it lands
$7,500	iX, i7 (2026), XM
$3,750	i4, i5 (both model years)
$3,000	750e xDrive PHEV
$2,000	740i, 760i xDrive, 8 Series, X5
$1,000	3 Series, 5 Series (2026), X1, X3, X7 (2026)
$0	all 60 wall trims, the entire 2 Series, every 2027 line except the i5

Stack $3,750 on the lowest money factor BMW publishes and you get the i4 eDrive40, unchanged and still the best lease in the lineup.

i4 eDrive40 Gran Coupe, $59,250 MSRP, $3,750 Lease Credit, cap $55,500:

Residual (54% x $59,250):                     $31,995
Depreciation ($55,500 - $31,995) / 36:        $653/mo
Rent charge ($55,500 + $31,995) x 0.00035:    $31/mo
Base payment:                                 ~$684/mo

Thirty-one dollars a month of rent charge on a $59,250 car. That is what 0.00035 buys, and it is why the i4 undercuts gas cars that sticker $10,000 less. It also means there is almost nothing there to mark up, so an inflated money factor on an i4 deal sheet is obvious at a glance.

The $7,500 tier is the other one worth knowing. It is what pulls an iX xDrive45 down next to much cheaper gas SUVs, and it is the only reason the i7 and XM are worth a look. Those cars all sit on a 52% residual, which is mediocre for the price, so the cash is doing every bit of the work.

What BMW is not supporting this month

Sixty of the 124 trims sit at money factor 0.00240, 5.76% APR, with zero lease credit. That is still the special rate and not BMW's standard lease rate, which is 0.00287 (6.89% APR) on every trim in the pull. So the wall is a real program. It is just the thinnest one BMW runs, and it has not moved since July.

• Every M car except the XM: M2 and M2 CS, M3, M4, M5 and M5 Touring, X5 M, X6 M
• The entire 4 Series, both model years, every body style
• The 2 Series Coupes: 230i and M240i
• X2, X6, Z4, and the Alpina XB7

Membership is decided by body style, not by engineering. A 330i and a 430i Gran Coupe are the same car underneath. One gets 2.16% and $1,000, the other gets 5.76% and nothing plus three fewer points of residual, and the gap is $235 a month. Same story one size up: an X5 xDrive40i and an X6 xDrive40i share a platform and a 51% residual, and the X6 costs $240 a month more for a sloped roof.

The X2 is the sharpest version of it. It stickers $6,600 below an X3 30 xDrive and still costs $5 a month more, purely because the X3 has a program behind it and the X2 does not. If you want a small BMW SAV, buy the bigger one.

Conditional programs do stack on wall cars, so check whether loyalty, conquest, college grad or military applies to you. Beyond that, on a car with no rate support and no credit, the selling price is the only lever you have.

Full lineup, key trims by model

Model	Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	Credit	36mo	39mo
2 Series	228i Gran Coupe (2026)	$41,350	0.00095	2.28%	56%	$0	~$567	~$528
2 Series	230i Coupe (2026)	$43,550	0.00240	5.76%	54%	$0	~$717	~$675
2 Series	M240i Coupe (2026)	$54,950	0.00240	5.76%	54%	$0	~$905	~$851
2 Series	228i Gran Coupe (2027)	$41,350	0.00115	2.76%	56%	$0	~$580	n/a
2 Series	M235i xDrive Gran Coupe (2027)	$51,350	0.00095	2.28%	56%	$0	~$704	n/a
3 Series	330i	$49,350	0.00090	2.16%	56%	$1,000	~$644	~$600
3 Series	330i xDrive	$51,350	0.00090	2.16%	56%	$1,000	~$671	~$625
3 Series	M340i	$63,650	0.00120	2.88%	56%	$1,000	~$868	~$810
4 Series	430i Gran Coupe	$52,550	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$879	~$826
4 Series	430i Coupe	$54,650	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$914	~$859
4 Series	430i Convertible	$62,650	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$1,048	~$985
4 Series	M440i Coupe	$68,450	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$1,145	~$1,076
4 Series	M440i Convertible	$76,550	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$1,280	~$1,204
5 Series	530i (2026)	$61,850	0.00140	3.36%	57%	$1,000	~$846	~$806
5 Series	540i xDrive (2026)	$69,050	0.00140	3.36%	57%	$1,000	~$947	~$903
5 Series	550e xDrive PHEV (2026)	$76,850	0.00095	2.28%	57%	$1,000	~$1,004	~$935
5 Series	530i (2027)	$61,950	0.00180	4.32%	57%	$0	~$915	~$858
5 Series	550e xDrive PHEV (2027)	$76,250	0.00180	4.32%	57%	$0	~$1,126	~$1,056
7 Series	740i (2026)	$100,850	0.00070	1.68%	52%	$2,000	~$1,395	~$1,296
7 Series	750e xDrive PHEV (2026)	$111,175	0.00105	2.52%	52%	$3,000	~$1,573	~$1,466
7 Series	760i xDrive (2026)	$126,250	0.00055	1.32%	52%	$2,000	~$1,732	~$1,607
7 Series	740i (2027)	$101,350	0.00145	3.48%	52%	$0	~$1,575	n/a
8 Series	840i Coupe	$90,000	0.00210	5.04%	52%	$2,000	~$1,428	~$1,339
8 Series	840i Gran Coupe	$91,975	0.00210	5.04%	52%	$2,000	~$1,460	~$1,370
8 Series	M850i xDrive Coupe	$105,000	0.00210	5.04%	52%	$2,000	~$1,675	~$1,572
M2	Coupe	$70,850	0.00240	5.76%	54%	$0	~$1,167	n/a
M2	CS Coupe	$99,950	0.00240	5.76%	42%	$0	~$1,951	n/a
M3	Sedan (2026)	$80,650	0.00240	5.76%	55%	$0	~$1,308	n/a
M3	Sedan (2027)	$80,650	0.00240	5.76%	52%	$0	~$1,370	n/a
M3	Competition xDrive (2027)	$89,950	0.00240	5.76%	52%	$0	~$1,527	n/a
M4	Coupe	$83,550	0.00240	5.76%	55%	$0	~$1,355	n/a
M4	Competition xDrive Coupe	$93,050	0.00240	5.76%	55%	$0	~$1,509	n/a
M5	Sedan	$124,650	0.00240	5.76%	56%	$0	~$1,990	n/a
M5	Touring	$126,650	0.00240	5.76%	56%	$0	~$2,022	n/a
X1	xDrive28i	$44,550	0.00170	4.08%	55%	$1,000	~$645	~$604
X1	M35i	$53,750	0.00170	4.08%	55%	$1,000	~$784	~$734
X2	xDrive28i	$46,050	0.00240	5.76%	54%	$0	~$759	n/a
X2	M35i	$55,250	0.00240	5.76%	54%	$0	~$910	n/a
X3	30 xDrive	$52,650	0.00170	4.08%	56%	$1,000	~$754	~$706
X3	M50 xDrive	$67,850	0.00170	4.08%	56%	$1,000	~$980	~$918
X5	sDrive40i	$69,750	0.00180	4.32%	51%	$2,000	~$1,080	~$1,011
X5	xDrive40i	$72,050	0.00180	4.32%	51%	$2,000	~$1,117	~$1,046
X5	xDrive50e PHEV	$77,450	0.00155	3.72%	51%	$2,000	~$1,177	~$1,100
X5	M60i	$95,050	0.00180	4.32%	51%	$2,000	~$1,493	~$1,398
X5 M	Competition	$132,450	0.00240	5.76%	51%	$0	~$2,283	n/a
X6	xDrive40i	$78,750	0.00240	5.76%	51%	$0	~$1,357	~$1,275
X6	M60i	$99,450	0.00240	5.76%	51%	$0	~$1,714	~$1,610
X7	xDrive40i (2026)	$89,050	0.00135	3.24%	52%	$1,000	~$1,341	~$1,252
X7	M60i (2026)	$116,550	0.00135	3.24%	52%	$1,000	~$1,764	~$1,647
X7	xDrive40i (2027)	$89,050	0.00140	3.36%	52%	$0	~$1,377	~$1,285
X7	Alpina XB7	$157,550	0.00240	5.76%	46%	$0	~$2,915	n/a
XM	Label	$161,150	0.00190	4.56%	53%	$7,500	~$2,350	n/a
Z4	sDrive30i	$56,100	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$938	n/a
Z4	M40i	$68,400	0.00240	5.76%	53%	$0	~$1,144	n/a
i4	eDrive40 Gran Coupe	$59,250	0.00035	0.84%	54%	$3,750	~$684	n/a
i4	xDrive40 Gran Coupe	$63,650	0.00035	0.84%	55%	$3,750	~$725	n/a
i4	M60 Gran Coupe	$72,050	0.00085	2.04%	54%	$3,750	~$908	n/a
i5	eDrive40 (2026)	$68,450	0.00060	1.44%	52%	$3,750	~$869	n/a
i5	M60 (2026)	$85,450	0.00135	3.24%	52%	$3,750	~$1,205	n/a
i5	eDrive40 (2027)	$68,550	0.00160	3.84%	52%	$3,750	~$971	n/a
i7	eDrive50 (2026)	$105,700	0.00100	2.40%	52%	$7,500	~$1,354	n/a
i7	xDrive60 (2026)	$124,200	0.00100	2.40%	52%	$7,500	~$1,629	n/a
i7	M70 (2026)	$169,675	0.00170	4.08%	52%	$7,500	~$2,480	n/a
i7	50 xDrive (2027)	$105,700	0.00085	2.04%	52%	$0	~$1,546	n/a
iX	xDrive45	$76,600	0.00175	4.20%	52%	$7,500	~$1,004	n/a
iX	xDrive60	$89,950	0.00175	4.20%	52%	$7,500	~$1,217	n/a
iX	M70	$112,950	0.00110	2.64%	52%	$7,500	~$1,478	n/a

Key trims only. AWD twins are dropped where their numbers match the RWD car. "n/a" in the 39mo column means the model has no 39-month program at all.

Assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP minus the base BMW FS Lease Credit. No dealer discount, no down payment, no trade. Every dollar you negotiate off sticker comes straight off the payment.

12,000 miles a year, Northeast region. Lower mileage tiers carry higher residuals and higher tiers carry lower ones. Residuals apply to MSRP, not to the price you negotiate, so a discount never costs you residual.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the BMW FS acquisition fee of $925 (about $27 a month if you capitalize it), registration, and the dealer doc fee.

Formula: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%. Multiply the money factor by 2,400 for the approximate APR.

Published buy rate. Dealers can mark the money factor up. These are floors, not guarantees. Get the exact money factor and residual in writing for the term you are actually signing, because the term changes the residual even though it never changes the rate.

Not applied: the Pre-Pay Lease Money Factor Reduction. BMW publishes a 0.0005 money factor reduction against most of the lineup for prepaying, and none of the payments here use it. If you are looking at a single-pay or multiple-security-deposit structure, ask about it separately.

Source: BMW Financial Services Northeast rate data, August 2026, 124 trims at the 12,000-mile tier. Money factors, residuals and credits change monthly and by region. This program period ends August 31, 2026.

TL;DR

• The term never changes the money factor at BMW. Identical at 24, 36, 39 and 42 months on all 124 trims. Everything the term does, it does through the residual.
• 39 months is the cheapest term on the 72 trims that offer it, same rate and same residual as 36 months with three more payments to spread it over. Worth roughly 5% to 7%.
• 42 months is the trap. The residual drops eight or nine points, and 112 of 124 trims cost the same or more per month than they do at 36.
• Lease the 2026 M3, not the 2027. Same $80,650 sticker, same rate, three more points of residual.
• Every 2027 line is a worse lease than its 2026 twin. The i5 is the only 2027 carrying a lease credit at all.
• The i4 eDrive40 at 0.84% APR is still the best lease BMW runs, about $31 a month of rent charge on a $59,250 car.
• Sixty trims get 5.76% and no cash: every M car, the whole 4 Series, the 2 Series Coupes, X2, X6, Z4. On those, price is your only lever.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come from BMW Financial Services Northeast rate data, August 2026, and every payment here is computed from the published money factor and residual. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Rates from American Honda Finance (Acura), Northeast region, August 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP, no incentive applied. Acura runs $0 base lease cash at 24 and 36 months on every model, so there is nothing to subtract. Conditional programs (loyalty, military, college grad) not included. All trims are 2026 model year.

August is a total hold. All 24 priced 2026 trims carry July's exact money factor, residual, and payment. Not one moved by a dollar. That is not a dead month, it just means the July numbers are still live and you can walk into a dealer with them.

The rate order: RDX 0.00147 (3.53% APR), ADX 0.00170 (4.08%), MDX 0.00173 (4.15%), Integra 0.00181 (4.34%), Integra Type S 0.00280 (6.72%). Cheapest payments are the Integra CVT at ~$477/mo, the ADX FWD at ~$495, and the ADX AWD and Integra A-Spec tied at ~$522.

What actually matters this month is the term structure, not any single number. Acura runs two programs: a subsidized one it calls Special Lease, and a standard one. Every low rate above is the subsidized program, and on RDX, ADX, and Integra it only exists at 24 and 36 months. Go longer and you get the standard 0.00280 (6.72% APR) at 39 or 0.00295 (7.08%) at 48. That is not a penalty a dealer applied to you, the subsidy just ends. MDX is the exception and holds 0.00173 at all four terms. Type S is the opposite, with no subsidized rate at any term, which is why its 24-month number is the worst on any Acura this month.

Finding #1: The low rates only exist at 24 and 36 months, and 39 is where they end

Model	24mo MF	36mo MF	39mo MF	48mo MF	Cash at 39/48
RDX	0.00147	0.00147	0.00280	0.00295	none
ADX	0.00170	0.00170	0.00280	0.00295	$1,000
MDX	0.00173	0.00173	0.00173	0.00173	none
Integra (non Type S)	0.00181	0.00181	0.00280	0.00295	$1,000
Integra Type S	0.00380	0.00280	0.00280	0.00295	none

MF x 2400 = approximate APR. 0.00280 = 6.72%, 0.00295 = 7.08%, 0.00380 = 9.12%.

The RDX base car shows what the jump costs. Same trim, same MSRP, three months apart in term:

RDX SH-AWD at $46,550, 36 months:
Residual (60% x $46,550):                        $27,930
Depreciation ($46,550 - $27,930) / 36:           $517/mo
Rent charge ($46,550 + $27,930) x 0.00147:       $109/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$627/mo

RDX SH-AWD at $46,550, 39 months:
Residual (58% x $46,550):                        $26,999
Depreciation ($46,550 - $26,999) / 39:           $501/mo
Rent charge ($46,550 + $26,999) x 0.00280:       $206/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$707/mo

Three more months of term saves $16 in depreciation and costs $97 in rent charge. You pay $80/mo more and commit three months longer. The same pattern holds on every RDX, ADX, and Integra trim. If a salesperson pitches 39 months as a way to lower your payment, the money factor line on the sheet is where you show them it is not.

Finding #2: RDX has the best rate in the brand and the worst long terms

Base SH-AWD is ~$627/mo at 0.00147 (3.53% APR). Every RDX is all-wheel drive, so there is no cheaper front-drive version to hunt for. RDX is also the only model that gets no cash at 39 or 48 months to soften the standard rate, so both cost more per month than 36 does.

RDX Trim	MSRP	RV (36/12K)	~36mo	~39mo	~48mo
SH-AWD	$46,550	60%	~$627	~$707	~$674
SH-AWD w/Technology	$49,150	59%	~$675	~$758	~$721
SH-AWD A-Spec	$52,150	58%	~$730	~$816	~$774
SH-AWD w/Advance	$54,300	57%	~$774	~$862	~$816
SH-AWD A-Spec Advance	$56,300	57%	~$802	~$894	~$846

Pre-tax, 12K miles, MSRP cap, no cash at any term.

Finding #3: The ADX is the cheapest crossover, and 48 months quietly works there

ADX carries a 61% residual on the base cars, the best in the lineup. FWD is ~$495/mo, AWD is ~$522. AWD is a flat $2,000 sticker adder at every trim level, which works out to $27 to $29/mo.

The 48-month term is the part worth checking. ADX gets a $1,000 Sales Credit that exists only at 39 and 48 months, exactly where the subsidized rate is gone. At 39 the credit does not cover the rate jump. At 48 it roughly does.

ADX FWD at $36,450, 36 months:
Residual (61% x $36,450):                        $22,235
Depreciation ($36,450 - $22,235) / 36:           $395/mo
Rent charge ($36,450 + $22,235) x 0.00170:       $100/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$495/mo

ADX FWD at $36,450, 48 months:
Sales Credit:                                    -$1,000
Adjusted cap:                                    $35,450
Residual (53% x $36,450):                        $19,319
Depreciation ($35,450 - $19,319) / 48:           $336/mo
Rent charge ($35,450 + $19,319) x 0.00295:       $162/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$498/mo

ADX Trim	MSRP	RV (36/12K)	~36mo	~39mo (w/$1k)	~48mo (w/$1k)
FWD	$36,450	61%	~$495	~$517	~$498
AWD	$38,450	61%	~$522	~$547	~$526
FWD A-Spec	$39,650	59%	~$559	~$583	~$558
AWD A-Spec	$41,650	59%	~$587	~$614	~$587
FWD A-Spec Advance	$43,850	58%	~$629	~$658	~$627
AWD A-Spec Advance	$45,850	58%	~$658	~$689	~$657

Pre-tax, 12K miles, MSRP cap. The 39 and 48-month columns have the $1,000 credit applied.

On the loaded trims the 48-month payment lands a dollar or two under the 36-month one. That is a wash on the monthly, but it is twelve more payments and another year in a car with a 53% residual. Price it, do not assume it.

Finding #4: The Integra CVT at ~$477 is the cheapest Acura lease, and the manual is free

Integra CVT at $34,695:
Residual (61% x $34,695):                        $21,164
Depreciation ($34,695 - $21,164) / 36:           $376/mo
Rent charge ($34,695 + $21,164) x 0.00181:       $101/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$477/mo

The A-Spec Technology is the same $40,495 sticker and the same ~$578/mo whether you order the CVT or the 6-speed manual. Same rate, same residual, same payment, so the manual costs you nothing.

Integra gets the same $1,000 credit as the ADX at 39 and 48 months, and at 48 it more than covers the rate jump on every non-Type-S trim.

Integra Trim	MSRP	RV (36/12K)	~36mo	~39mo (w/$1k)	~48mo (w/$1k)
CVT	$34,695	61%	~$477	~$491	~$473
CVT A-Spec	$37,245	60%	~$522	~$537	~$516
CVT A-Spec Technology	$40,495	59%	~$578	~$596	~$570
6MT A-Spec Technology	$40,495	59%	~$578	~$596	~$570

Pre-tax, 12K miles, MSRP cap. Type S is excluded, it gets no credit at any term.

An Integra CVT A-Spec and an ADX AWD both land at ~$522. Different cars, identical payment, so pick on the car.

Finding #5: Type S is the only Acura where 24 months is the trap

Type S runs the standard rate at every term, which produces a result backwards from the rest of the lineup.

Integra Type S at $54,695, 24 months:
Residual (72% x $54,695):                        $39,380
Depreciation ($54,695 - $39,380) / 24:           $638/mo
Rent charge ($54,695 + $39,380) x 0.00380:       $357/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$996/mo

Integra Type S at $54,695, 36 months:
Residual (66% x $54,695):                        $36,099
Depreciation ($54,695 - $36,099) / 36:           $517/mo
Rent charge ($54,695 + $36,099) x 0.00280:       $254/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$771/mo

That is $225/mo for the shorter term at 9.12% APR. Lease it at 36 or 39, never 24.

The upside is the residual. 66% at 36 months is the highest in the entire Acura lineup, and it does enough work that a $54,695 Type S leases for ~$771 while a $55,450 MDX SH-AWD leases for ~$798. The Type S comes in $27/mo cheaper than a base three-row while carrying a rate 2.6 percentage points worse.

Type S 6MT, $54,695	RV	MF	APR	~Monthly
24 months	72%	0.00380	9.12%	~$996
36 months	66%	0.00280	6.72%	~$771
39 months	64%	0.00280	6.72%	~$756
48 months	58%	0.00295	7.08%	~$734

Pre-tax, 12K miles, MSRP cap, no cash at any term.

Finding #6: MDX is the only model with no term penalty

MDX holds 0.00173 (4.15% APR) at 24, 36, 39, and 48 months, so it is the only Acura where a longer lease genuinely lowers the monthly.

MDX FWD at $53,250, 36 months:
Residual (58% x $53,250):                        $30,885
Depreciation ($53,250 - $30,885) / 36:           $621/mo
Rent charge ($53,250 + $30,885) x 0.00173:       $146/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$767/mo

MDX FWD at $53,250, 48 months:
Residual (50% x $53,250):                        $26,625
Depreciation ($53,250 - $26,625) / 48:           $555/mo
Rent charge ($53,250 + $26,625) x 0.00173:       $138/mo
Base payment:                                    ~$693/mo

The 48-month payment is $74/mo lower on 48 payments instead of 36. Total spend goes from about $27,600 to about $33,300. A real choice, not a free lunch.

Where MDX gets expensive is the residual ladder. Base FWD and SH-AWD hold 58%, but everything from the Advance trims up drops to 53%. That five-point cut lands on the cars that sticker from $68,350, which is why the top of the range clears $1,000/mo.

MDX Trim	MSRP	RV (36/12K)	~36mo	~39mo	~48mo
FWD	$53,250	58%	~$767	~$744	~$693
SH-AWD	$55,450	58%	~$798	~$775	~$721
FWD w/Technology	$58,650	56%	~$875	~$848	~$786
SH-AWD w/Technology	$60,850	56%	~$908	~$880	~$815
SH-AWD A-Spec	$63,850	56%	~$953	~$923	~$855
SH-AWD w/Advance	$68,350	53%	~$1,073	~$1,037	~$955
SH-AWD A-Spec Advance	$70,350	53%	~$1,105	~$1,068	~$983
Type S SH-AWD w/Advance	$77,300	53%	~$1,214	~$1,173	~$1,080

Pre-tax, 12K miles, MSRP cap, MF 0.00173 at every term, no cash at any term.

If the monthly matters on an MDX, buy less MDX rather than more term. The FWD at ~$767 is the value pick.

Finding #7: A base RDX leases for less than a loaded ADX

Worth knowing before you get talked up the ADX ladder.

Car	MSRP	MF	RV	~Monthly
RDX SH-AWD	$46,550	0.00147	60%	~$627
ADX AWD A-Spec Advance	$45,850	0.00170	58%	~$658

The RDX stickers $700 higher and leases $31/mo cheaper, because it gets both the better rate and the better residual. Go one more step and the RDX SH-AWD w/Technology at $49,150 is ~$675, only $17/mo over the top ADX on a car that is a size class up with a tech package.

The ADX case is the cheap trims, where a 61% residual on a $36,450 sticker produces the second-lowest payment in the brand. Above that the argument falls apart.

Full lineup, all 24 trims

Model	Trim	MSRP	MF (36mo)	APR	RV	~Monthly
RDX	SH-AWD	$46,550	0.00147	3.53%	60%	~$627
RDX	SH-AWD w/Technology	$49,150	0.00147	3.53%	59%	~$675
RDX	SH-AWD A-Spec	$52,150	0.00147	3.53%	58%	~$730
RDX	SH-AWD w/Advance	$54,300	0.00147	3.53%	57%	~$774
RDX	SH-AWD A-Spec Advance	$56,300	0.00147	3.53%	57%	~$802
ADX	FWD	$36,450	0.00170	4.08%	61%	~$495
ADX	AWD	$38,450	0.00170	4.08%	61%	~$522
ADX	FWD A-Spec	$39,650	0.00170	4.08%	59%	~$559
ADX	AWD A-Spec	$41,650	0.00170	4.08%	59%	~$587
ADX	FWD A-Spec Advance	$43,850	0.00170	4.08%	58%	~$629
ADX	AWD A-Spec Advance	$45,850	0.00170	4.08%	58%	~$658
MDX	FWD	$53,250	0.00173	4.15%	58%	~$767
MDX	SH-AWD	$55,450	0.00173	4.15%	58%	~$798
MDX	FWD w/Technology	$58,650	0.00173	4.15%	56%	~$875
MDX	SH-AWD w/Technology	$60,850	0.00173	4.15%	56%	~$908
MDX	SH-AWD A-Spec	$63,850	0.00173	4.15%	56%	~$953
MDX	SH-AWD w/Advance	$68,350	0.00173	4.15%	53%	~$1,073
MDX	SH-AWD A-Spec Advance	$70,350	0.00173	4.15%	53%	~$1,105
MDX	Type S SH-AWD w/Advance	$77,300	0.00173	4.15%	53%	~$1,214
Integra	CVT	$34,695	0.00181	4.34%	61%	~$477
Integra	CVT A-Spec	$37,245	0.00181	4.34%	60%	~$522
Integra	CVT A-Spec Technology	$40,495	0.00181	4.34%	59%	~$578
Integra	6MT A-Spec Technology	$40,495	0.00181	4.34%	59%	~$578
Integra	Type S 6MT	$54,695	0.00280	6.72%	66%	~$771

All 24 rows unchanged from July 2026. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no incentive, no acquisition fee. The MF shown is the 36-month buy rate.

Assumptions

Cap cost = trim MSRP. No dealer discount, no down payment, no incentive. Every dollar you negotiate off MSRP drops the payment directly.

36 months / 12,000 miles per year, Northeast region. Each mileage step is worth one to two residual points, and 12K to 15K is the expensive one at two points on every model.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the Acura acquisition fee (about $595, roughly $17 to $18/mo if capitalized), and the dealer doc fee.

Formula used: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%.

The MF shown is the published buy rate. Dealers can mark it up. One point of markup (0.00010) costs roughly $6/mo on an Integra and $12/mo on a loaded MDX. On a month where nothing changed, this is the only place a deal goes wrong, so read the exact money factor off your sheet before you work the payment.

Term rule. On RDX, ADX, and Integra the subsidized rate covers 24 and 36 months only. Skip 39 on all three, it costs more than 36 on every trim. At 48 the ADX and Integra $1,000 Sales Credit makes it a wash worth pricing, while RDX has no credit and is a straight loss. MDX has no term penalty at all.

Conditional programs are excluded. Loyalty, military, and college grad all exist. Acura loyalty on the MDX is by far the largest conditional program in the lineup, so if you are currently in an Acura it is worth asking about by name. Confirm you qualify before letting it count toward a payment.

Source: American Honda Finance (Acura) rate sheets, Northeast region, August 2026. Money factors, residuals, and incentives change monthly and by region. Programs run through August 31, 2026.

TL;DR

• Nothing changed. All 24 priced 2026 trims carry July's exact rate, residual, and payment. July's numbers are still good.
• The low rates only exist at 24 and 36 months on RDX, ADX, and Integra. At 39 the rate goes to 0.00280 (6.72% APR) and the payment goes up, which on the RDX is $80/mo for three more months of term. ADX and Integra get a $1,000 Sales Credit at 39 and 48 that roughly cancels the rate jump at 48. RDX gets nothing.
• RDX has the best rate in the brand at 0.00147 (3.53% APR), base SH-AWD ~$627/mo. It also leases cheaper than a loaded ADX A-Spec Advance that stickers $700 less.
• Integra CVT at ~$477/mo is the cheapest Acura lease. The 6-speed manual A-Spec Technology prices identically to the CVT, so the manual is free.
• ADX FWD at ~$495 is the crossover entry point, on the best residual in the lineup at 61%. AWD adds $2,000 sticker and $27 to $29/mo.
• MDX holds 0.00173 (4.15% APR) at every term, the only model with no long-term penalty. FWD at ~$767 is the pick, and the Advance trims drop to a 53% residual and lease badly.
• Never lease the Type S at 24 months. 0.00380 is 9.12% APR and runs ~$996/mo against ~$771 at 36. Its 66% residual at 36 is the highest in the lineup.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come from American Honda Finance Acura rate sheets, Northeast region, August 2026. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Rates from Subaru Motors Finance (SMF) Northeast, August 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP, minus the $3,000 EV cash where it applies. No conditional programs (loyalty, military, competitive). 54 trims priced.

Subaru split the lineup this month. It cut rates on the cars and cut residuals on the SUVs, and which lever it pulled on your model decides whether you win or lose.

The WRX is the only model that got cheaper, down $20 to $23/mo across all seven trims on money factor cuts with residuals held. Everything that got worse got worse the same way: the money factor never moved and the residual dropped. The Ascent is up $27 to $45/mo, all ten Foresters are up $10 to $19, and the BRZ is up $22 to $31.

Eighteen trims did not move at all. The whole Impreza, Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted range is frozen from July, and the Outback is flat except for two trims that went up a dollar.

The Crosstrek is the one to watch out for. Every trim got a money factor cut and a matching residual cut, so the payment landed between $3 cheaper and $7 more. If a salesperson opens with the lower rate, that is not a discount.

All payments below use MSRP as the cap, no dealer discount and no down payment. Negotiate below sticker and the payment drops dollar for dollar.

Finding #1: Residuals drove August, not rates

Thirty-six of the 54 trims changed. Read the direction, not the rate.

Where Subaru cut the money factor, you win: WRX, down $20 to $23. Where it cut the residual and left the rate alone, you pay more even though the sheet looks identical to July: Ascent, Forester, BRZ.

Model	MF (36mo)	APR	RV (36/12K)	Cash	Aug vs July
WRX	0.00184-0.00228	4.42-5.47%	57-64%	$0	Down $20-23
Crosstrek	0.00068-0.00121	1.63-2.90%	61-63%	$0	Down $3 to up $7
Outback	0.00018-0.00061	0.43-1.46%	55-60%	$0	Up $1 on two trims
Impreza	0.00026-0.00039	0.62-0.94%	57-58%	$0	Unchanged
Uncharted	0.00018-0.00068	0.43-1.63%	44-47%	$3,000	Unchanged
Trailseeker	0.00066-0.00107	1.58-2.57%	50-52%	$3,000	Unchanged
Solterra	0.0009-0.00108	2.16-2.59%	49-51%	$3,000	Unchanged
Forester	0.001-0.00191	2.40-4.58%	59-63%	$0	Up $10-19
BRZ	0.00046-0.001	1.10-2.40%	57-59%	$0	Up $22-31
Ascent	0.00032-0.00063	0.77-1.51%	56-58%	$0	Up $27-45

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, Northeast. Ranges span all 54 trims priced. MF x 2400 = approximate APR.

Ask for the residual, not just the rate. On three models this month the rate was a perfect distraction.

Finding #2: The Ascent lost up to four residual points and $45/mo

Every Ascent money factor is exactly what it was in July. Every Ascent residual is lower. The Premium 7-passenger went from a 62% residual to 58%, and the payment went from ~$458 to ~$503.

Ascent Premium 7-pass at $40,795, July:

Cap:                                              $40,795
Residual (62% x $40,795):                         $25,293
Depreciation ($40,795 - $25,293) / 36:            $431/mo
Rent charge ($40,795 + $25,293) x 0.00042:        $28/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$458/mo

Same car, same rate, August:

Cap:                                              $40,795
Residual (58% x $40,795):                         $23,661
Depreciation ($40,795 - $23,661) / 36:            $476/mo
Rent charge ($40,795 + $23,661) x 0.00042:        $27/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$503/mo

That is $45/mo, or about $1,620 over the lease, on a car whose advertised rate did not change.

The value pick also flipped. In July the Premium 7-passenger was the cheaper of the two Premiums. It took a four-point cut while the 8-passenger took three, so the 8-passenger is now the cheaper one.

Ascent Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs July
Premium 8-pass	$40,795	0.00041	0.98%	58%	~$502	+$33
Premium 7-pass	$40,795	0.00042	1.01%	58%	~$503	+$45
Limited 8-pass	$47,885	0.00032	0.77%	56%	~$609	+$39
Limited Bronze 7-pass	$48,995	0.00032	0.77%	56%	~$623	+$27
Touring 7-pass	$51,165	0.00049	1.18%	56%	~$664	+$28
Onyx Touring 7-pass	$51,995	0.00063	1.51%	56%	~$687	+$28

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no base cash on Ascent.

Still a cheap three-row at 0.77% to 1.51% APR, just less cheap than it was. The rate is not your problem here, so spend the negotiation on selling price. If a dealer quotes the July payment, they are working off a stale sheet and the number will move at signing.

Finding #3: All ten Foresters got worse, and only the base trim is worth leasing

Not one Forester money factor moved. Every residual did. The Limited AWD took the worst of it, 62% to 60%, ~$477 to ~$496.

The bigger problem is the rate spread inside the model. The base AWD sits at 2.40% APR. The Premium AWD one trim up sits at 4.58% APR, the worst rate on any Subaru outside the WRX.

Forester base AWD at $29,995:

Cap:                                              $29,995
Residual (60% x $29,995):                         $17,997
Depreciation ($29,995 - $17,997) / 36:            $333/mo
Rent charge ($29,995 + $17,997) x 0.001:          $48/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$381/mo

Forester Premium AWD at $31,995:

Cap:                                              $31,995
Residual (63% x $31,995):                         $20,157
Depreciation ($31,995 - $20,157) / 36:            $329/mo
Rent charge ($31,995 + $20,157) x 0.00191:        $100/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$428/mo

$2,000 more sticker and a higher residual, and it still costs $47/mo more, because the rate doubles. That $428 also buys you an Outback Premium at ~$423 with a bigger car and a 1.46% APR.

If you want a Forester above the base trim, take a hybrid. The Sport Hybrid AWD at 2.81% APR is priced better than the gas Sport AWD at 3.94%.

Forester Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs July
AWD (base)	$29,995	0.001	2.40%	60%	~$381	+$16
Premium AWD	$31,995	0.00191	4.58%	63%	~$428	+$17
Premium Hybrid AWD	$34,730	0.00143	3.43%	63%	~$438	+$18
Sport AWD	$34,795	0.00164	3.94%	61%	~$469	+$18
Sport Hybrid AWD	$37,930	0.00117	2.81%	60%	~$492	+$10
Limited AWD	$35,995	0.00167	4.01%	60%	~$496	+$19
Wilderness	$36,995	0.00182	4.37%	61%	~$509	+$10
Limited Hybrid AWD	$38,995	0.00126	3.02%	59%	~$522	+$10
Touring Hybrid AWD	$41,545	0.00125	3.00%	60%	~$545	+$11
Touring AWD	$39,995	0.00178	4.27%	61%	~$548	+$10

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no base cash on Forester.

Finding #4: The Crosstrek rate cut that changed nothing

Subaru cut the money factor on all seven Crosstrek trims, then cut the residual on all seven. The base went from MF 0.00114 to 0.00068, which is 2.74% APR down to 1.63%, and the payment moved from ~$306 to ~$307.

Crosstrek base at $26,995:

Cap:                                              $26,995
Residual (63% x $26,995):                         $17,007
Depreciation ($26,995 - $17,007) / 36:            $277/mo
Rent charge ($26,995 + $17,007) x 0.00068:        $30/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$307/mo

Across the gas trims the net is $1 to $7 more. The two hybrids are the exception and the only trims outside the WRX that got cheaper, because they lost two residual points instead of three. The Sport Hybrid is down $3 and the Limited Hybrid down $2.

The Impreza did not move at all. The RS at 0.62% APR is still the lowest rate on any Subaru under $30,000.

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs July
Crosstrek base	$26,995	0.00068	1.63%	63%	~$307	+$1
Crosstrek Premium	$27,995	0.00076	1.82%	63%	~$322	+$3
Crosstrek Sport	$30,625	0.00097	2.33%	63%	~$363	+$4
Crosstrek Limited	$32,995	0.00095	2.28%	62%	~$399	+$6
Crosstrek Sport Hybrid	$33,995	0.00107	2.57%	63%	~$409	-$3
Crosstrek Wilderness	$33,795	0.00083	1.99%	61%	~$411	+$7
Crosstrek Limited Hybrid	$34,995	0.00121	2.90%	63%	~$429	-$2
Impreza Sport	$26,595	0.00039	0.94%	58%	~$327	Unchanged
Impreza RS	$29,495	0.00026	0.62%	57%	~$364	Unchanged

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no base cash on either model.

The Crosstrek base at ~$307 is the cheapest Subaru lease this month and it held its payment while the Ascent and Forester got worse. If you are looking at the Limited at ~$399, price the Wilderness against it: better rate, more capability, ~$411.

Finding #5: The WRX is the only model that got cheaper, and it is still the worst rate tier

Every WRX money factor dropped and every residual held, so the whole cut reaches your payment. Base 6MT 0.00265 to 0.00228, ~$466 to ~$446. Premium 6MT took the biggest cut, 0.00264 to 0.00223, ~$487 to ~$464.

Keep it in perspective. At 4.42% to 5.47% APR the WRX still carries the worst rates Subaru publishes and there is no cash behind it. A better bad rate is still a bad rate.

WRX Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs July
Base 6MT	$32,495	0.00228	5.47%	64%	~$446	-$20
Premium 6MT	$33,995	0.00223	5.35%	64%	~$464	-$23
Limited 6MT	$38,995	0.002	4.80%	61%	~$548	-$20
Limited	$39,995	0.00205	4.92%	61%	~$565	-$20
GT	$44,995	0.00201	4.82%	58%	~$668	-$21
tS 6MT	$44,995	0.00187	4.49%	57%	~$670	-$20
Series.Yellow 6MT	$45,995	0.00184	4.42%	57%	~$682	-$21

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no base cash on WRX.

Lease it only if you were going to anyway. The base 6MT at ~$446 is the sane way in, and financing deserves a side by side quote at these rates.

Finding #6: The BRZ leases far better than the WRX, even after a $31 hit

The BRZ took the Ascent treatment. Money factors held, residuals fell two to three points, all four trims are up $22 to $31.

The rates are the surprise. The Series.Yellow 6MT sits at MF 0.00046, or 1.10% APR, better than anything in the Forester or Crosstrek range and a fraction of what its WRX sibling pays. That is why it costs the same ~$499 as the tS despite $1,000 more sticker. Same story at the bottom: the Limited and Limited 6MT both land at ~$465 on identical MSRPs with different rate and residual pairings.

BRZ Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs July
Limited	$35,860	0.00082	1.97%	58%	~$465	+$29
Limited 6MT	$35,860	0.001	2.40%	59%	~$465	+$29
tS 6MT	$38,360	0.00067	1.61%	57%	~$499	+$31
Series.Yellow 6MT	$39,360	0.00046	1.10%	57%	~$499	+$22

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no base cash on BRZ.

If you want one, the Limited at ~$465 is the entry and the Series.Yellow costs the same as the tS. Take the better car.

Finding #7: The Outback Premium is the value pick of the whole lineup and it did not move

Residuals held on all six Outback trims. Two money factors ticked up by the smallest increment Subaru publishes, the Wilderness 0.00016 to 0.00018 and the Limited XT 0.0004 to 0.00042. Each costs a dollar a month.

Outback Premium at $34,995:

Cap:                                              $34,995
Residual (60% x $34,995):                         $20,997
Depreciation ($34,995 - $20,997) / 36:            $389/mo
Rent charge ($34,995 + $20,997) x 0.00061:        $34/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$423/mo

Outback Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs July
Premium	$34,995	0.00061	1.46%	60%	~$423	Unchanged
Limited	$41,715	0.00047	1.13%	57%	~$529	Unchanged
Limited XT	$44,365	0.00042	1.01%	57%	~$559	+$1
Wilderness	$44,995	0.00018	0.43%	55%	~$575	+$1
Touring	$45,395	0.00057	1.37%	57%	~$583	Unchanged
Touring XT	$47,995	0.00049	1.18%	57%	~$610	Unchanged

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no base cash on Outback.

The Wilderness at 0.43% APR ties the Uncharted GT AWD for the lowest rate Subaru offers, but its 55% residual still makes it a ~$575 payment. Buy it for the car, not the rate.

Finding #8: All twelve EV trims are frozen with $3,000 on the hood

Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted are unchanged from July. Same money factors, same residuals, same $3,000 non-conditional cash. In a month where the Ascent went up $45, flat is a win.

Uncharted Premium FWD at $34,995:

EV cash (cap cost reduction):                     -$3,000
Adjusted cap:                                     $31,995
Residual (44% x $34,995):                         $15,398
Depreciation ($31,995 - $15,398) / 36:            $461/mo
Rent charge ($31,995 + $15,398) x 0.00027:        $13/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$474/mo

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
Uncharted Premium FWD	$34,995	0.00027	0.65%	44%	~$474
Uncharted Sport AWD	$39,795	0.00068	1.63%	47%	~$540
Uncharted GT AWD	$43,795	0.00018	0.43%	45%	~$597
Trailseeker Premium	$39,995	0.00107	2.57%	52%	~$512
Trailseeker Limited	$43,995	0.0008	1.92%	50%	~$578
Trailseeker Touring	$46,555	0.00066	1.58%	50%	~$607
Trailseeker Touring w/Leather	$46,855	0.00087	2.09%	51%	~$613
Solterra Premium	$38,495	0.00107	2.57%	51%	~$500
Solterra Limited	$41,395	0.00108	2.59%	51%	~$544
Solterra Limited XT	$42,895	0.00102	2.45%	50%	~$575
Solterra Touring XT	$45,555	0.00091	2.18%	49%	~$621
Solterra Touring XT w/Leather	$45,855	0.0009	2.16%	49%	~$625

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, cap = MSRP minus the $3,000 non-conditional cash.

Residuals are 44% to 52%, so these deals ride on the cash and the rate, not on resale. Confirm the $3,000 lands as a cap cost reduction, and get any dealer cash on top of it in writing.

Finding #9: 24 and 48 months are rate walls, and 39 is usually cheaper than 36

Four terms came back in the August pull: 24, 36, 39, and 48.

The 24-month wall runs from MF 0.0031 (7.44% APR) on the Ascent to MF 0.0038 (9.12% APR) on the BRZ manuals and Forester hybrids, with most of the lineup at 0.0037 (8.88% APR). The 48-month wall runs from 0.00305 (7.32% APR) on the Solterra to 0.0036 (8.64% APR) on the WRX, most models at 0.0031 (7.44% APR). Both sit far above every 36-month rate in this post, and neither carries extra cash to soften it. A shorter Subaru lease is not a smaller commitment, it is a rate penalty.

The 39-month term is the one worth pricing. On most of the lineup it lands just under the 36-month payment, because three more months of depreciation outweigh the lower residual and the slightly higher rate. That holds across the Crosstrek and Outback ranges, the gas Foresters, and most of the Ascent and WRX. It reverses on the Uncharted, Impreza, Forester hybrids, and base WRX Manual. The BRZ, Solterra, and Trailseeker split inside the model.

The gaps are small in both directions, so have the dealer quote 36 and 39 side by side instead of assuming either one.

One more thing on terms: the Ascent Limited 8-passenger, Ascent Premium 7-passenger, and Solterra Touring XT are 24 and 36-month only in August. Subaru ran all four terms on them in July and pulled 39 and 48. If a dealer quotes a longer term on those three, ask to see the program.

Full lineup, key trims by model

Model	Trim	MF	APR	RV	Cash	~Payment
Crosstrek	Base	0.00068	1.63%	63%	$0	~$307
Crosstrek	Premium	0.00076	1.82%	63%	$0	~$322
Crosstrek	Sport	0.00097	2.33%	63%	$0	~$363
Crosstrek	Limited	0.00095	2.28%	62%	$0	~$399
Crosstrek	Sport Hybrid	0.00107	2.57%	63%	$0	~$409
Crosstrek	Wilderness	0.00083	1.99%	61%	$0	~$411
Crosstrek	Limited Hybrid	0.00121	2.90%	63%	$0	~$429
Impreza	Sport	0.00039	0.94%	58%	$0	~$327
Impreza	RS	0.00026	0.62%	57%	$0	~$364
Forester	AWD (base)	0.001	2.40%	60%	$0	~$381
Forester	Premium AWD	0.00191	4.58%	63%	$0	~$428
Forester	Premium Hybrid AWD	0.00143	3.43%	63%	$0	~$438
Forester	Sport AWD	0.00164	3.94%	61%	$0	~$469
Forester	Sport Hybrid AWD	0.00117	2.81%	60%	$0	~$492
Forester	Limited AWD	0.00167	4.01%	60%	$0	~$496
Forester	Wilderness	0.00182	4.37%	61%	$0	~$509
Forester	Touring AWD	0.00178	4.27%	61%	$0	~$548
Outback	Premium	0.00061	1.46%	60%	$0	~$423
Outback	Limited	0.00047	1.13%	57%	$0	~$529
Outback	Limited XT	0.00042	1.01%	57%	$0	~$559
Outback	Wilderness	0.00018	0.43%	55%	$0	~$575
Outback	Touring XT	0.00049	1.18%	57%	$0	~$610
Ascent	Premium 8-pass	0.00041	0.98%	58%	$0	~$502
Ascent	Premium 7-pass	0.00042	1.01%	58%	$0	~$503
Ascent	Limited 8-pass	0.00032	0.77%	56%	$0	~$609
Ascent	Touring 7-pass	0.00049	1.18%	56%	$0	~$664
Ascent	Onyx Touring 7-pass	0.00063	1.51%	56%	$0	~$687
BRZ	Limited	0.00082	1.97%	58%	$0	~$465
BRZ	tS 6MT	0.00067	1.61%	57%	$0	~$499
BRZ	Series.Yellow 6MT	0.00046	1.10%	57%	$0	~$499
WRX	Base 6MT	0.00228	5.47%	64%	$0	~$446
WRX	Premium 6MT	0.00223	5.35%	64%	$0	~$464
WRX	Limited	0.00205	4.92%	61%	$0	~$565
WRX	GT	0.00201	4.82%	58%	$0	~$668
WRX	Series.Yellow 6MT	0.00184	4.42%	57%	$0	~$682
Uncharted	Premium FWD	0.00027	0.65%	44%	$3,000	~$474
Uncharted	Sport AWD	0.00068	1.63%	47%	$3,000	~$540
Uncharted	GT AWD	0.00018	0.43%	45%	$3,000	~$597
Solterra	Premium	0.00107	2.57%	51%	$3,000	~$500
Solterra	Limited	0.00108	2.59%	51%	$3,000	~$544
Solterra	Touring XT	0.00091	2.18%	49%	$3,000	~$621
Trailseeker	Premium	0.00107	2.57%	52%	$3,000	~$512
Trailseeker	Limited	0.0008	1.92%	50%	$3,000	~$578
Trailseeker	Touring	0.00066	1.58%	50%	$3,000	~$607

Key trims per model, all 2026. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, EV cash applied where shown, no acquisition fee.

Assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP. No dealer discount, no down payment. The only incentive applied is the $3,000 non-conditional EV cash on Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted. No other model in the lineup carries base cash this month.

36 months / 12,000 miles per year. All residuals use the 12K tier, Northeast region. Lower mileage tiers carry higher residuals.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the SMF acquisition fee, the dealer doc fee, and first month at drive-off.

MSRP excludes destination. Subaru charges roughly $1,195 to $1,600 depending on model, and the dealer adds it to the cap cost. Expect your real payment to run above these figures.

Formula used: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%.

Published buy-rate MF. Dealers can mark it up. These are the floor, not a guarantee. One point of markup (0.00010) adds roughly $4 to $8/mo on this lineup. Verify it before signing.

Ask for the residual too. On the Ascent, Forester, and BRZ the money factor never moved and the payment still went up. The rate alone tells you nothing this month.

Source: Subaru Motors Finance Northeast program data, August 2026, with trim-level MSRPs from Subaru pricing sheets. Money factors, residuals, and incentives change monthly and by region.

TL;DR

• August was a residual month, not a rate month. On the Ascent, Forester, and BRZ the money factor did not move and the payment still rose. Ask for both numbers.
• The WRX is the only model that got cheaper, down $20 to $23 across all seven trims. It is still the worst rate tier Subaru publishes at 4.42% to 5.47% APR with no cash behind it.
• The Ascent is up $27 to $45. Premium 7-pass went 62% residual to 58%, ~$458 to ~$503. The Premium 8-pass at ~$502 is now the cheaper of the two.
• All ten Foresters are up $10 to $19. Buy the base AWD at ~$381 and stop. The Premium AWD one trim up runs 4.58% APR and costs more than a bigger Outback Premium at ~$423 and 1.46%.
• The BRZ is up $22 to $31 but still leases far better than the WRX. Series.Yellow 6MT at 1.10% APR costs the same ~$499 as the tS.
• The Crosstrek rate cut is a decoy. Every trim got a lower MF and a lower residual. Net is $3 cheaper to $7 more. Base is still the cheapest Subaru at ~$307.
• Outback Premium at ~$423 is the value pick of the lineup and one of the few trims that did not get worse.
• All twelve EV trims are frozen with $3,000 non-conditional cash. Uncharted Premium FWD ~$474 is the cheapest way in, GT AWD ties for the lineup's lowest rate at 0.43% APR.
• Never take 24 or 48 months. Both are wall rates above 7% APR with no cash to offset. Lease at 36 and have the dealer price 39 next to it, because 39 comes in lower on most of this lineup.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come from Subaru Motors Finance Northeast program data, August 2026. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Rates from American Honda Finance (Acura) Northeast, July 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap cost = MSRP, no incentives applied. Three models carry a Sales Credit this month, but none stack with the subvented rates below, so payments exclude them (Finding #6). Loyalty, military, and college offers are conditional and left out too.

July is a near-total hold. The only move in the whole lineup: the ADX money factor eased one notch, from 0.00171 (4.10% APR) to 0.00170 (4.08% APR). That is worth about $1/mo. Every other model carries June's exact rates, residuals, and payments.

RDX still leads at 0.00147 (3.53% APR), the lowest rate on any Acura. MDX holds at 0.00173 (4.15% APR) across all four terms and is still the only model with no term penalty. Terms run 24/36/39/48 months, and on everything except MDX the two long terms work against you: 0.00280 (6.72% APR) at 39 months and 0.00295 (7.08% APR) at 48.

Finding #1: On RDX, Integra, and ADX, the 48-month term costs more per month than 36

At 24 and 36 months, RDX runs 0.00147, ADX 0.00170, and Integra 0.00181. At 39 months all three reset to 0.00280 (6.72% APR), and at 48 months they hit 0.00295 (7.08% APR). The rent charge at those rates is high enough that the longer terms carry a higher monthly payment than the 36-month deal. The longer residual does not offset the rate. You pay more per month and you are committed 12 months longer.

If a dealer quotes 39 or 48 months on any of these three, that is the rate sheet working against you, not a longer-term discount. Keep it at 24 or 36 and confirm the buy-rate MF in writing. MDX is the one exception, covered below.

Finding #2: RDX has the best rate on any Acura at 3.53% APR, unchanged from June

RDX holds at 0.00147 (3.53% APR) at 24 and 36 months, the lowest rate in the lineup. Residuals and payments are identical to last month. The entry SH-AWD runs ~$627/mo.

RDX SH-AWD at $46,550:

Cap cost (MSRP):                                  $46,550
Residual (60% x $46,550):                         $27,930
Depreciation ($46,550 - $27,930) / 36:            $517/mo
Rent charge ($46,550 + $27,930) x 0.00147:        $110/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$627/mo

RDX Trim	MSRP	RV	MF (APR)	~Monthly
SH-AWD	$46,550	60%	0.00147 (3.53%)	~$627
SH-AWD w/Technology	$49,150	59%	0.00147 (3.53%)	~$675
SH-AWD A-Spec	$52,150	58%	0.00147 (3.53%)	~$730
SH-AWD w/Advance	$54,300	57%	0.00147 (3.53%)	~$774
SH-AWD A-Spec Advance	$56,300	57%	0.00147 (3.53%)	~$802

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no incentive. 39mo resets to 0.00280, 48mo to 0.00295, both a higher payment than 36.

At 3.53% APR the whole deal lives in the rate and whatever you negotiate off sticker, where every dollar cuts the payment directly.

Finding #3: ADX is the only thing that moved, and it moved $1

The ADX money factor went from 0.00171 to 0.00170 at 24 and 36 months. Residuals held. The payment drops about $1/mo across every trim. Small, but it makes ADX the second-lowest rate in the lineup behind RDX, and it is the only change Acura made this month.

Acura also lists a $1,000 ADX Sales Credit, but it does not stack with this subvented rate.

ADX FWD at $36,450:

Cap cost (MSRP):                                  $36,450
Residual (61% x $36,450):                         $22,235
Depreciation ($36,450 - $22,235) / 36:            $395/mo
Rent charge ($36,450 + $22,235) x 0.0017:         $100/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$495/mo

AWD adds a flat $2,000 at every trim level.

ADX Trim	MSRP	RV	MF (APR)	~Monthly
FWD	$36,450	61%	0.0017 (4.08%)	~$495
FWD A-Spec	$39,650	59%	0.0017 (4.08%)	~$559
FWD A-Spec Advance	$43,850	58%	0.0017 (4.08%)	~$629
AWD	$38,450	61%	0.0017 (4.08%)	~$522
AWD A-Spec	$41,650	59%	0.0017 (4.08%)	~$587
AWD A-Spec Advance	$45,850	58%	0.0017 (4.08%)	~$658

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no incentive. Same 39/48-month trap as RDX: 0.00280 and 0.00295, both cost more per month than 36.

Finding #4: MDX is the only Acura where a longer term is not a penalty

MDX runs 0.00173 (4.15% APR) at 24, 36, 39, and 48 months. Same rate at every term, unchanged from June. That makes it the one model where stretching the term actually lowers the monthly instead of raising it. A 48-month MDX carries the same 4.15% rate, so the payment comes down, at the cost of more total spend and a longer commitment.

The MDX carries the lineup's biggest Sales Credit, $2,500 on non-Type-S trims, but it is not compatible with this rate either.

MDX Trim	MSRP	RV	MF (APR)	~Monthly
FWD	$53,250	58%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$767
FWD w/Technology	$58,650	56%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$875
SH-AWD	$55,450	58%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$798
SH-AWD w/Technology	$60,850	56%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$908
SH-AWD A-Spec	$63,850	56%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$953
SH-AWD w/Advance	$68,350	53%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$1,073
SH-AWD A-Spec Advance	$70,350	53%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$1,105
Type S SH-AWD w/Advance	$77,300	53%	0.00173 (4.15%)	~$1,214

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no incentive. MF is flat at 0.00173 across all four terms.

The 36-month deal is still the default pick. Take 48 only if a lower monthly matters more to you than total cost.

Finding #5: The Integra Type S trap runs backwards, 24 months is the term to avoid

The regular Integra follows the same pattern as RDX and ADX: 0.00181 (4.34% APR) at 24 and 36 months, then 0.00280 at 39 and 0.00295 at 48. The base CVT at ~$477/mo is the cheapest way into the Acura lineup. For reference, the ADX FWD is $18/mo more for the SUV shape.

There is a $1,000 Integra Sales Credit on non-Type-S trims, also not compatible with this rate. Type S gets none.

The Type S flips the whole structure. Its expensive term is the short one: 24 months runs 0.00380 (9.12% APR). At 36 and 39 months it drops to 0.00280 (6.72% APR), and 48 goes back up to 0.00295. Lease the Type S at 36 or 39, never 24.

Integra Trim	MSRP	RV	MF (APR)	~Monthly
CVT	$34,695	61%	0.00181 (4.34%)	~$477
CVT A-Spec	$37,245	60%	0.00181 (4.34%)	~$522
CVT A-Spec Technology	$40,495	59%	0.00181 (4.34%)	~$578
Type S Manual (36mo shown)	$54,695	66%	0.0028 (6.72%)	~$771

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, no incentive. Non-Type-S trap is 39/48 months. Type S trap is 24 months at 0.00380 (9.12% APR).

Finding #6: The Sales Credits exist, but they do not stack with the advertised rates

Three models carry a July to August Sales Credit: $2,500 on the MDX, $1,000 on the ADX, and $1,000 on the Integra, all excluding Type S. RDX gets nothing. It reads like free money, but the fine print kills it for lease shoppers. Each credit is "not compatible with Special Finance, Special Lease, Zero Due at Signing leases," and the low money factors in this post are exactly that: the subvented Special Lease rate.

So it is an either/or. Take the credit and you drop to the standard rate of 0.00280 (6.72% APR), which raises the rent charge more than the credit lowers the cap. The subvented rate without the credit wins every time:

• ADX FWD: ~$495 on the rate vs ~$529 on standard-plus-$1,000. Rate wins by ~$34/mo.
• Integra CVT: ~$477 on the rate vs ~$502 on standard-plus-$1,000. Rate wins by ~$25/mo.
• MDX FWD: ~$767 on the rate vs ~$780 on standard-plus-$2,500. Rate still wins by ~$13/mo.

The credit only helps in three cases: a purchase instead of a lease, a standard-rate lease if you do not qualify for the subvented tier, or the separate one-pay lease. On a normal top-tier lease, keep the rate and skip the credit. The two numbers to police are still the selling price and the money factor.

Full lineup at a glance

Model	Base MSRP	MF (36mo)	APR	RV	~Monthly	Term trap
RDX	$46,550	0.00147	3.53%	60%	~$627	39/48mo
ADX	$36,450	0.0017	4.08%	61%	~$495	39/48mo
MDX	$53,250	0.00173	4.15%	58%	~$767	None, flat all terms
Integra	$34,695	0.00181	4.34%	61%	~$477	39/48mo
Integra Type S	$54,695	0.0028	6.72%	66%	~$771	24mo (9.12%)

Sorted by MF ascending. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, base trim MSRP cap, no incentive.

Assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP. No dealer discount, no down payment. The Sales Credits are left out because they do not stack with the subvented rates used here (Finding #6). Every dollar you negotiate off sticker cuts the payment directly.

36 months / 12,000 miles per year. Northeast region residuals. Acquisition fee not capitalized in these numbers.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, acquisition fee, registration, and the dealer doc fee. Drive-off cost varies a lot by state.

Formula used: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%.

Published buy-rate MF. Dealers can mark it up. One point of markup (0.00010) adds roughly $6 to $12/mo depending on the model. Verify the exact MF on your deal sheet before signing.

Term discipline. 24 or 36 months on RDX, Integra, and ADX. 36 or 39 on the Integra Type S. MDX is the only model where any term is fair game.

Source: American Honda Finance rate sheets (Acura), Northeast region, July 2026. Money factors and residuals change monthly and by region.

TL;DR

• July is a hold month. ADX is the only mover, down one notch to 0.0017 (4.08% APR), worth about $1/mo. Everything else is a June carryover.
• RDX at 0.00147 (3.53% APR) is the best rate on any Acura. Entry SH-AWD ~$627/mo. Keep it at 24 or 36 months.
• 48 months costs MORE per month than 36 on RDX, Integra, and ADX. The rate jumps to 0.00295 (7.08% APR) and the longer residual does not save it. 39 months is nearly as bad at 6.72%.
• MDX is the only model flat at every term, 0.00173 (4.15% APR) from 24 through 48 months. It is the one Acura where a longer term lowers the payment.
• Integra CVT at ~$477/mo is the cheapest way into the lineup. The Type S runs backwards: 24 months is the trap at 9.12% APR, so lease it at 36 or 39 only.
• The Sales Credits do not stack with the rates. MDX ($2,500), ADX ($1,000), and Integra ($1,000, non-Type-S) each carry one, but none stack with the subvented rates that make these payments, and the rate wins. Skip the credit on a top-tier lease; it is for a purchase or standard-tier deal. RDX and Type S get none.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come straight from American Honda Finance Acura rate sheets, Northeast region, July 2026. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Rates from Genesis Finance (GF) Northeast, July 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP minus base non-conditional incentive only. Conditional programs (loyalty, conquest, military, college grad) not included. MSRPs from Genesis Finance pricing sheets.

Genesis rewrote almost the whole rate sheet in July, and this time the moves went the buyer's way. Money factors dropped across most of the lineup, residuals came down 1 to 4 points, and Genesis added lease cash on the sedans and GV70 to hold those payments steady. The big winner is the GV80 SUV. The one thing that did not move is the 39-month term, which still resets to 6.77% APR on every model.

Payments below use MSRP cap minus base cash only, no dealer discount, no down payment. Negotiate under sticker and the payment drops dollar for dollar.

Finding #1: The 39-month term is a trap on every single model

At 36 months, Genesis runs trim-tuned money factors that bottom out near zero on the sedans. At 39 months every model resets to exactly 0.00282 (6.77% APR) and the residual drops at the same time. Both push the payment up.

Concrete version: at 36 months the G80 2.5T runs MF 0.00003 (0.07% APR) and the G70 2.5T RWD runs MF 0.00006 (0.14% APR). Move to 39 months and both jump to 0.00282 (6.77% APR) with a lower residual. That is not a small step down, it is a different and far more expensive lease.

The 48-month term is not the same wall rate, but it carries much lower residuals, so it rarely comes out ahead either. If a dealer quotes 39 months to "fix" your payment, that is the rate sheet working against you. Keep it at 24 or 36 and confirm the buy-rate MF in writing.

Finding #2: The GV80 SUV is the month's real winner

This is the big move. Genesis slashed the money factor on all eight GV80 SUV trims. Rates fell from the old 2.4% to 3.8% APR range down to 0.65% to 2.38% APR, and payments dropped $20 to $35/mo even though residuals dipped 1 to 4 points. The 2.5T RWD went from ~$736 to ~$712, the 2.5T AWD from ~$756 to ~$733, the 3.5T Prestige AWD from ~$1,132 to ~$1,097. The standout is the 2.5T Select AWD at 0.65% APR (MF 0.00027), the lowest rate on any crossover in the brand.

GV80 2.5T Select AWD at $63,750:

Lease Cash:                                       -$0
Cap:                                              $63,750
Residual (57% x $63,750):                         $36,338
Depreciation ($63,750 - $36,338) / 36:            $761/mo
Rent charge ($63,750 + $36,338) x 0.00027:        $27/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$788/mo

GV80 SUV Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
2.5T RWD	$57,700	0.00060	1.44%	59%	~$712
2.5T AWD	$59,850	0.00071	1.70%	60%	~$733
2.5T Select AWD	$63,750	0.00027	0.65%	57%	~$788
2.5T Advanced AWD	$68,600	0.00080	1.92%	59%	~$869
2.5T Prestige AWD	$73,500	0.00076	1.82%	58%	~$946
3.5T Advanced AWD	$75,950	0.00067	1.61%	59%	~$946
3.5T Prestige AWD	$82,330	0.00099	2.38%	57%	~$1,097
3.5T Prestige Black AWD	$83,250	0.00061	1.46%	55%	~$1,112

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap. The 2.5T AWD lost the $500 base it carried in June, so these run on $0 base cash.

The rate cut turned the GV80 SUV into a real lease for the first time in a while. This is the strongest month-over-month improvement anywhere in the lineup.

Finding #3: The G70 is still the strongest lease value in the brand

The G70 held its spot. The 2.5T RWD lands around ~$517/mo with $1,500 base cash, still the lowest payment Genesis sells. Money factors stayed near zero, residuals slipped 3 to 4 points, and added cash kept the payment within a couple dollars of June. The 2.5T Prestige RWD is the rate leader at 0.07% APR.

G70 2.5T RWD at $43,450:

Lease Cash (cap cost reduction):                  -$1,500
Adjusted cap:                                     $41,950
Residual (54% x $43,450):                         $23,463
Depreciation ($41,950 - $23,463) / 36:            $513/mo
Rent charge ($41,950 + $23,463) x 0.00006:        $4/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$517/mo

The Prestige Graphite trims also got cheaper. Genesis cut their money factors from about 4.0% down to 2.28% and 2.57% APR. They are still the weakest G70 leases, but the penalty is smaller than it was: the Graphite RWD is about ~$810/mo, the AWD about ~$850.

G70 Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
2.5T RWD	$43,450	0.00006	0.14%	54%	~$517
2.5T AWD	$45,550	0.00005	0.12%	54%	~$537
2.5T Prestige RWD	$48,450	0.00003	0.07%	54%	~$566
2.5T Prestige AWD	$50,450	0.00009	0.22%	55%	~$596
3.3T Sport Prestige RWD	$53,600	0.00008	0.19%	55%	~$635
3.3T Sport Prestige AWD	$55,600	0.00004	0.10%	55%	~$664
3.3T Prestige Graphite RWD	$56,900	0.00095	2.28%	54%	~$810
3.3T Prestige Graphite AWD	$58,900	0.00107	2.57%	54%	~$850

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, base cash applied where present.

The 2.5T RWD at ~$517/mo is the value play. If you want a Genesis on payment, this is it.

Finding #4: The G80 keeps the cleanest rate, and the cash doubled to cover a small residual cut

The G80's rock-bottom rate ticked up a hair, from 0.02% to 0.07% APR on the base 2.5T, but Genesis nearly doubled the base cash to $2,750 to absorb a 2-point residual drop. The payment held at ~$709/mo on a $59,945 sedan. The rest of the lineup sits at 0.07% to 0.14% APR.

The spread inside the G80 is sticker-driven, not rent-charge-driven. You pay more for content, not for a rate step-up between trims. That is how a good lease should look.

G80 Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
2.5T	$59,945	0.00003	0.07%	53%	~$709
2.5T Advanced	$65,535	0.00003	0.07%	54%	~$806
2.5T Sport Prestige	$71,445	0.00006	0.14%	55%	~$865
3.5T Sport Prestige	$79,845	0.00006	0.14%	54%	~$972
3.5T Prestige Black	$80,845	0.00003	0.07%	54%	~$981

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, base cash applied.

One note if you are cross-shopping model years: the 2027 G80 is now pricing in Genesis data, but at a launch rate of roughly 1.2% to 2.5% APR against the 2026's near-zero 0.07%. Launch programs shift, so treat the 2027 as unconfirmed. Right now the 2026 G80 is the deal.

Finding #5: The GV70 traded rate for cash, so the payment sat still

The GV70 doubled down on being a cash play. The money factor actually ticked up to 5.52% to 5.62% APR, and residuals fell 2 to 3 points. But Genesis piled on lease cash to offset it: the base 2.5T now carries $3,500 and the Select $4,000, up from $2,000 and $2,500 in June. Same competitive payment, built differently.

GV70 2.5T at $47,985:

Lease Cash:                                       -$3,500
Adjusted cap:                                     $44,485
Residual (61% x $47,985):                         $29,271
Depreciation ($44,485 - $29,271) / 36:            $423/mo
Rent charge ($44,485 + $29,271) x 0.00234:        $173/mo
Base payment:                                     ~$595/mo

That gets the 2.5T to ~$595/mo, the Select to ~$633, and the Advanced to ~$711. It still leases well against German compact SUVs, just know Genesis is buying the payment down with cash and depreciation math, not a cheap rate.

GV70 Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
2.5T	$47,985	0.00234	5.62%	61%	~$595
2.5T Select	$50,885	0.00231	5.54%	60%	~$633
2.5T Advanced	$55,435	0.00234	5.62%	60%	~$711
2.5T Sport Prestige	$58,795	0.00231	5.54%	62%	~$750
3.5T Sport Advanced	$63,415	0.00230	5.52%	61%	~$847
3.5T Sport Prestige	$70,095	0.00231	5.54%	60%	~$963

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, up to $4,000 base cash applied on the Select.

The 2.5T at ~$595 and the Select at ~$633 are the sweet spots. Confirm the cash and the buy-rate MF, since the rate is high and that is where a dealer will pad it.

Finding #6: The GV60 undid June's rate hike, but the residual ate almost all of it

The GV60 reversed June's rate increase. Every money factor dropped, with the Performance AWD going from 1.61% to 0.26% APR and the RWD from 3.10% to 1.75% APR. The catch is the residual, which fell 3 points across the board, so the actual payment only eased $2 to $3/mo: RWD ~$789 to ~$787, Performance AWD ~$993 to ~$990. The rate looks much better on paper than it feels in the payment.

The Advanced 20 AWD also lost its $250 cash and is still the trap at 3.82% APR.

GV60 Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
RWD	$52,525	0.00073	1.75%	50%	~$787
AWD 19"	$56,025	0.00071	1.70%	52%	~$807
Advanced 20 AWD	$59,405	0.00159	3.82%	52%	~$936
Performance AWD	$71,875	0.00011	0.26%	51%	~$990

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, $0 base cash. The Advanced 20 AWD lost the $250 base it carried in June.

RWD is the value pick, Performance AWD has the best rate in the group, and the Advanced 20 AWD is the outlier to skip.

Finding #7: The Electrified GV70 has a great rate and an ugly depreciation curve

The Electrified GV70 got even cheaper on rate, down to 0.10% to 0.14% APR, and Genesis added $500 to $1,000 of lease cash. But residuals fell 2 points, so payments held flat around ~$923 to ~$1,088/mo. Good rate, heavy depreciation, same trade-off as before. You are paying for the drop in value, not the rent charge.

Electrified GV70 Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
19"	$65,875	0.00004	0.10%	49%	~$923
Advanced 20"	$70,745	0.00006	0.14%	48%	~$1,000
Prestige 20"	$76,845	0.00005	0.12%	48%	~$1,088

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, $500 to $1,000 base cash applied.

The rate is real, but a 48% to 49% residual on a $66K to $77K EV means you are financing more than half the car over 36 months. This only pencils as a lease, never a buy.

Finding #8: The G90 rate improved, and the GV80 Coupe is the one to skip

The G90 flagship got a small rate cut to 2.04% to 2.28% APR, down from the high 2s and low 3s in June. Residuals fell about 2 points at the same time, so the net payment barely moved. The 3.5T comes in around ~$1,420/mo, the e-SC ~$1,593, the Prestige Black ~$1,632. There is no meaningful base cash, so absent loyalty or conquest qualifiers you lease it the old-fashioned way, by paying for it. Clean rate for a six-figure car, but not a bargain.

The GV80 Coupe is the opposite story. It got a smaller cut and stays weak, with money factors at 3.65% to 4.37% APR and residuals that dropped too. The base 3.5T Coupe only eased to ~$1,173/mo, the e-SC to ~$1,312, the e-SC Prestige Black to ~$1,338. Unless you have a specific design obsession, this is a finance-or-wait vehicle.

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
G90 3.5T	$92,700	0.00095	2.28%	50%	~$1,420
G90 3.5T e-SC	$103,000	0.00087	2.09%	49%	~$1,593
G90 3.5T e-SC Prestige Black	$105,750	0.00085	2.04%	49%	~$1,632
GV80 Coupe 3.5T	$83,345	0.00152	3.65%	58%	~$1,173
GV80 Coupe 3.5T e-SC	$89,145	0.00182	4.37%	57%	~$1,312
GV80 Coupe 3.5T e-SC Prestige Black	$90,895	0.00177	4.25%	57%	~$1,338

Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, $0 to minimal base cash. The GV80 Coupe tops out at $250 base.

If you want a G90, the 3.5T at ~$1,420 is the value point. Take the GV80 SUV over the Coupe every time.

The skip list: what to avoid this month

Three things get little or no consumer cash in July, or carry a bad rate, and should wait until that changes.

Model	MSRP	RV	MF (APR)	~Monthly
GV80 Coupe 3.5T e-SC	$89,145	57%	0.00182 (4.37%)	~$1,312
GV60 Advanced 20 AWD	$59,405	52%	0.00159 (3.82%)	~$936
2027 G80 (launch program)	TBD	TBD	~1.2% to 2.5%	unconfirmed

The GV80 Coupe is a smaller rate cut on a mediocre residual with almost no cash, so it is the worst crossover lease in the brand. The GV60 Advanced 20 AWD lost its $250 cash and sits at 3.82% APR while its siblings run near 0.26% to 1.75%. And the 2027 G80 is landing at a launch rate well above the 2026's near-zero 0.07%, so hold on the 2026 until the 2027 program settles.

Full lineup, key trims by model

Model	Trim	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly
G70	2.5T RWD	0.00006	0.14%	54%	~$517
G70	2.5T AWD	0.00005	0.12%	54%	~$537
G70	2.5T Prestige RWD	0.00003	0.07%	54%	~$566
G70	3.3T Sport Prestige AWD	0.00004	0.10%	55%	~$664
G70	3.3T Prestige Graphite RWD	0.00095	2.28%	54%	~$810
G80	2.5T	0.00003	0.07%	53%	~$709
G80	2.5T Advanced	0.00003	0.07%	54%	~$806
G80	2.5T Sport Prestige	0.00006	0.14%	55%	~$865
G80	3.5T Prestige Black	0.00003	0.07%	54%	~$981
G90	3.5T	0.00095	2.28%	50%	~$1,420
G90	3.5T e-SC Prestige Black	0.00085	2.04%	49%	~$1,632
GV60	RWD	0.00073	1.75%	50%	~$787
GV60	AWD 19"	0.00071	1.70%	52%	~$807
GV60	Advanced 20 AWD (skip)	0.00159	3.82%	52%	~$936
GV60	Performance AWD	0.00011	0.26%	51%	~$990
Electrified GV70	19"	0.00004	0.10%	49%	~$923
Electrified GV70	Prestige 20"	0.00005	0.12%	48%	~$1,088
GV70	2.5T	0.00234	5.62%	61%	~$595
GV70	2.5T Select	0.00231	5.54%	60%	~$633
GV70	2.5T Advanced	0.00234	5.62%	60%	~$711
GV70	3.5T Sport Prestige	0.00231	5.54%	60%	~$963
GV80	2.5T RWD	0.00060	1.44%	59%	~$712
GV80	2.5T AWD	0.00071	1.70%	60%	~$733
GV80	2.5T Select AWD	0.00027	0.65%	57%	~$788
GV80	3.5T Advanced AWD	0.00067	1.61%	59%	~$946
GV80	3.5T Prestige AWD	0.00099	2.38%	57%	~$1,097
GV80 Coupe	3.5T	0.00152	3.65%	58%	~$1,173
GV80 Coupe	3.5T e-SC	0.00182	4.37%	57%	~$1,312

Key trims per model. Every trim resets to 0.00282 (6.77% APR) at 39 months with a lower residual. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, MSRP cap, base cash applied where present, no acquisition fee.

Assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP minus base non-conditional incentive. No dealer discount, no down payment, no trade equity. Conditional loyalty, conquest, military, and college-grad offers add real money on several trims but are not included here.

36 months / 12,000 miles per year. All residuals use the 12K tier, Northeast region. Lower mileage tiers carry slightly higher residuals, higher mileage lower.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the Genesis Finance acquisition fee, the dealer doc fee, DMV, and the first payment due at signing.

Formula used: Monthly = (Cap minus Residual) / Term + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%.

Published buy-rate MF. Dealers can mark up the money factor, which raises the rent charge. One point of markup (0.00010) adds roughly $10 to $18/mo depending on the car. The rates here are the floor, not a guarantee. Verify the MF before signing.

Avoid the 39-month term. Every model resets to 0.00282 (6.77% APR) with a lower residual. Confirm the term and the buy-rate MF in writing.

Source: Genesis Finance program data, Northeast region, July 2026, with trim-level MSRPs matched to Genesis Finance pricing sheets. Money factors, residuals, and incentives change monthly and by region.

TL;DR

• July dropped rates across most of the lineup. Money factors down, residuals down 1 to 4 points, cash added on the sedans and GV70 to hold payments steady.
• Every Genesis traps to 0.00282 (6.77% APR) at 39 months with a lower residual. Stay at 24 or 36.
• The GV80 SUV is the winner this month. Money factors slashed on all eight trims, payments down $20 to $35/mo. 2.5T RWD ~$712, and the 2.5T Select AWD hits 0.65% APR, the best crossover rate in the brand.
• The G70 is still the strongest lease value. 2.5T RWD ~$517/mo, the lowest payment Genesis sells, with $1,500 cash.
• The G80 has the cleanest rate. Base 2.5T ~$709/mo at 0.07% APR, with cash doubled to $2,750 to cover a small residual cut.
• The GV70 traded rate for cash. Money factor up to 5.52% to 5.62% APR, but $3,500 to $4,000 in cash holds the 2.5T at ~$595. Know what you are buying: a payment, not a cheap rate.
• The GV60 undid June's rate hike, but the residual cut ate almost all of it. Performance AWD went to 0.26% APR yet the payment only eased ~$3/mo.
• Skip the GV80 Coupe (3.65% to 4.37% APR, weak residual, almost no cash) and hold on the 2027 G80 launch program. The 2026 G80 is the deal.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this. The numbers come straight from Genesis Finance Northeast program data, July 2026. Argue the numbers if you want.)

Ford Motor Credit, Northeast region, July 2026. Pre-tax, 36mo/12K, cap = MSRP minus non-conditional cash. No dealer discount, no down payment. Conditional programs (loyalty, conquest, military) not included.

July is a model-year closeout and Ford put cash on almost everything. Nearly the whole lineup got cheaper. Two lines held: Maverick and Expedition, both still 7.39% APR with no cash.

Lineup rate map

Model	MF (36mo)	APR	RV	Cash	vs June
Mustang	0.00112	2.69%	55-58%	$500	EcoBoost down, GT up
Mustang Mach-E	0.00121	2.90%	49-52%	$2,500	Down $22-70
Explorer	0.00136	3.26%	61-65%	$1,500	Down $72-100
Bronco Sport	0.00142	3.41%	55-59%	None	Down $6-7
Ranger	0.00215	5.16%	65%	$500	Down $65
Bronco	0.00229	5.50%	62-70%	$500	Down $44-50
F-150 (SuperCrew)	0.00181-0.00239	4.34-5.74%	58-65%	$1,500-2,500	Flat, Raptor down $183
Escape	0.00308	7.39%	47-52%	$8,000 / $13K PHEV	Down $90-238
Maverick	0.00308	7.39%	65%	None	Unchanged
Expedition / Max	0.00308	7.39%	59%	None	Unchanged

MF x 2400 = approx APR. Dark Horse holds 0.00294 (7.06%).

Escape: ~$280 PHEV, and the rate is irrelevant

Rate didn't change (still 7.39%). The cash did: $8,000 on gas trims, $13,000 on the PHEV. Every trim dropped $90-238.

Escape PHEV FWD, $35,400 MSRP:
Closeout cash:                 -$13,000
Adjusted cap:                   $22,400
Residual (47%):                 $16,638
Depreciation / 36:               $160/mo
Rent (x 0.00308):                $120/mo
Payment:                        ~$280/mo

Without the cash that same PHEV is ~$681. The cash is the whole deal.

Trim	MSRP	MF	RV	Cash	~Monthly
PHEV FWD (best value)	$35,400	0.00308	47%	$13,000	~$280
Active FWD	$30,350	0.00308	47%	$8,000	~$337
ST-Line FWD	$31,195	0.00308	47%	$8,000	~$354
Active AWD	$31,750	0.00308	47%	$8,000	~$364
ST-Line AWD	$32,595	0.00308	48%	$8,000	~$373
ST-Line Select AWD	$35,015	0.00308	52%	$8,000	~$384
Platinum AWD	$37,940	0.00308	50%	$8,000	~$455
ST-Line Elite AWD	$38,935	0.00308	52%	$8,000	~$455

Get the cash in writing as a cap cost reduction. It's closeout money and won't last.

Explorer: 5.50% to 3.26% on every trim

Cleanest cut of the month. MF dropped to 0.00136, cash rose to $1,500. Down $72-100 across the board. 4WD trims hold 65% residuals.

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Active w/100A RWD	$38,465	0.00136	3.26%	64%	~$427	-$72
Active w/200A RWD	$40,585	0.00136	3.26%	64%	~$453	-$76
Active w/200A 4WD	$42,585	0.00136	3.26%	65%	~$466	-$79
ST-Line RWD	$45,155	0.00136	3.26%	64%	~$509	-$83
ST-Line 4WD	$47,155	0.00136	3.26%	65%	~$521	-$86
Tremor 4WD	$48,965	0.00136	3.26%	65%	~$542	-$89
Platinum RWD	$50,965	0.00136	3.26%	61%	~$620	-$90
Platinum 4WD	$52,965	0.00136	3.26%	62%	~$632	-$93
ST 4WD	$56,905	0.00136	3.26%	63%	~$667	-$100

Active w/200A 4WD at ~$466, 65% RV, 3.26% is the pick and the best three-row lease at Ford.

Mach-E: finally leaseable at 2.90%

MF dropped to 0.00121, cash up to $2,500. Premium trims down $55-70. Real 36-month lease again.

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Select RWD	$37,795	0.00121	2.90%	49%	~$531	-$22
Select AWD	$39,840	0.00121	2.90%	50%	~$553	-$23
Premium RWD	$40,595	0.00121	2.90%	51%	~$554	-$55
Premium AWD	$42,640	0.00121	2.90%	52%	~$574	-$57
GT AWD	$55,440	0.00121	2.90%	51%	~$783	-$70

Premium RWD at ~$554 is the pick. Now competes with IONIQ 5 and Blazer EV.

Mustang: best rate in the lineup, GT residual cut

EcoBoost dropped to 2.69% with $500 cash, ~$424. The GT shares the rate but lost four residual points (62% to 58%), so it went up ~$10.

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
EcoBoost Fastback (best rate)	$32,640	0.00112	2.69%	58%	~$424	-$32
EcoBoost Premium Fastback	$36,345	0.00112	2.69%	58%	~$474	-$34
GT Fastback	$46,560	0.00112	2.69%	58%	~$611	+$10
GT Premium Fastback	$51,080	0.00112	2.69%	58%	~$672	+$12
GT Premium Convertible	$56,580	0.00112	2.69%	55%	~$791	+$15
Dark Horse Fastback	$63,080	0.00294	7.06%	55%	~$1,061	-$45

EcoBoost Fastback at ~$424 is the best sports-car lease rate Ford has. Skip the Dark Horse on lease.

F-150: the rate inverted

SuperCrew subvented trims ticked up to 5.74% but cash ($2,000-2,500) kept payments flat. The Raptor and old penalty-box cabs dropped to 4.34%. Raptor fell $183.

Config	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
XL 2WD	$43,935	0.00239	5.74%	61%	~$600	$0
XLT 2WD	$48,055	0.00239	5.74%	61%	~$630	-$20
XLT 4WD	$51,915	0.00239	5.74%	63%	~$675	-$3
Lariat 4WD	$63,360	0.00239	5.74%	65%	~$806	-$1
King Ranch 4WD	$69,625	0.00239	5.74%	65%	~$891	+$1
Raptor 4WD (rate cut)	$79,005	0.00181	4.34%	58%	~$1,103	-$183
Ranger Lariat 4WD	$47,255	0.00215	5.16%	65%	~$612	-$65

STX SuperCab and Regular Cab also moved to 4.34%.

XLT SuperCrew at ~$630 with $2,500 cash is the value pick. Ranger Lariat improved to ~$612.

Bronco and Bronco Sport: both improved

Bronco Sport holds 3.41% with no cash. Full-size Bronco improved to 5.50% with $500 cash, down $44-50.

Trim	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Bronco Sport Big Bend	$31,845	0.00142	3.41%	59%	~$435	-$6
Bronco Sport Outer Banks	$36,945	0.00142	3.41%	56%	~$533	-$6
Bronco Sport Badlands	$40,265	0.00142	3.41%	55%	~$592	-$7
Bronco Big Bend 4dr	$40,995	0.00229	5.50%	70%	~$486	-$44
Bronco Base 4dr	$40,495	0.00229	5.50%	68%	~$501	-$44
Bronco Outer Banks 4dr	$48,090	0.00229	5.50%	64%	~$646	-$48
Bronco Badlands 4dr	$48,890	0.00229	5.50%	63%	~$670	-$49
Bronco Heritage Edition 4dr	$51,625	0.00229	5.50%	62%	~$721	-$50

Bronco Sport Big Bend ~$435 is the value compact. Bronco Big Bend 4dr ~$486 with a 70% RV is the pick for the real thing.

Holdouts: Maverick and Expedition

Both still MF 0.00308 (7.39%) with no cash, unchanged. Finance them, don't lease.

Model	MSRP	MF	APR	~Monthly
Maverick XL FWD	$28,145	0.00308	7.39%	~$417
Expedition Active 4x4	$65,400	0.00308	7.39%	~$1,065

Assumptions

• Cap = MSRP minus non-conditional cash. No dealer discount, no down. Negotiate below sticker and payments drop dollar for dollar.
• 36mo/12K, pre-tax and pre-fees. Add state lease tax, FMC acq fee (~$595-695), doc fee, first month at signing.
• MF is the published FMC buy rate. Dealers mark it up. A 0.001 bump adds ~$75/mo on a $45K car. Get it in writing.
• Formula: Monthly = (Cap - Residual)/36 + (Cap + Residual) x MF; Residual = MSRP x RV%.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Used an LLM to format. Numbers are from FMC Northeast rate sheets, July 2026. Argue them if you want.)

Rates from Subaru Motors Finance Northeast, July 2026. Payments pre-tax, 36mo/12K miles, cap = MSRP minus the base non-conditional cash only. No dealer discount, no down payment. MSRPs from Subaru pricing sheets. Conditional programs (loyalty, military) not included.

July was a rate-sheet reset. Money factors dropped on nearly every trim in the lineup, and the Outback Wilderness now shows the lowest rate Subaru offers on anything, MF 0.00016 (0.38% APR). If you read the rate sheet and stopped there, you would think the whole lineup got cheaper. It did not. Subaru paired the rate cuts with residual cuts on the Outback, the Impreza, and the EV trio, so several payments went up even as the money factor came down. The one column that matters is the last one, whether the July payment is higher or lower than June.

The real winners are the three EV-style models: Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted. Their base non-conditional cash rose from $2,000 to $3,000 and their money factors dropped, so payments fell $22 to $29 a month. The Forester reversed its two-month slide and came in about $12 cheaper. The Crosstrek base is the cheapest lease Subaru sells at $306. The trap is the Outback: its 0.38% headline rate hides a residual cut that pushed every trim up $8 to $14 a month.

Every payment below uses the 36-month term. That is where Subaru loads its subvented money factors. The 24-month and 48-month terms are penalty rates, not shorter-commitment discounts. Do not take either on a Subaru.

Finding #1: The money factor dropped almost everywhere, but half the payments still went up

This is the whole story of the July sheet. Subaru cut rates broadly, then quietly trimmed residuals on the models it did not want to give away. A lower MF on a lower residual is a wash or worse. The EV trio and Forester got real price cuts. The Outback and Impreza got a better rate and a higher payment.

Model	MF (36mo)	APR	RV (36/12K)	Base Cash	July vs June
Uncharted	0.00018–0.00068	0.43–1.63%	44–47%	$3,000	Down $27–28
Trailseeker	0.00066–0.00107	1.58–2.57%	50–52%	$3,000	Down $28–29
Solterra	0.00091–0.00108	2.18–2.59%	49–51%	$3,000	Down $22–23
Forester	0.00100–0.00191	2.40–4.58%	62–65%	$0	Down $11–12
Crosstrek	0.00114	2.74%	66%	$0	Down $18
Ascent	0.00032–0.00063	0.77–1.51%	58–62%	$0	Mixed
Impreza	0.00026–0.00039	0.62–0.94%	57–58%	$0	Up $8–9
Outback	0.00016–0.00061	0.38–1.46%	55–60%	$0	Up $8–14
WRX / BRZ	Penalty MF	Finance only	—	$0	Eased, still high

MF x 2400 = approximate APR. Base Cash is the non-conditional lease cash used in every payment below. Ranges span the trims covered in this post.

The takeaway: the Outback Wilderness has the best rate in the lineup and one of the larger payment increases in the lineup. That is not a contradiction, it is a residual cut. Read on.

Finding #2: The EV trio had its best month yet, cash went from $2,000 to $3,000

Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted all got the same treatment. Non-conditional cash rose $1,000 to $3,000 flat, and money factors dropped across every trim. Residuals slipped a point or two, but the extra cash and the lower rate more than covered it. Payments fell $22 to $29 a month on all three.

The Uncharted Premium FWD is the cheapest way into a Subaru EV at $474. The GT AWD carries the standout 0.43% APR in the lineup, second only to the Outback Wilderness.

Uncharted Premium FWD at $34,995:

Base cash (cap cost reduction):                        -$3,000
Adjusted cap:                                          $31,995
Residual (44% x $34,995):                              $15,398
Depreciation ($31,995 - $15,398) / 36:                 $461/mo
Rent charge ($31,995 + $15,398) x 0.00027:              $13/mo
Base payment:                                           ~$474/mo

At the old June program (MF 0.00085, 47% residual, $2,000 cash) the same truck was ~$502. The $1,000 more cash and the lower rate together took $28 a month off.

Trim (2026)	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Uncharted
Premium FWD	$34,995	0.00027	0.65%	44%	~$474	-$28
Sport AWD	$39,795	0.00068	1.63%	47%	~$540	-$28
GT AWD	$43,795	0.00018	0.43%	45%	~$597	-$27
Trailseeker
Premium	$39,995	0.00107	2.57%	52%	~$512	-$29
Limited	$43,995	0.00080	1.92%	50%	~$578	-$29
Touring	$46,555	0.00066	1.58%	50%	~$607	-$28
Solterra
Premium	$38,495	0.00107	2.57%	51%	~$500	-$23
Limited	$41,395	0.00108	2.59%	51%	~$544	-$23
Limited XT	$42,895	0.00102	2.45%	50%	~$575	-$23
Touring XT	$45,555	0.00091	2.18%	49%	~$621	-$22

Cap = MSRP minus the $3,000 base cash.

One caveat on these three: residuals are low, 44% to 52%. The deal rests entirely on the cash and the rate, not on resale. Confirm the $3,000 is applied as a cap cost reduction, and get any extra discretionary dealer cash in writing before you sign.

Finding #3: Outback has the best rate in the lineup and a higher payment than June

The Outback is the trap this month. The Wilderness money factor fell from 0.00032 to 0.00016, a 0.38% APR, the lowest rate Subaru offers on any model. But the residual dropped from 57% to 55%, and the volume trims took bigger cuts (Premium 64% to 60%, Limited and Limited XT 60% to 57%). Every Outback payment went up $8 to $14 even though the rate improved on all of them.

Outback Wilderness at $44,995:

Adjusted cap (no base cash):                           $44,995
Residual (55% x $44,995):                              $24,747
Depreciation ($44,995 - $24,747) / 36:                 $562/mo
Rent charge ($44,995 + $24,747) x 0.00016:              $11/mo
Base payment:                                           ~$574/mo

The rent charge is only $11 a month. That is the good news the money factor is selling you. But at 55% residual you are depreciating 45% of a $45K truck over three years, and that is what drives the $562 depreciation line. June's 57% residual, even at the worse 0.00032 rate, produced a $560 payment. The residual cut ate the rate cut and then some.

Outback Trim (2026)	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Premium	$34,995	0.00061	1.46%	60%	~$423	+$8
Limited	$41,715	0.00047	1.13%	57%	~$529	+$8
Limited XT	$44,365	0.00040	0.96%	57%	~$558	+$8
Wilderness (best rate)	$44,995	0.00016	0.38%	55%	~$574	+$14

Cap = MSRP, no base cash on the Outback.

The Premium at $423 is still the value pick. Just do not lease the Wilderness for the 0.38% rate alone. It is a $574 payment, more than last month, and the rate has nothing to do with it.

Finding #4: Forester rates recovered, both trims about $12 cheaper

The Forester reversed the slide it had been on since May. The base AWD money factor dropped from 0.00123 to 0.00100 (2.40% APR), and the Premium AWD improved from 0.00213 to 0.00191 (4.58% APR). Residuals held on both, so both trims are $11 to $12 a month cheaper.

Forester AWD base at $29,995:

Adjusted cap (no base cash):                           $29,995
Residual (62% x $29,995):                              $18,597
Depreciation ($29,995 - $18,597) / 36:                 $317/mo
Rent charge ($29,995 + $18,597) x 0.00100:              $49/mo
Base payment:                                           ~$365/mo

Forester Trim (2026)	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
AWD (base)	$29,995	0.00100	2.40%	62%	~$365	-$11
Premium AWD	$31,995	0.00191	4.58%	65%	~$412	-$12

Cap = MSRP, no base cash on the Forester.

The base AWD at $365 is a solid compact-SUV lease. The Premium AWD is still 4.58% APR, which is mid-pack, so stick to the base unless you want the equipment. If you want more room, the Outback Premium is only about $58 more a month with a lower rate.

Finding #5: Impreza and Crosstrek split, one got cheaper, one got the residual treatment

Same value tier, opposite outcomes. The Crosstrek base money factor fell from 0.00155 to 0.00114 (2.74% APR) and its 66% residual held, so it dropped $18 to $306. That is the cheapest lease Subaru sells this month.

The Impreza went the other way. The RS money factor fell hard, from 0.00060 to 0.00026 (0.62% APR), but the residual cut from 60% to 57% pushed the payment up $8 to $364. The Sport is the same story, up $9 to $327. A great rate on a worse residual is not a better deal.

Trim (2026)	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Crosstrek (base)	$26,995	0.00114	2.74%	66%	~$306	-$18
Impreza Sport	$26,595	0.00039	0.94%	58%	~$327	+$9
Impreza RS	$29,495	0.00026	0.62%	57%	~$364	+$8

Cap = MSRP, no base cash on either.

The Crosstrek base at $306 is the value play this month and the only trim in this tier that actually got cheaper. The Impreza RS at 0.62% APR is a legitimately low-rate lease, but the residual cut nudged it to $364. Both are fine. The Crosstrek is the better value in July.

Ascent, flat this month, still the cheapest three-row lease going

The Ascent went both ways. The Premium 7-passenger improved $7 to $458 and the Limited 8-passenger dropped $11 to $570, but the Premium 8-passenger and a couple of the top trims ticked up a few dollars. Net, it is roughly flat, and none of the small July moves change the math. It is still the cheapest three-row lease in the market, and the Premium 7-passenger at $458 is the buy.

Ascent Trim (2026)	MSRP	MF	APR	RV	~Monthly	vs June
Premium 7-pass (value pick)	$40,795	0.00042	1.01%	62%	~$458	-$7
Premium 8-pass	$40,795	0.00041	0.98%	61%	~$469	+$5
Limited 8-pass	$47,885	0.00032	0.77%	59%	~$570	-$11
Limited Bronze 7-pass	$48,995	0.00032	0.77%	58%	~$596	+$3
Touring 7-pass	$51,165	0.00049	1.18%	58%	~$637	+$2
Onyx Edition Touring	$51,995	0.00063	1.51%	58%	~$658	+$2

Cap = MSRP, no base cash on the Ascent.

Stay at 36 months, where the subvented money factor lives. The Premium 7-passenger is the only trim you need to look at unless you specifically want the 8-seat layout or the top trim equipment.

BRZ and WRX, finance only

Both money factors eased in the July reset, and both are still well above the subvented tier. The WRX sits at a penalty money factor even after the cut, and the BRZ leases poorly. Lease either one and you are paying a steep rent charge every month for nothing. These are cars to buy or finance. Nothing this month changes that.

The term trap, 36 months is the sweet spot

Subaru loads its subvented money factors onto the 36-month term. Every payment in this post uses it. The 39-month term is priced almost identically, so it is a fair alternative if you want three more months. The 24-month and 48-month terms are the walls: the money factor jumps to several times the 36-month rate. On a Subaru, a shorter term is not a lower commitment at a lower price. It is a penalty. If a dealer pushes the shorter term, check the money factor before you agree to anything.

Payment assumptions

Cap cost = MSRP minus base non-conditional cash. No dealer discount, no cap cost reduction beyond the listed cash, no trade equity. Negotiate below sticker and the payment drops dollar for dollar.

36 months / 12,000 miles per year. All residuals use the 12K tier. The 10K tier may carry a slightly higher residual, 15K a lower one.

Pre-tax and pre-fees. Add your state's lease tax, the Subaru Motors Finance acquisition fee, the dealer doc fee, and the first month payment at drive-off.

Formula used: Monthly = (Cap - Residual) / 36 + (Cap + Residual) x MF, where Residual = MSRP x RV%.

EV cash. Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted payments use the $3,000 non-conditional cash. Your dealer may add its own discretionary cash on top. Get it in writing as a cap cost reduction.

Published buy rate MF. Dealers can mark up the money factor. The rates here are the floor, not a guarantee. Verify the MF before you sign. One point of markup (0.00010) adds roughly $10 to $15 a month depending on the vehicle.

Northeast region. Money factors and residuals are from Subaru Motors Finance Northeast. Programs vary by region and change monthly. Confirm your zip code's program with the dealer.

Source: Subaru Motors Finance program data, Northeast region, July 2026.

TL;DR

• EV trio is the play this month. Solterra, Trailseeker, and Uncharted all got $3,000 cash (up from $2,000) plus lower rates, so payments fell $22 to $29. Uncharted Premium FWD at ~$474 is the cheapest way in. GT AWD carries the 0.43% APR.
• Outback is the trap. Wilderness has the lineup's best rate at 0.38% APR and a $574 payment, up $14 from June. A 55% residual ate the rate cut. Every Outback trim went up $8 to $14. The Premium at ~$423 is still the value pick, just not the bargain the money factor implies.
• Forester recovered, both trims about $12 cheaper. Base AWD at ~$365 is a solid compact-SUV lease. Skip the 4.58% Premium AWD.
• Crosstrek base at ~$306 is the cheapest Subaru lease and the only value-tier trim that actually got cheaper. The Impreza got a great rate (0.62% APR on the RS) and a higher payment, up $8 to ~$364, because of a residual cut.
• Ascent is flat and still the cheapest three-row lease in the market. Premium 7-passenger at ~$458 is the buy.
• BRZ and WRX are finance-only. Penalty money factors even after the reset. Buy them, do not lease them.
• Lease at 36 months (or 39 if you want the longer term). Never take a 24 or 48-month Subaru lease. Those are penalty money factors dressed up as a shorter commitment.

Run your numbers on quotedefender.com before going to the dealer, verify the published buy rate MF for your model.

(Transparency note: I used an LLM to help format this from Subaru Motors Finance Northeast program data, July 2026. Argue the numbers if you want.)