Car loan or leasing?
An honest cost comparison

Often, yes. But not automatically. Key factors include the potential cash discount, the mandatory comprehensive insurance for leasing, excess mileage, and the residual value at the end of the lease. Therefore, the most informative comparison is with your own offer. If leasing is cheaper, the calculator will show exactly that.

Otherwise, two different situations would be compared. With a lease and return option, you no longer own the vehicle at the end. With a loan, you own the car and can sell it. Therefore, in "return" mode, the vehicle's value is deducted from the loan amount. This ensures the starting point is the same for both options. As a control, the difference between the two options remains identical, regardless of whether you choose "keep" or "return.".

This is a common occurrence. Therefore, you can directly compare leasing and loan interest rates in the calculator. By selecting "Equalize leasing interest rate with loan interest rate," both options are calculated using the exact same rate. In the example shown, the loan remains cheaper for two reasons: VAT is levied on the leasing payment, but not on the loan payment. Furthermore, with leasing, a portion of the capital is only repaid with the residual value at the end of the lease term, thus accruing interest for a longer period. With a vehicle price of CHF 35,000, a 48-month term, and a residual value of CHF 15,000, this results in approximately CHF 2,000 in VAT and approximately CHF 1,400 in additional interest.

The comparison only tips in favor of leasing at this term if the interest rate falls below approximately 1.8 percent. This threshold depends little on the vehicle price, but primarily on the lease term: at 24 months it's around 1.1 percent, and at 60 months around 2.0 percent. If your offer is below this, leasing is cheaper in this comparison.

Because the two payments finance different things. With leasing, you primarily pay depreciation and interest during the term; at the end, the agreed residual value remains outstanding. With a loan, the entire purchase price is repaid, and the vehicle belongs to you. Therefore, the monthly payments alone are not very informative. A more accurate comparison is made by considering the total costs, including the residual value.

Leasing can be a good option if you want a new vehicle every two to three years and don't want to deal with resale yourself. It's important that your mileage remains predictable. Furthermore, different tax considerations apply to company cars than to private vehicles.

Look for terms like "residual value," "final payment," or "calculated vehicle value at contract end" in the offer. If this information is missing, you can enter a typical market value into the calculator. Depending on the contract term, this is usually around 35 to 62 percent of the original purchase price. However, for an accurate comparison, you need the value from your specific offer.

Yes. Loan interest can be deducted as debt interest on your tax return; lease payments cannot. Depending on the loan amount, term, and your personal tax situation, this can amount to several hundred francs over the years. This effect is not included in the calculator above.

No. VAT is not charged on loan payments. However, it is included in lease payments. This is one of the reasons why two interest rates with the same amount do not automatically result in the same total cost.

Our services are free of charge for borrowers. If a loan agreement is concluded, we receive a commission from the respective partner bank. You do not pay us a brokerage fee.

Yes. You can repay a consumer loan early at any time without penalty. Unused interest will be credited or refunded. If you sell the car, you can use the proceeds to repay the loan.

Yes. A consumer loan is unsecured. You can use it to finance a new car, a used car, or a vehicle from a private seller, and you are not tied to a specific brand or dealer. This is particularly relevant for private purchases, as leasing is usually not an option.

No. After the payout, the money will be in your account, and you decide which vehicle to buy. However, two pieces of information will help us advise you: the approximate purchase price and the planned purchase date.

Yes, generally speaking. Whether it's worthwhile depends on the settlement amount and the current value of the vehicle. Especially early in the loan term, the outstanding amount can be higher than the car's value. Therefore, the final settlement should be carefully calculated beforehand.

After signing, the statutory 14-day cancellation period begins (Art. 16 KKG). The bank cannot release funds before this period expires. Therefore, you should allow approximately three weeks for the entire process. If the merchant sets a delivery date, it's best to adhere to this deadline from the outset.

We generally need your ID card or passport, front and back, as well as your last three payslips. If you have a foreign national ID card, we also need a copy of your permit. Depending on the bank, other documents may be required, such as bank statements, your rental agreement, or health insurance policy.

A non-binding inquiry with us alone will not generate a ZEK entry. The ZEK only becomes relevant when an application is submitted to a bank. Therefore, we check beforehand which partner bank best suits your situation, instead of unnecessarily distributing the same inquiry widely.

With a C permit, the same requirements generally apply as for Swiss citizens. A loan is often possible with a B permit if the permit has been valid for six to twelve months and the employment relationship is stable. The possible loan term depends, among other things, on the validity of the permit.