The leasing contract you can't compare
Two quotes with the same monthly cost can differ by tens of thousands over the contract term. The difference sits in the residual value, the interest and what happens on return — three things that rarely appear in the quote.
The monthly cost tells you almost nothing
A leasing quote is presented as an amount per month per car. It's a convenient figure to compare, which is why suppliers use it. The problem is that the figure is the result of three entirely separate components that aren't broken out.
Two quotes can land on the same monthly cost and still be different deals. One has set a high residual value, which lowers the monthly fee but shifts the risk to you if the car is worth less on return. The other has a lower residual value but higher interest. Without breaking out the parts, you're comparing nothing.
The three parts of a monthly fee
Always ask for them separately. If a supplier refuses, that's an answer in itself.
| Part | What it is | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | The difference between purchase price and agreed residual value, spread over the term | How high the residual value is set, and who carries the risk |
| Interest | The financing cost on the capital the supplier ties up | Whether the interest is disclosed at all, and against which base |
| Service and maintenance | Servicing, repairs, tyres, sometimes insurance and road tax | Exactly what's included, and what's billed separately |
Almost all operational leases are built on these three. If they aren't broken out in the quote, the deal can't be assessed.
A high residual value looks good when the contract is signed, because it lowers the monthly cost. But if the car is worth less than the residual value on return, it's often you who pays the difference. A low monthly fee can therefore be a deferred cost rather than a saving.
Mileage is the most common hit
The contract specifies a mileage, and deviations are charged per mile in both directions. Excess mileage costs, and under-driving rarely gives money back to the same degree.
The figure is set at the start of the contract, often as an estimate nobody follows up. If the business has changed — fewer client visits, more remote work, different delivery patterns — it probably no longer holds. Adjusting the mileage mid-term is easier than most people think, and cheaper than paying excess mileage at the end.
The return is where the bill arrives
On return the car is inspected and deductions are made for what's judged to be abnormal wear. What counts as normal is defined in the contract, but the definition varies considerably between suppliers and is rarely read before signing.
It's the item that surprises people most often, because it arrives three or four years after the decision was made — and usually lands with someone other than the person who negotiated the contract.
What you can do yourself
- Ask for the monthly cost split into depreciation, interest and servicing. If the supplier can't show it, the quote can't be compared with any other.
- Compare contracted mileage against actual. Look at the whole fleet, not the average — it's the individual cars that get charged.
- Read what the contract defines as normal wear, and compare between suppliers. The difference can be thousands per car.
- Check whether the contract has been extended automatically. Extensions often happen at an unchanged monthly fee even though the car is considerably more depreciated by then.
- Work out whether you need as many cars. The cheapest car is the one you don't lease.
What's hard to do yourself is judging whether a residual value is reasonable. That requires market data on second-hand values for that specific model and term — data the supplier has and you don't.
Last reviewed 3 August 2026. The figures are based on negotiated contracts and quotes gathered for Swedish companies with 20–100 employees. They are typical ranges, not guarantees — your cost depends on volume, contract length and the requirements you set. We update them when we see the market has moved.
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