I currently lease my Prius II. I'm 12 months into my 36 month lease. I absolutely love my car, but I wish I would have gotten the Prius III with NAV/Bluetooth, etc. #1- If I do some of these upgrades now, will my dealer say or do anything about them now or is that only a factor at the end of my lease? #2- If I did the upgrades and chose to buyout my lease at the end of my term, which I intend to do with the mileage I seem to be putting on per year, will I be penalized at all?
#1. I doubt the dealer would say anything, but do realize that you may be throwing good money after bad here. #2. In your state, do you have to pay sales tax again if you buy the car at the end of the lease? Leasing a car is nearly as bad for your wallet as penalty interest rates on credit cards, but there is something in your favor here. Demand for Prii is extremely high, and trade-in value is at a premium. This might be a good time to get out of your lease entirely and purchase (not lease!!!) something else, maybe a used Camry with Bluetooth + NAV, something that you can happily drive for several years until it is paid off. I'll bet a good dealer finance person would be able to make the economics work for you.
