Man Buys Lease On New Car. The Salesman Steps In To Clarify—Toyota Leases Are Different: 'I Do This With Subaru'

In a TikTok with over 511,000 views as of this writing, Toyota salesman JJ (@jj_muratore) reveals what exactly makes Toyota stand out against competitor leases. 

The Toyota salesman starts by revealing that there is no mileage penalty if you buy the car out, trade it in, or sell it back to the dealership. 

“The only time that the mile penalty comes into play is if you do a lease return or drop off the vehicle. I would never advise doing that with Toyota,” JJ recommends.

The Toyota salesman mentions that at the end of every lease, there is a residual balance and a buyout number. This is for all car brands, such as Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, etc. JJ shares that most brands' buyout number will be less than the car is worth.  

“The buyout number's—let’s say it’s $20,000. If your car is worth less than $20,000, would you pay $20,000 for your car to buy it out at the end? No. Obviously not. That’s what is happening to you guys when you finish up your Kia, Nissan, and Volkswagen lease. The car didn’t hold its value, so you are just dropping off the car, and you paid to rent a car. You had a terrible experience leasing,” JJ shares.

JJ explains that a Toyota will usually have positive equity at the end of a lease.

“However, with Toyota, what happens is most of the time you have positive equity. So that at the end of the lease, you have your buyout amount. Your car held its value so well that the car is worth more than what you owe,” he revealed. 

The Toyota salesman explained that this positive equity could be put toward another down payment on a new car or be applied toward the buyout number for the Toyota you had. 

“It’s like you got a steal on your own car because Toyota held its value so well. They put you in an equitable position at the end of the lease, and you are buying yourself flexibility,” he shares.

This flexibility gives customers the chance to try a new Toyota model or buy out if they enjoy the one they currently have. 

“This puts you in a much better position with such little risk and such few fees compared to these other dealerships,” JJ says. 

JJ also mentions that a Toyota lease can be traded into any dealership, whereas other car manufacturers don’t allow this. 

“Toyota can’t take in a Volkswagen lease; it can’t take in a BMW or Mercedes lease, so you are stuck with them, and you are stuck to abide by whatever their fees are at the end. Toyota does not set you up like that,” he concludes. 

Gallery: 2025 Toyota Models

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Source: Toyota

‘Just How Leasing Works’

Viewers in the comments section verified with examples of the leasing working out in their favor.

“I’ve leased a Toyota for the past 15 years and I love it! Brand new car every 3 years, never pay for oil changes & tire rotations. Leasing keeps my payments low and has been a great experience for me,” one TikTok commenter wrote. 

“$8000 equity on my last RAV4 lease. I pulled out $2k cash and went into a newer lease with low monthly payment. $270 a month for my 2025 RAV4,” one shared. 

“My Toyota always had positive equity at the end of the lease! I made a huge mistake when I switched to Jeep,” another revealed. 

However, not all viewers believe a Toyota lease is special and argue that this is just how leasing works. 

“You didn't get a steal. Either way you're paying the depreciation,” one wrote. 

“Toyota by no means is the only lease which can result in positive equity. I do this with Subaru a lot,” a second shared. 

“Acting like that’s a Toyota thing and not… just how leasing works,” another commented. 

What Makes Toyota Leases Special?

When getting a new car, consumers are often faced with the difficult decision of whether to lease or buy the car. 

Consumer Reports shares that the monthly payments tend to be lower with leasing, and buying the car through financing tends to save money in the long term.

So, when evaluating leases from different car manufacturers, there are four main characteristics to consider. According to Cartelligent, a strong lease will offer strong residual values, competitive money factors, meaningful manufacturing incentives, and transparent, reasonable fees.  

Cartelligent ranks Toyota as one of the best leasing brands with the most competitive leasing options. Toyota’s reliability is what makes its leasing appealing to many. Toyota has earned the #1 overall ranking in reliability for both Consumer Reports and Kelley Blue Book. With consistent reliability, Toyota’s resale value holds up very well, which leads to higher residual value and lower monthly payments. 

However, Toyota isn’t the only car brand that offers a high residual value. Car manufacturers with high residuals include Lexus, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, and Subaru, Cartelligent reports. 

Toyota has become a popular leasing option due to its predictability and consistent reliability. Greater confidence is built when leasing a Toyota. Knowing that there is proven history to the vehicle having a high residual value makes the lease enticing and special. 

Motor1 has contacted JJ via TikTok direct message and comment on the post. This post will be updated if he replies.