So for the longest time, we have managed to get by with one car in this household. Bel takes our BMW to work each day, and we share Gung-gung and Po-Po’s car to help drop-off/pick-up the kids each day. It’s not the most convenient, but we have made it work for the past year or so. With Daren starting kindergarten this fall (making the school schedule even harder), we also thought it was a good time to look for a second car to help with everything.
A lot of different options were on the table. We knew that we wanted to go with a SUV or compact SUV for our second car because the extra cargo space would be pretty nice. We also knew we wanted to lease vs. buy because we like the flexibility of updating cars every few years without the hassle of selling. We narrowed our search between the BMW x3, Audi Q5, and the Porsche Macan.
I started researching a lot of different options online. A few sites: leasehackr, truecar and edmunds, turned out to be particularly helpful throughout the entire process. These were forums where other users (sometimes even dealers) would post lease deals so that you can easily compare numbers. I think I learned a lot about the intricacies of what makes a good (or bad) lease deal based on the numbers.
After comparing multiple offers from multiple dealers, we ended up selecting the Porsche Macan from Circle Porsche in Long Beach! Although it was a little more expensive than the other options, in the end we really loved the styling of the Porsche. We were able to get a comfortably equipped 2018 Macan, 39 month lease w/no money down for $601/month. It was a little inconvenient to pick the car up from Southern California, but it beat out the deals from local places by at least a few thousand dollars.
After the deal was signed, I flew down to LA to pick up the car and drive it back. Cousin Tracy picked me up from the airport, and we both drove down to the Long Beach dealership. The whole transaction couldn’t have been smoother! Since all the paperwork was signed online prior to arriving, I was just handed the keys to the car and that was it!
Before heading back to SF, cousin Lisa was also in the area and joined us for lunch. After seeing the car I think I might have convinced her to buy one too, haha!
The car is absolutely beautiful, and Bel and I are really happy with our choice!