It costs NT$20,000 to buy, but you will have to pay extra to rent a tram. Chinese people lament that “no matter what choice you make, you will lose money.”

Long-term leases are a car ownership option that many people prefer. They feel that they can replace the car with a new car every few years and the cost is relatively low. However, some problems will only become apparent once the car is returned.Southern California Sugar mr kim is for rentmercedes I have had an electric SUV for the last three years. When I was about to return the car, I found that the buyout offer was more than 66,000 yuan, while the second-hand car purchase offer was only about 42,000 yuan. If I returned the car without purchasing it, I may have to pay a tire replacement and return charges. Another Chinese, Ms. Zhu, wanted to return the car early because of charging problems. Even though she was willing to lease another car from the same car dealer, she was told that she would have to pay for the remaining months. Both lamented that renting a tram was not as cost-effective as they had thought.

Mr Jin said he had been leasing a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS electric SUV and driving it for two years and nine months. The total mileage of the three-year lease contract was 30,000 miles, but the actual mileage was only 20,000 miles. Even though the mileage is not perfect and I take good care of the car, tire wear becomes an expense when the car is about to be returned.

He said the tread depth of the tires during inspection last year was only around 3 mm, which may exceed the prescribed wear limit, so it is expected that four tires may need to be replaced before the car can be returned. According to the price he inquired, the original factory price was about 1,800 yuan, and the price from outside stores was about 1,500 yuan. He is still confirming the specifications of the replacement tires, and is concerned that after replacing them himself, they will not meet the acceptance requirements to return the car.

In addition to tires, body scratches and other wear and tear, there may also be fees after vehicle inspection. He has made an appointment to inspect the car before returning it, in hopes of finding out what needs attention and how much he can be charged. At the time of the interview, formal inspection results and final bills had not yet been received.

Mr. Jin said that if you return the car directly and do not buy or rent another car, there will be a return fee of more than 500 yuan, which is about 600 yuan after tax. If you really need to replace four tires, plus the return fee, the expense may exceed 2,000 yuan, not including other wear and tear items.

They also looked at buying and then selling, but found that the price difference was even greater. According to the screenshots they provided, the vehicle lease buyout offer was NT$66,690.09, and Kelley Blue Book’s immediate acquisition offer was NT$42,199, a difference of approximately NT$24,491. This difference makes buyout resale unattractive.

For Mr. Jin, the purchase price is higher than the current purchase price, and there are maintenance and related expenses when returning it. Neither option is ideal. He also asked whether he could get the discount if he continued buying or renting cars of the same brand. According to the instructions they received, there is an incentive rebate of about 500 yuan, but the wear and tear fee still needs to be settled separately. This does not mean that replacing the old car with a new car will eliminate all the expenses of the old car.

Ms Zhu, another Chinese resident of Southern California, expects her lease to end early because of frequent charging problems. She said that electric vehicles often have charging problems, and every time she deals with them, she replaces the charging connector, which makes her gradually lose the desire to continue using them.

With a few months left until her lease was up, she asked if she could return the car early and expressed her desire to lease a different car. She originally thought that since she was still willing to continue renting the car, she might be able to negotiate to return the original car in advance, but she was told that the remaining months’ fees still needed to be paid, and there was no discount for renting another car.

Other electric car owners have also faced return bills. Automobile media Motor1 reported that Hailey, a woman who rented a Tesla Model 3, was charged for repairs such as a dented front bumper, dented fenders, rims and rear emblem when she returned the car. The final bill listed in the report was 2,141 yuan. He said that the mileage did not exceed the standard, and he removed and applied the insulation film before delivering the car to avoid recharging. She rented another Model Y, and the return fee of 300 yuan was waived, but she still had to pay for the damage caused to the car.

The cost of using electric vehicles has also sparked discussion on Xiaohongshu. Some netizens described this expense as “insurance is expensive, and tires are thrown away every year.” He lamented that apart from the insurance premium, tire replacement is also a burden. Another comment blamed the tram’s batteries for tire wear, which makes the vehicle heavier than a gas-powered vehicle, reflecting some car owners’ doubts about durability.