Compare the real costs of three options and make the best financial choice
Enter the price of the vehicle you plan to acquire. Use the new car MSRP as a baseline, and refer to actual quotes from dealers or rental companies for more accuracy. The vehicle price is the basis for all comparison calculations, so accuracy is important. If there are discounts or promotions, enter the discounted price.
Enter monthly payments and deposits for lease and long-term rental options. This information can be found in quotes from leasing or rental companies. Deposits are returned at contract end but represent opportunity cost, so they are included in total cost calculations. Compare quotes from multiple companies for the best terms. Promotional periods may offer deposit waivers or payment discounts.
Set the loan conditions for purchasing the vehicle. The loan ratio is the percentage of the car price financed by loan, with the remainder paid in cash. Interest rates vary by credit score, income level, and loan term, so check with banks or capital companies for applicable rates. The usage period and expected residual value rate are used to calculate depreciation. Generally, new cars retain 50-60% value after 3 years and 40-50% after 5 years in South Korea.
Compare the total cost and monthly average cost of all three methods. Look beyond total cost to consider initial capital burden, vehicle ownership, tax benefits, and end-of-contract options. Purchase gives you ownership and residual value recovery but has higher initial costs. Lease offers tax benefits for business owners and easy upgrades. Long-term rental includes insurance and taxes in monthly payments for convenient management. Choose the method that best fits your financial situation and vehicle usage purpose.
Office worker Kim is considering a 30 million KRW mid-size car for commuting, with 10 million KRW cash and a 5-year plan. Purchasing with 70% loan (5.5% rate): 9M KRW down, 380K KRW/month, ~2.85M KRW total interest. After 5 years, with 13.5M KRW residual value, net cost is 19.35M KRW. Lease: 3M KRW deposit + 450K KRW/month = 27M KRW total. Long-term rental: no deposit + 520K KRW/month = 31.2M KRW total. If funds are limited and tax benefits available, lease is best; for long-term ownership, purchase wins.
Business owner Park needs a 45M KRW SUV for work. With a business registration, lease offers VAT refund and expense deduction benefits. Purchase with 50% loan (4.8%): 22.5M KRW initial, 420K KRW/month, after 4 years residual value 24.75M KRW = net 25.33M KRW. Lease: 5M KRW deposit + 680K KRW/month = 37.64M KRW total, minus ~3.42M KRW VAT refund = net 34.22M KRW. Rental: no deposit + 780K KRW/month = 37.44M KRW total. With tax benefits, lease is most economical and reduces tax burden.
A newlywed couple plans their first car, a 25M KRW compact. Limited savings but stable income. Purchase with 100% loan (6.2%): no down, 480K KRW/month, 2.37M KRW interest + 12.5M KRW depreciation over 3 years, with 12.5M KRW residual recovery. Lease: 2M KRW deposit + 520K KRW/month = 20.72M KRW. Rental: no deposit + 580K KRW/month = 20.88M KRW. With no initial funds and plans to upgrade in 3 years, rental is most convenient. For long-term ownership, purchase is best. All-inclusive rental (insurance, tax, maintenance) suits newlyweds well.
A lease is a financial product where you borrow the vehicle and can choose to return, purchase, or re-lease at contract end. Business owners get VAT refunds and expense deduction benefits, providing significant tax savings. Long-term rental is a rental service where insurance, vehicle tax, and maintenance are included in monthly payments, eliminating vehicle management burden. Business owners benefit more from lease; individuals who want hassle-free management prefer rental. Leases come from financial companies while rentals from specialized rental firms, with different contract terms and early termination rules.
Residual value rates depend on brand, model, popularity, and usage period. Generally, Korean domestic cars retain 50-55% after 3 years and 35-45% after 5 years, while imported cars and popular SUVs retain 5-10% more. Check used car price sites (KB Chacha, Encar, SK Encar) for model-specific pricing by year. Lower mileage, no accident history, and good maintenance records increase residual value. Avoid assuming overly high residual values to prevent losses when selling.
Long-term rentals include insurance (own damage, property, personal injury), vehicle tax, and scheduled maintenance in monthly payments, with minimal additional costs. Leases generally do not include insurance and taxes; the user must arrange and pay separately. However, insurance-inclusive lease products have recently emerged. For purchases, all costs are borne directly. When comparing total costs, include all these auxiliary expenses for accuracy.
Both lease and rental incur penalties for early termination. Typically, the settlement amount is the sum of remaining monthly payments minus a discount, usually 40-60% of remaining months. Penalties are higher for early termination, so if you cannot commit to 1-2 years minimum, consider short-term rental. Purchases can be sold mid-term but may incur losses from depreciation. Review early termination terms, settlement methods, and vehicle return restoration costs carefully.
Purchase loans involve credit checks and loan records that affect your credit score. Faithful repayment can improve credit, but delinquency causes significant damage. Leases also require credit checks as financial products, with approval and rates based on credit grade. Some long-term rental companies offer contracts without credit checks, though low credit may increase deposits or monthly payments. If you want to avoid credit impact, long-term rental is advantageous; if building credit, faithful purchase loan repayment helps.
At lease end, you can return the vehicle, purchase it (at residual value), or re-lease. If the vehicle is in good condition and market value exceeds residual value, purchasing and reselling can be profitable. Long-term rental requires vehicle return at contract end, though some companies offer purchase options. Purchases give you full ownership with the widest range of choices. If you like switching to new cars, use lease or rental for easy upgrades; if keeping one car long-term, purchase is most economical.
자동차 유지비 구성 요소부터 차종별 비교, 비용 절감 전략까지 알아보세요.
자동차를 소유하면 구매 비용 외에도 다양한 유지 비용이 지속적으로 발생합니다. 연간 유지비는 크게 고정비용과 변동비용으로 나눌 수 있습니다. 고정비용으로는 자동차세(배기량에 따라 연 8~52만원), 의무보험료(책임보험 포함 연 50~150만원), 주차비(월 5~20만원), 할부금 또는 리스료가 있습니다. 변동비용으로는 연료비(연 100~300만원), 정기점검 및 소모품 교체비(연 50~150만원), 타이어 교체비(2~4년마다 30~80만원), 수리비 등이 있습니다.
국내 평균 기준으로 중형 세단 1대를 5년간 소유하면 총 유지비가 차량 구매가의 50~80%에 달하는 경우가 많습니다. 즉 3천만원짜리 차를 사면 5년간 유지비로 1,500~2,400만원이 추가로 들 수 있습니다. 이처럼 유지비는 자동차 소유의 중요한 경제적 부담이므로, 구매 전 충분한 비용 계획이 필요합니다.
차종에 따라 유지비 차이가 상당합니다. 경차(모닝, 캐스퍼 등)는 배기량이 낮아 자동차세가 저렴하고(연 10만원 이하), 연비가 좋아 연료비가 적습니다. 타이어와 소모품도 저렴하여 연간 총 유지비가 200~300만원 수준으로 가장 경제적입니다. 중형 세단(쏘나타, K5 등)은 연간 유지비가 350~500만원, 대형 SUV(팰리세이드, 모하비 등)는 500~700만원 이상이 들 수 있습니다.
수입차는 국산차 대비 부품 가격과 공임이 2~5배 높아 유지비 부담이 큽니다. 독일 프리미엄 브랜드(BMW, 벤츠, 아우디)는 연간 유지비가 700만원을 넘는 경우도 있습니다. 반면 일본차는 내구성이 높고 부품이 비교적 저렴하여 유지비 면에서 효율적입니다. 전기차는 연료비와 소모품비가 낮지만, 배터리 관련 수리비가 높을 수 있어 구매 시 배터리 보증 조건을 꼭 확인하세요.
자동차 유지비를 줄이는 가장 효과적인 방법은 다이렉트 자동차 보험 가입입니다. 대면 채널 대비 10~15% 저렴하며, 매년 갱신 시 여러 보험사의 견적을 비교하면 추가 절감이 가능합니다. 마일리지 할인 특약을 활용하면 연간 주행거리가 적을 경우 최대 8% 추가 할인을 받을 수 있습니다. 무사고를 유지하면 매년 보험료 할인율이 누적되어 최대 30% 이상 절감됩니다.
정기점검을 제때 받으면 큰 수리비를 예방할 수 있습니다. 엔진 오일은 제조사 권장 주기(보통 5,000~10,000km)마다 교환하고, 에어 필터와 에어컨 필터도 정기적으로 교체하세요. 타이어는 5,000km마다 위치 교환(로테이션)을 하면 수명을 30% 이상 늘릴 수 있습니다. 차량을 장기간 주차할 때 직사광선을 피하면 도장과 내장재 노화를 늦출 수 있으며, 세차와 왁싱으로 차체를 보호하면 재판매 시 잔존가치를 높게 유지할 수 있습니다.