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A recent flap briefly roiled the small but growing market for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. A critic of tax support for hybrid and electric vehicles raised allegations — so far unproven — that some car dealers have been selling low-mileage used models of the Chevy Volt without making it clear that the much-ballyhooed $7,500 tax credit no longer applied.

"I want a car with good fuel economy."

We hear that a lot, but what exactly constitutes good fuel economy? It would be easy to simply look at the EPA mpg ratings on a new car's window sticker, but what sort of mpg numbers can you expect in the real world? And what happens when you factor in the cost of fuel — gasoline, diesel and now electricity? This test seeks to answer those questions.

Using This Comparison:This "leasing versus buying" comparison is an educational tool to make general comparisons of these two methods of obtaining a vehicle. It is not an advertisement for and does not describe a particular lease or loan. It does not include all of the terms of a lease or a loan. In many places, the identified costs do not include all fees and taxes. Please refer to the specifics of the lease and loan you are considering for the actual terms. To reduce the complexity of the comparisons, the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a vehicle for cash are not included. However, most statements applicable to financing a vehicle also apply to purchasing it with cash.

When an auto loan deal goes wrong, it's often because of problems that occur when the contract is prepared in the finance and insurance office (the "F&I" room). It's here that a car buyer can see much of the potential savings regarding his or her auto loan go up in smoke.

"Come on into my office and I'll work up some numbers for you," salespeople often tell prospective car buyers. The buyer then meekly follows the salesperson into a tight little office to be bombarded with numbers and prices, most of which are much higher than expected.

Using This Comparison This "leasing versus buying" comparison is an educational tool to make general comparisons of these two methods of obtaining a vehicle. It is not an advertisement for and does not describe a particular lease or loan. It does not include all of the terms of a lease or a loan. In many places, the identified costs do not include all fees and taxes. Please refer to the specifics of the lease and loan you are considering for the actual terms. To reduce the complexity of the comparisons, the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a vehicle for cash are not included. However, most statements applicable to financing a vehicle also apply to purchasing it with cash.

Using This Comparison:This "leasing versus buying" comparison is an educational tool to make general comparisons of these two methods of obtaining a vehicle. It is not an advertisement for and does not describe a particular lease or loan. It does not include all of the terms of a lease or a loan. In many places, the identified costs do not include all fees and taxes. Please refer to the specifics of the lease and loan you are considering for the actual terms. To reduce the complexity of the comparisons, the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a vehicle for cash are not included. However, most statements applicable to financing a vehicle also apply to purchasing it with cash.

The following lease text is a comprehensive list of the terms that you may find in lease advertisements, with an explanation of each. Since most of these are not required disclosures, many ads will have less information. Because this is a complete list of potential lease advertisement terms, many of t

In order to get the best deal when you lease a car, you should begin by getting a rough idea of what your lease payment will be for the vehicle in question. For many consumers, this seems like an overwhelming task. But it doesn't have to be. The calculations shown here can be done using a pocket calculator. Or, you can create an Excel spreadsheet to make the calculations automatic. Either way, this will be a valuable tool in saving money when you lease a car.