I don't follow the line of reasoning that leasing is cheaper than buying outright. Via a lease you still pay interest on the full value of the asset, plus a negotiated cost having a relationship to depreciation. If leases were bad deals for the auto manufacturers they would probably stop writing them.

One nice thing that a lease offers is a defined cost. If your luxury sedan turns out to be a basket case, the warranty covers the problems during the lease, and you can simply wash your hands of it at the end of the term. Trying to sell a depreciated-to-$40K car with problems is not easy.