About to lease a new car, likelihood of me getting a loan?

[Jesse Kidd]

You get a 5 year lease on a $30,000 car, with an expected residual value of $15,000 after 5 years(making up numbers). Your payments are $15,000 spread over the 5 years, plus related interest and crap, right? So if he makes a larger downpayment, it just cuts his payments down correspondingly over the life of the lease, which isn't really a terrible thing. It's not the smartest decision, but it's not retarded.

I think buying is better, but if he has a lump sum, and is in a profession where income is sporadic, I can see the mental/emotional advantages of getting the payment down as low as possible.