Leasing vs. Buying with a Loan: What’s the Real Difference? When deciding between leasing a car and buying it with a loan, many shoppers assume one option is significantly cheaper than the other. In reality, when you compare the two over a similar time frame—such as three years—the overall cost is often surprisingly close. A key point to be made here is that a specific car depreciates in value by the same amount, regardless of whether it is purchased with cash, financed with