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- Mar 9, 2025
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- Location
- Seattle
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- Macan 4S, Volvo XC90 T8
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- #1
This isn’t my first EV, but it’s the first time I’ve had to get creative to unlock the full tax benefit. I recently leased and then bought a Porsche Macan EV—not because I enjoy paperwork, but because that’s the only way to take advantage of the $7,500 federal EV credit on this car. The process isn’t obvious, and there’s a lot of confusion online. So I’m writing this to lay it all out clearly: how the lease-to-buy strategy works, exactly how much I saved, and what steps you need to follow if you’re considering the same approach.
Finding the Right Car (and the Right Dealer)
After a lot of research and test drives, I decided I wanted a relatively lean-configured Macan 4S in Black with a Papaya interior. I fired up Porsche Finder and quickly learned a harsh truth—there were only three Papaya 4S models available in the entire country, and all were heavily optioned and far above my budget. So I pivoted to my next choice: all Black.
There were plenty of matches, and I began reaching out to dealers across the country—Porsche of Fremont, LA Downtown Porsche, Kansas City, Barrington (IL), and finally Porsche of Jackson in Mississippi. I kept it simple with each: 10% off MSRP or I walk. Some laughed. A couple got close with offers in the 7–8% range. But Porsche of Jackson was refreshingly straightforward—they agreed to the 10% discount immediately and sent over the paperwork without any games.
I did notice that their money factor was higher than other dealers—0.0040 (~10% APR) versus the more standard 0.0035 (~8% APR). But I didn’t push back too hard since I wasn’t planning to carry the lease for long anyway—I knew I’d be buying it out almost immediately.
The Numbers
Here’s how the final deal broke down:
Once the car arrived, I waited nearly a month for Washington state registration to complete. As soon as it did—and right before my second lease payment was due—I pulled up the lease payoff amount from Porsche Financial Services (PFS). The payoff quote was $86,598, which includes Washington’s 10.8% sales tax.
So in the payoff quote, the actual vehicle cost before tax was $78,157, and I had already paid $1289 as part of first payment, putting the effective total to $79,446.
What I Actually Saved
Here’s the net benefit from this lease-then-buy approach:
Finding the Right Car (and the Right Dealer)
After a lot of research and test drives, I decided I wanted a relatively lean-configured Macan 4S in Black with a Papaya interior. I fired up Porsche Finder and quickly learned a harsh truth—there were only three Papaya 4S models available in the entire country, and all were heavily optioned and far above my budget. So I pivoted to my next choice: all Black.
There were plenty of matches, and I began reaching out to dealers across the country—Porsche of Fremont, LA Downtown Porsche, Kansas City, Barrington (IL), and finally Porsche of Jackson in Mississippi. I kept it simple with each: 10% off MSRP or I walk. Some laughed. A couple got close with offers in the 7–8% range. But Porsche of Jackson was refreshingly straightforward—they agreed to the 10% discount immediately and sent over the paperwork without any games.
I did notice that their money factor was higher than other dealers—0.0040 (~10% APR) versus the more standard 0.0035 (~8% APR). But I didn’t push back too hard since I wasn’t planning to carry the lease for long anyway—I knew I’d be buying it out almost immediately.
The Numbers
Here’s how the final deal broke down:
- MSRP: $94,685
- Discount (10%): -$9,468
- EV Lease Credit (passed on via Porsche Financial): -$7,500
- Capitalized Cost (including lease acquisition fee): $78,822
- Lease Terms: 39 months / 10,000 miles annually
- Monthly Payment: $1,436 ($1,289 base + $147.30 WA tax)
- Upfront Cost: First month payment + $1,500 for transport
Once the car arrived, I waited nearly a month for Washington state registration to complete. As soon as it did—and right before my second lease payment was due—I pulled up the lease payoff amount from Porsche Financial Services (PFS). The payoff quote was $86,598, which includes Washington’s 10.8% sales tax.
So in the payoff quote, the actual vehicle cost before tax was $78,157, and I had already paid $1289 as part of first payment, putting the effective total to $79,446.
What I Actually Saved
Here’s the net benefit from this lease-then-buy approach:
- MSRP: $94,685
- Final Cost: $79,445
- Total Discount: $15,240
- Of that, $9,468 was direct dealer discount
- $5,772 came from the EV lease credit passed through the cap cost
- I haven't factored in the $1500 transportation cost, which will vary based on what you do and where you are.
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