Dirt cheap: Jeep Gladiator lease offer is $143/month

— there’s money factor, capitalized cost, fees, taxes, and residual values to consider. So while the real-world month-to-month cost for you isn’t always easy to understand, the basics of a new

2020 Jeep Gladiator

Sport

lease

is easy: It’ll be relatively cheap. Like, $143 per month (estimated) before fees, with 10 percent down, for 24 months.

Note that we said before fees. The actual out-of-pocket cost will vary. But whatever it is, the important thing is that it’s the super-high residual value that’s making it generally inexpensive. This specific lease is for 24 months, which is relatively short. When you lease, you’re essentially renting the vehicle — what you pay is the difference between what it costs new and what it costs at the end of the lease —

depreciation

. After two years, the

Gladiator

is expected to retain close to 90 percent of its value, a phenomenal number. That means you’re paying 10 percent of the cost of the vehicle, plus fees, over 24 months.

This is because the Gladiator is expected to be worth a lot even as a used vehicle. Dealers will surely be able to cash in turning around off-lease Gladiators, too. It’s sort of a win-win for everyone except the person trying to get a great deal on an off-lease Gladiator.

Going to a different trim level or lease term will change the monthly cost of the lease, as will negotiating to a different “cap cost.” But it’s clear that the Gladiator’s unusually high residual value is going to be a benefit for folks looking to lease the popular Wrangler-based pickup.