Leasing · Broker Black education

How a car lease actually works.

Broker Black prices every car in its partner inventory as a lease as well as a loan or cash, so it helps to know what a lease payment is made of. A lease is a long rental with a fixed end: you pay for the part of the car's value you use up during the term, plus a finance charge, plus tax. On a three-year lease of a car that loses 45 percent of its value, you pay for that 45 percent and hand the rest back.

By Broker Black · Published September 18, 2026

The five numbers that set a lease payment.

How the math goes together.

Depreciation charge: selling price (plus any fees rolled in, minus anything you put down) minus the residual, divided by the number of months. Rent charge: selling price plus residual, multiplied by the money factor. Add them and you have the base payment. Add tax on each payment (Arizona, Nevada, and California all tax the payment stream rather than the price) and you have the number on the contract.

Every vehicle page on Broker Black runs this math on the current Mercedes-Benz Financial Services program for that model, at your term, miles, credit range, and money down, and shows the monthly payment, the one-pay amount, and the drive-off total. The residual and money factor stay behind the number; the payment is what you can act on.

The dealer gives you its discount and transparent pricing up front, including aftermarket pricing and any rate markup, so you do not waste time haggling. Everything is priced for you; Broker Black shows the resulting payment.

Fees at the start and the end.

FeeWhenTypical amount (Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, as published by its dealers in 2026)
Acquisition feeAt signing, or rolled into the payment$795 to $1,095
First paymentAt signing (not on a one-pay lease)One month
Doc feeAt signing; set by the dealer and taxed in NevadaShown per dealer on the vehicle page
Registration and titleAt signingSet by the state
Disposition feeAt return, if you do not lease or buy another Mercedes-Benz within 90 days$595
Excess milesAt return$0.25 per mile over the contract
Excess wearAt returnPer the lender's wear standard; normal wear is not charged

Three ways to structure the same lease.

Everything in this guide.

Quick answers.

Who sets the lease price on Broker Black?

The partner dealer. Each dealer publishes its own selling price, discount, and any market adjustment up front, and Broker Black turns that into a payment. Everything is priced for you, so there is nothing to haggle over.

Is the payment shown on the vehicle page an offer?

It is an estimate on the current factory program at the profile you set (credit range, term, miles, money down), with tax for where you live. The dealer confirms the final contract figures.

Does Broker Black show the money factor and residual?

No. Those belong to the lender's program. Broker Black shows what they produce: the monthly payment, the one-pay amount, and the drive-off total, so you can compare cars and structures on the numbers you actually pay.

How much do I need to put down on a lease?

Nothing is required. Broker Black's examples start at 10 percent of the selling price so cars compare evenly; you can set it to zero or any amount on the vehicle page.

See lease payments on live inventory Ask the Concierge