tcoble33

I'm thinking that by the time I'm ready to take the plunge on an A7 prestige (about a year or two) there will be a number coming onto the market because of people wrapping up their leases. I'm curious about how the car's residual value, as set in the lease agreement, translates to an actual purchase price. Most of the numbers that I'm seeing on, say, a 36-month lease on a 2012 prestige put the residual value somewhere in the range of 52% of MSRP, give or take a few points.

I've never purchased a leased vehicle before, so I'm not clear on the finer points of how the math works. Do leased cars typically sell for roughly their stated residual value, or do dealers tend to apply markups, etc.? Is there a standard calculation that I can use to ballpark an estimated purchase price, based on a known MSRP and residual percentage?

Thanks!