ENFIELD, Conn. (WGGB) –Laura Bussolari’s Kia is getting old, and when she’s ready to hit the road, she wants to make sure she’s got a dependable ride. “On occasion I will take a long road trip, and I don’t want to be on the side of the road with my car,” she laughed.

Bussolari bought her first new car 5 years ago, and is trading it in at the Enfield dealership to lease her new one. Like many folks shopping for cars, she faced the same big question, buy or lease? “It depends on how many miles per year you drive; it depends on how long you keep your car for.  If you keep your car for 5 years leasing doesn’t make any sense for you,” said Gary Rome, owner of Gary Rome Kia.

It also depends on how much you’re willing to shell out for monthly payments. “You can lease a car typically for $250 a month with no money down, or you’d be buying that car and financing it for 60 months instead of 36 months, and you’d have to put 20% towards the purchase of that car,”

Another advantage to leasing is that by the time you’re ready for some major repairs, like new tires, you can turn your car in for a new one.

Rome says that several manufacturers might let you do that before your lease is even up. “They have a pull ahead program, so you don’t have to keep your car for the entire 36 months. You can turn the car in 6 months early and get into the latest and greatest new car,” he added.

With leases you’re allotted a certain number of miles per year. If you go over you pay per mile.

While you don’t have to worry about mileage when you own your car, after the first couple of years it can depreciate up to 40%.

Rome says that about 35% of MA drivers lease.