New car lease

I have a new leased car. Thanks to everyone who provided details on switching to a new lease early and pointing out details that I needed to investigate. I appreciate it!

Last week, I had a talk with my manager. He loves cars and recommended getting the C-HR. I test-drove it on Wednesday and it handles well. The problem is that it has huge blindspots on the sides. The rear passenger windows are tiny and it's dark back there. I didn't feel comfortable doing shoulder checks. Down the road, if this car model is redesigned and changes are made to the passenger side windows, I'll reconsider it.

I currently have a Scion iM. It was rebranded as a Toyota iM. It is now the Corolla hatchback. It felt comfortable when I drove it. I like having a push-button start like my Priuses in the past. I like going into drive mode and giving my foot a break by pressing the Stop button. I like going into parking mode and having the emergency brake automatically engage.

It felt fun to drive, just like my current car. I didn't experience that with the C-HR.

The crazy thing is that I put less money down and my payments are much lower. I have been with Toyota for nine years, so it's nice that my track record with them has been good.

I get my car in a couple of Fridays. I need to start clearing my stuff out of my car. My glove compartment is atrocious. I will work on not doing that with my new car.

Six months before my car lease is over

I have a leased car. The lease is six months away from being over.

Apparently, I can take my car into the dealership to get a complimentary assessment on how it is doing and options that I have, including buying it. I also have the option to break my lease and get a new car without any penalties, depending on the car that I choose, I am guessing.

This process is completely new to me. I have never had a six-month-before-the-lease assessment in my life. It must be recent, as I have leased a total of four cars in my life, including this one. I can only guess that it is to retain customers.

It seems like the trade would be from my Scion iM (it has been rebranded as the Corolla iM) to the Corolla Hatchback. I don't know whether selecting a different car model is eligible for breaking a lease and keeping my payments roughly the same. We'll see.

If you have any insight, please let me know. It's all new to me as I continue my research on cars.