Comparison

Tesla Rent-to-Own vs leasing vs financing vs renting

Four ways to drive a Tesla for years. Three of them need great credit, charge fees on top of the payment, or leave you with no car at the end. One of them does none of that.

TeslaRented
Lease
Loan
Rental
No credit check
Yes
No
No
Yes
No income verification
Yes
No
No
Yes
You own the car at the end
Yes
No
After paying years of interest
No
Maintenance, scheduled service, brakes and tires included
Yes
No
No
Yes
Replacement car if yours is in the shop, no charge for downtime
Yes
No
No
Sometimes
No interest or APR
Yes
No
No
Yes
No hidden fees
Yes
Acquisition, disposition, wear-and-tear
Doc fees, add-ons, markups
Airport, one-way, extra-driver, under-25
Free delivery to your door
Yes
No
No
No
Leave anytime with no early-termination penalty
Yes
No
No
Yes
Not reported as debt, no repossession on your credit
Yes
No
No
Yes
Uber and Lyft allowed
Yes
Usually prohibited
Yes
Usually prohibited
Choose your mileage plan, from 1,000 miles a month
Yes
10–15k a year, overage fees
Yes
Often capped
Registration, plates and title work handled for you
Yes
No
No
Yes
Payment locked for the whole term
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rates change
Manufacturer warranty transfers to you at title
Yes
No
Yes
No

Leasing, financing and rental-company terms describe typical U.S. market practice and vary by provider.

The downsides, side by side

What the other three cost you

Leasing

  • Hard credit pull; most approvals need a prime score
  • Down payment plus acquisition fee at signing
  • Disposition fee and wear-and-tear charges at the end
  • 10,000–15,000 miles a year, then overage fees
  • Early-termination fees if life changes
  • You hand the car back with nothing

Financing

  • Hard credit pull; your APR depends on your score
  • Interest adds thousands over a 5–7 year loan
  • Negative equity if you need out early
  • Reported as debt, lowering your borrowing power
  • Dealer doc fees, add-ons and markups
  • Repossession risk if a payment slips

Rental companies

  • Priced by the day, so a month costs far more than a Rent-to-Own payment
  • Airport, one-way, extra-driver and under-25 fees on top
  • Mileage caps on long-term rentals
  • Rideshare use usually prohibited
  • Large holds on your card at every pickup
  • Never a path to owning the car

What TeslaRented gives you instead

Everything included, nothing hidden

No credit check

No application, no score, no cosigner. Everyone qualifies.

Free delivery

To your door anywhere in the continental U.S. No pickup lot.

Maintenance included

Scheduled service, brakes and tires from normal wear are covered. You pay nothing extra to keep the car running.

Backup car

If your Tesla needs a repair, we repair or replace it within two business days and you are not charged for the downtime.

No interest, ever

A flat biweekly payment. Nothing compounds, nothing balloons.

No hidden fees

No acquisition, disposition, doc, dealer or convenience fees.

Title in your name

After 48 months of payments the car is yours, with any remaining manufacturer warranty transferred to you.

Paperwork handled

Registration, plates and title work stay with us during the term.

Pick your miles

Plans from 1,000 miles a month. Drive more, pick a bigger plan.

Leave anytime

Return the car and the agreement ends. No early-termination penalty.

Uber and Lyft OK

Rideshare and delivery driving are allowed on every agreement.

Text-message support

A real person on the other end, Monday through Saturday.

Want the numbers for your situation? Pick a model and mileage plan in the calculator →

Rent-to-own pricing

What the Rent-to-Own column actually costs

Each row is the lowest-priced car of that model listed right now, on the 1,000 miles/month plan, with that car's own first payment. Every car shows its own price on the inventory page.

Comparison FAQs

Per month, a lease can be lower for a driver with excellent credit, but a lease ends with no car. Rent-to-own costs more per month than the cheapest leases and ends with the title in your name. For drivers who cannot pass a credit check, Rent-to-Own is the only one of the three that is available at all.

Skip the credit check

Pick a Tesla, make the first payment, and we deliver it free.

Call / TextGET STARTEDNO CREDIT CHECK