A 3.0 X5 is a pig... 260hp hauling around 5k lbs of unladen german automotive prowess is not exactly a sprinter. Did you test drive the X yet?

Disregarding what you'll be getting instead, that $7k is going to be a tough nut to swallow. I've said it a lot on here, NEVER EVER put money down on a lease. The only thing you should be out of pocket for up front is tax, title, and reg. and if your state doesn't charge sales tax monthly, pay the sales tax up front. Excluding tax/title/reg, take that $7k divide it by your current lease payment and that's the # of extra payments you've made because you put that $7k down.... yikes, I cringe every time I hear someone do this...

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