You typically need good credit in order to qualify to lease a car. If your credit is good enough to lease, or you're working on improving it to that point, read on to learn more about how to lease a vehicle.

Leasing a car and traditional auto financing might live in the same category in your mind, but they're two completely different processes. One thing both have in common is that they can be more difficult to accomplish if you have bad credit.

Your monthly payment may end up being lower with a lease, but leasing is actually more expensive than buying a car in the long run. Really, comparing leasing and buying is like comparing apples and oranges, but it all comes down to your situation.

Car lease terms are relatively short, with the most common being 24 and 36 months. This is unlike car loan terms, which stretch over five years on average.

You can negotiate some aspects of a car lease, but not everything. It’s important you know what you can and can’t negotiate before you head to a dealership.

Leasing a vehicle is generally cheaper than purchasing one. If you're trying to lease a car in Los Angeles, you should know that it's harder to get approved if you have bad credit.

To lease or to buy? This is often the question when you’re ready for another vehicle. Both financing routes have their pros and cons, but when you’re struggling with credit issues, you may find that getting approved for a lease won’t be as easy as qualifying for financing.

You can almost always turn in your leased vehicle early, and whether you buy or lease from the same dealership after is up to you. What you need to know before making this decision is your penalty for early lease termination.

There can be up to six things you might have to pay for when you sign a lease, so you aren't going to be driving away without coming up with a little green.

There are pros and cons to car leasing, and if you’re on the fence about trying it, check out the most common reasons why or why not leasing is a good move.