End-of-summer clearance sales are still going strong. A big ticket item currently on sale for a bargain price is the Nissan Ariya. The crossover EV starts at $40,980 including destination, but for the next few weeks, you can lease one for just 99 bucks a month.
The small print, according to CarsDirect, is that the 36-month lease requires $3,329 due at signing. What you’d get in return is the mid-level Ariya Engage trim with the e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive system. The lack of a plus (+) symbol in Nissan‘s awkward model naming means the Ariya in question is equipped with a 63-kWh battery. Ariya + models are equipped with an 87-kWh battery.
The bigger battery means 389 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, but the regular ol’ Ariya Engage is no slouch with its 335 hp and 413 lb-ft of. The smaller battery size also limits the Ariya’s driving range to 205 miles versus up to 272 miles with the pluses.
Regardless of configuration, though, $99 is a hilarious, absurdly low monthly payment for a brand new EV, and to illustrate this fact, we’ve compiled a list of things that would cost, well, more.
A Lego Ford GT
Automotive Lego Technic sets might take just as long to put together as filling out an Ariya’s financing forms, and about a dozen of them are more expensive than an Ariya lease. The plastic brick version of the 2022 Ford GT, for example, costs just $119.99.
This T-Shirt
One (1) t-shirt from Comme des Garçon is on sale right now at a hundred bucks. But those heart eyes!
This Used NES Bundle
Nostalgia isn’t cheap, either, because why does the OG Nintendo Entertainment System still cost so much?
This Vacuum Cleaner
Feel like cleaning the house instead? A non-Dyson upright vacuum will set you back $135, and that’s the sale price.
A Tire for a Mazdaspeed 3
Every single regular-priced tire option for my personal vehicle costs more than leasing an Ariya for a month. Sale prices come in at 41 cents cheaper. And that’s just one tire. Sigh.
A Box of Copy Paper
A carton of 3-hole-punched copy paper from Staples costs more than the Ariya’s monthly payment at $99.59. And judging from its current customer rating of 2.5 stars, it’s not even good paper.
This Cart from Harbor Freight
Let’s not forget Harbor Freight deals. Instead of an Ariya, you can get about one and a half titanium mill-faced framing hammers or a single-drawer service cart. Plus, there are eight color choices—same as the Ariya!
Like, 19 Chalupa Supremes
This rabbit-hole research has made me hungry. Guess I could spend $99 on 18.7 Chalupa Supreme tacos from the world’s prettiest Taco Bell in Pacifica, California. Oh, wait, that’s before taxes. Fewer Chalupas mean fewer calories, though.
You have until November 4 to make up your mind on leasing a Nissan Ariya. Heck, I might still be trying to finish these tacos by then.
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