Always price shop as if you were going to buy. Only after you've agreed to a bottom line price, should you break the news that you might consider leasing. Leasing could be forever. But if you buy the car outright, payments will probably stop before the car does. After the loan's been paid off, the car will actually be yours, free and clear, but payments on a new lease will have just begun.
Dealers love to lease.
They usually get a higher price for the car, because Americans haven't yet learned that leases should be negotiated. Instead, they pay top dollar and take the hit for those first few, very high depreciation years. The lucky dealer gets back a well maintained, low mileage, used car to sell. Negotiate every bit as hard for the lease as for the purchase price. If they can dream it up, you'll be asked to pay for it.