In some cases there is no down payment at all. Leasing puts the driver in a new car every two or three years. For some consumers, this is an important lifestyle consideration. Leasing also allows consumers to drive a more expensive vehicle than they can afford to buy. Leasing is easier since negotiating over the price is downplayed.
Vehicles are subject to wear as they age.
A lease allows consumers to side-step the issue. By the time the car needs expensive repairs, the lease will have ended. There is no hassle with a trade-in at the end of the lease. Current tax law considers many of the expenses of a lease car used for business to be tax deductible. When the lease ends, you have built up no equity in a vehicle.