Vinfast VF 8 can be leased for $249 per month for 36 months

VinFast is enduring the same slowing demand and resulting "economic headwinds" as almost every other battery-electric-vehicle maker. Yet, despite the automaker's first offering here, the VF 8, being generally (and kindly) considered not very good, the company still delivered almost 35,000 units in 2023. To entice additional demand while demonstrating its commitment to aggressive pricing, VinFast just rolled out what Cars Direct calls "The Cheapest Deal in America." You — yes, you! — can lease a VF 8 for as little as $249 per month for 36 months and 10,000 miles a year. That gets the entry-level VF 8 Eco that starts at $47,200 after destination and can do an estimated 264 miles on a charge.

On the automaker's retail site, the small print limits participants to those who live in California and explains there's a $944 payment due at signing. Assuming you get past the first hurdle, the lease rate after that $944 but before lease taxes, sales taxes, and dealer fees comes to $275.22 per month, a total of $9,908 dollars over that three years. Before the promotion, VF 8 lease prices were $399 per month after a down payment of $4,594, which works out to about $527 per month. Cars Direct said that the new rate beats more than 500 other lease deals offered by various automakers.

The automaker's able to do this because it's essentially pouring money onto hoods, said moneys being a $7,500 tax incentive for the lease and $15,349 in lease cash, totaling $22,849 in discounts. We think the word for that is, "Cha-ching." Assuming you're ok with a VF 8.

Earlier this month, VinFast said it had signed five independent dealers in four states: and VinFast Wichita in Wichita, Kansas; Smith Haven VinFast in St. James, New York; Leith VinFast in Raleigh, North Carolina; Principle VinFast Grapevine in Grapevine, Texas; and Hiley VinFast of Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas. Even though VinFast's national site still only shows California dealers, Jalopnik said it found a similar deal advertised at Leith VinFast in North Carolina. The lease asks the same $249 per month on the VF 8 Eco with no money down; however, the dealer does charge a $695 acquisition tax (a nearly unavoidable lease fee), another $698 as an "administrative/documentary fee," and we're told that the $1,393 outlay does not include sales taxes and the cost of vehicle tags. As it is, the lease payment still only comes to $287.78 per month. Leith also offers a $299 lease with zero down on the upper trim VF 8 Plus, a special we couldn't find on VinFast's site. When Jalopnik called and texted Leith to inquire about final pricing, though, the site was first put on a 20-minute hold, then ignored, and said no one from the dealership called to provide a quote.  

We looked for similar announcements at the other signed franchises, but none of them have their VinFast pages up at the time of writing.

The lease deal is supposedly ending January 31, but if you have the right credit score, you can probably get some leeway through the end of the week. Assuming, of course, you're ok with a VF 8.