First post,

I'm a long time car (and Audi) enthusiast.
A good friend has recently shown interest in buying a new Volvo S40, possibly a 2.4 n/a or T5 with or without AWD.

She is looking to put $2-3K down and have a payment around 400.
She wants to buy, but I've been explaining to her that payment is not realistic without a lot of $$$ down, unless she leases.

What kinds of deals are out there on a S40 in the $28K range, on purchases and on a 2-3 year lease?

Any pointers on what type of money factor is typical and what NOT do to when leasing a volvo?

I may sway her towards leasing a new A4, but the S40 is a nice car too and might be a little cheaper to lease.
Right now the A4 is $407 per month ($34,000 msrp), with $2000 down on a 36 month lease (12k miles per year).

Thanks in advance for the info!