When you sign the lease, you agree to mileage usage....anywhere from 10-15,000 per year. If you drive more than that....leasing is not for you. If you try to turn in a car with more than normal wear & tear and expect not to get charged...you didn't read the contract. They allow you to get the car assessed before return & time to fix it on your own. If you owned the car with damage...you would have to deduct that damage from the asking price. I don't see a difference here. Also, many people don't know they can dispute the lease end charges & agree to wait until the car is auctioned off....you gamble that their assessment is worse & the auction will bring in more money for your car. I did that with one vehicle and instead of $1,500 in damage...I only owed $250. That was more than my insurance deductable & I wom that gamble. That was an odd situation though & very complicated.
Your post explains exactly what I was saying. 10-15,000 mi/yr isn't much. Many people are commuting long distances these days, and that limit can be restrictive.
Also, damages that a leasing company cares about are often more minor than an owner would care about. Just look at the number of cars that have minor dings - the owners don't bother to fix them, but leasing companies will charge you for them.
Leasing is expensive. And you have more worries (mileage and dings) than an owner has.
It's much better to buy a car for cash, then to use the payment money to save for the next (and better) car. Paid for in cash, as well. It doesn't take long to move to a luxury vehicle, even if it is a relatively new used one.