The truth is that, until recently, I didn't understand the difference between leasing and purchasing outright. I get that a lease is a short-term contract and that, at the end of it, you have to return the car, like a checked-out book that's due to the library. With purchasing?well, you've purchased the car. It's yours. What I don't get, though, is why some people choose to lease a vehicle instead of just buying it - I mean, who wants to have to return a car after they've just gotten used to it?? It turns…