Is leasing worth it if you barely drive?

Often yes — driving very little is one of the clearest cases FOR leasing. A lease charges you for the years you use the car, and the biggest worry people have about leasing (going over the yearly mile limit and paying per mile) simply never happens when you drive a little. On top of that, a low-mileage lease usually carries a smaller monthly than a higher-mile one, so you keep even more of your cash free. If you're a light driver, the main downside of leasing mostly disappears.

Yes. The number of miles you're allowed each year is something you pick when the lease is set up, and choosing a lower yearly limit usually lowers the monthly payment. If you honestly only drive a little, sizing the miles down to match keeps the payment as low as it can go — and keeps more cash in your pocket every month. The key is to be honest about it: pick a limit that fits how you really drive, not the lowest one on offer, so you're comfortable well under it.

No — unused miles simply expire at the end, they don't turn into a refund. What they do give you is a car that's worth a little more at turn-in because it's low-mileage. You don't get that value automatically, but you can act on it: buying the car (its low miles can make the set buyout price a genuine deal) or selling it while it's worth more than you owe. Otherwise you just hand back a nicer car. The real win of low miles isn't a rebate — it's a lower payment and zero over-mile risk from the start.

That's the honest counter-case, and it can win. If you drive very little AND you'd genuinely keep the same car for ten years or more, buying can cost less over that long stretch — you pay it off once and then have years with no payment at all, and low miles keep an owned car running longer. The catch is the cash it ties up now and whether you'd really keep one car that long. If you want a dependable newer car without draining your savings, a low-mileage lease usually keeps more cash free; if you're happy to own one car for a decade, buying may edge it out.

If you barely drive, you're in the sweet spot for leasing: pick a low yearly mile limit to keep the payment down, put little or nothing at signing to keep your cash free, and you'll never see an over-mile charge. Put lease and buy side by side for a real car and you'll see the monthly and the cash you'd keep free either way — then choose the one that leaves the most money within reach for how little you actually drive.