You asked a Canon dealer for a price on an imageRUNNER and got back a number that felt made up. That is normal. Canon does not publish lease rates, and two dealers quoting the same imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX can be $120 a month apart. Here is what the machine actually costs to lease in 2026, model tier by model tier, so you can tell a fair quote from a padded one.
Canon imageRUNNER lease price by model tier
The imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX line splits into three real price bands. Entry color A3 units like the C3826i, C3830i, and C3835i run 26 to 35 pages per minute and lease for roughly $150 to $260 a month on a 60 month term. The mid volume color units, the C5840i, C5850i, and C5860i at 40 to 60 pages per minute, land around $260 to $480 a month. Production leaning color like the C7770i, at 70 pages per minute, pushes $500 to $850 depending on finishing.
Monochrome imageRUNNER units cost less. The 4825i through 4851i cover 25 to 51 pages per minute and lease for about $95 to $260 a month. If your office prints mostly black and white, do not let a rep steer you into a color machine you will barely use. You can compare the wider market in our guide to average copier lease cost.
What actually drives the number
Three things move a Canon lease price more than the model does. First, the term. A 36 month lease on a C3835i might read $310 a month, while stretching it to 60 months drops it near $210. Longer term, lower payment, more total interest. Second, the lease rate factor the dealer applies to Canon's cost. On a $9,000 machine, a 0.0200 factor is $180 a month and a 0.0260 factor is $234 for the exact same box. Nobody shows you that factor unless you ask. Third, whether service and toner are bundled in or billed separately per click.
The service contract hides half the cost
The lease pays for the hardware. The service contract pays for toner, parts, and repairs, and it is priced per page. Typical Canon click rates in 2026 run about $0.008 to $0.012 per black page and $0.055 to $0.09 per color page. On 4,000 color pages a month, that color rate alone is $220 to $360 on top of your lease payment. A cheap lease with a fat click rate can cost more over five years than a higher lease with honest clicks. Always ask for both numbers before you compare quotes.
Canon versus the other brands
Canon runs a little higher than value brands like Kyocera on hardware, but the imageRUNNER controller and color quality are strong, and parts availability is excellent nationwide. If you are cross shopping, our Canon copier lease overview covers the full brand, and the Canon versus Ricoh lease comparison shows how the numbers stack up head to head.
What most guides miss
Here is the thing almost no one tells you: the imageRUNNER model number on your quote is often last year's build. Canon dealers carry ADVANCE DX inventory that is one generation back, and they lease it at current pricing. That is not a scam, the machine is fine, but you have real leverage. Ask the dealer point blank whether the unit is a current release or prior generation, and if it is prior generation, ask for the newer model at the same rate or a lower factor on the older one. Dealers move older stock at quarter end, so late March, June, September, and December are your best windows to push. That single question has saved buyers $40 to $70 a month.
Terms, buyout, and the fair market value trap
Most imageRUNNER leases run 36, 48, or 60 months, and the end of term option matters as much as the monthly payment. A $1 buyout lease lets you own the machine for a dollar at the end, so your payment is higher but the copier is yours. A fair market value, or FMV, lease has a lower payment but you either return the machine or buy it at a price the leasing company decides later, which can be several hundred dollars. Neither is wrong, but know which one you signed. Offices get surprised at month 60 when an FMV lease auto renews for another year because nobody sent the return notice on time. Put the end of term date and the notice window on your calendar the day you sign, and compare Canon against a value brand in our Kyocera copier lease guide before you commit.
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