I have leased many cars to make my monthly payments more affordable. For the same monthly payment, you can buy a Honda or lease a Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes or Lexus. I rarely kept a car long enough to enjoy the equity anyway, and a few times that I did, I didn't like the unexpected major repair that sometimes came up.
The benefit of leasing versus buying a Leaf are even greater. As many have already pointed out, the technology will likely be much greater in a few years and we will likely have more vehicles to choose from... like the Fiat 500e or maybe an Infiniti version of the Leaf with power memory seats and power memory tilt and telescopic steering wheel. And with a lease, you get the benefit of the $7500 tax credit up front.
I'm turning in my 2010 Nissan Maxima lease early. Nissan is waiving the last few payments, waiving the termination/disposition fee, and waiving up to $500 excess wear and tear. So do not fear lease end charges.. they are manageable. Lessors do not "try to charge you" money at lease end. They own the vehicle for the residual amount and need to sell it for that. If you have bald tires, they need to replace them before they can sell the car. If you curbed the rims, they need to replace them. If you have windshield damage, it must be fixed. I keep my cars in good nick and have never been burned. Can't say the same for my wife. I should be picking up my new Leaf in the next few days.
Good luck.
Greg