DOMESTIC BRANDS GAIN MARKET SHARE FROM FOREIGN BRANDS ON LEASETRADER.COM

MIAMI – (May 2, 2011) – LeaseTrader.com, the nation’s most popular online marketplace for car leasing, reports a noticeable change in domestic vehicle leasing volume compared to pre-recession levels. Post-reorganization modifications to domestic vehicle lineup and strategy mean more Americans are leasing domestic vehicles today compared with pre-recession activity according to LeaseTrader.com.

“Prior to 2008, domestic vehicle leases on LeaseTrader.com were one-sided with only the SUV/truck category representing any significant percentage of total marketplace inventory,” said Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com. “Today, domestic leased vehicles in economy, mid-size and crossover categories have jumped into the mix, signifying a resurgence in leasing program popularity among American drivers of domestic vehicles.”

The Ford Edge won 2010 Domestic Car Of The Year from LeaseTrader.com based on volume of customer searches and takeovers among all domestic brands.

Import vehicles have traditionally held a larger stake in leasing programs on LeaseTrader.com, especially pre-recession. But foreign brands such as Toyota/Lexus have had inventory reductions on LeaseTrader.com, possibly as a result of the company’s recent image issues. Honda, Nissan and Infiniti all have seen inventory reductions, mostly as a result of growing lease policy frustrations among customers. Domestic brands have also stolen some inventory market share from popular foreign brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Showing strength in growing brands, Audi, Hyundai and Kia actually added inventory and demand since pre-recession levels.

“Domestic automakers can now offer very competitive lease offers because of strengthened residual values and a much improved product lineup,” said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Industry Trends and Insights at TrueCar.com. “In addition, leasing is critical for domestic automakers future sales as leasing provides higher customer loyalty and retention rates due to the vehicle being under warranty and consumers' ability to test new vehicle technology.”