LEASES UNLEASHED: As carmakers and dealers embrace leasing to boost sales, analysts mull finance option's limits

摘要

How high can leasing go? Leasing hit a record 26.7 percent of U.S. new-vehicle volume in the first quarter, Experian Automotive said in a report released June 1. That was 1.1 percentage points higher than a year ago and the fourth time in the past five quarters that lease penetration topped 25 percent. The previous record was 25.6 percent, set in both the first and second quarters of 2014. Counting only new vehicles that were financed - that is, excluding cash sales - leasing accounted for a record 31.4 percent of U.S. volume in the first quarter, up from 30.2 percent a year earlier, Experian said.