Upscale Cars Tops in Growing Used Car Leasing Business

CINCINNATI, Oct. 22 -- Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS), an innovator in online direct-to-consumer auto leasing, today released a list of the top 10 most requested vehicles from its popular auto leasing website LeaseCompare.com for the third quarter of 2002.

    The Top 10 Most Requested Models

    Rank  New                 Used
    1     Volkswagen Passat   Porsche 911
    2     Acura MDX           BMW 5 Series
    3     Acura TL            Chevrolet Corvette
    4     BMW 330i            Mercedes S Class
    5     Audi A4             Mercedes CLK Class
    6     BMW 325i            Mercedes M Class
    7     Infiniti G35        Mercedes E Class
    8     Honda Accord        Porsche Boxster
    9     Volkswagen Jetta    BMW 330 Series
    10    Honda Pilot         BMW X5

While upscale models continue to rank highly on both the new and used lists, what has changed is the consumer's appetite for used car leases. Virtually unknown to many used car buyers only a few years ago, late model used car leases jumped from 41% to 69% of leases issued between the second and third quarters of this year at www.leasecompare.com .

"A couple of things are driving the growth of the used car leasing business," according to Tarry Shebesta, president and owner of ACS. "The availability of certified, late model used cars has reduced the uncertainty of leasing a pre-owned vehicle. People are also continuing to be conservative in their spending. Buying a distinctive late model used vehicle is one way customers can satisfy their taste for quality yet reduce overall cost."

This fall, 2003 models are also a great leasing opportunity because of their naturally higher residuals and because interest rates continue to be competitive.

LeaseCompare.com, as the name suggests, provides a tool to evaluate lease options from a number of sources in real time. Customers can lock in the lease payment they like and in a matter of minutes apply for credit online. As an independent leasing company, LeaseCompare.com facilitates the entire leasing process.

About Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. ( www.acscorp.com )

Based in Cincinnati, Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS) is a leading provider of consumer automotive services, including car buying and leasing, fleet resources, vehicle remarketing, and used vehicle sales.

Founded in 1989, ACS's mission is to provide services that enhance the experience of buying or leasing a car. ACS achieves this by leading the industry with innovative proprietary technology, superior customer service, and years of industry experience.