Swapalease.com Auto Lease Trends Report 1st Quarter 2017 A snapshot of the auto lease industry 1
About The Report Swapalease.com studies lease market trends and consumer insights each quarter. In order to gain these insights the company studies a variety of lease market data, and takes the pulse of consumer appetites for leasing by presenting surveys to more than 2,500 drivers across the U.S. The purpose of the report is to provide a deeper understanding to the industry on where U.S. auto lease activity is in the present market, and where it may be forecast to go in coming quarters. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Swapalease.com is the world s largest automotive lease marketplace and the pioneer in facilitating lease transfers online. More specifically Swapalease.com matches individuals who want to get out of their lease with people who are looking for short-term lease agreements. Prospective buyers can search the listings for the exact vehicle they want, and then register for a nominal fee, allowing them to use Swapalease.com s safe online system to contact the prospective seller and close the deal. For more information about Swapalease.com or how to exit your lease early, call 866-SWAPNOW or visit www.swapalease.com. 2
Auto Lease Activity in Q1 2017 During the first quarter of 2017, auto lease activity remained relatively stable compared to the previous several quarters, with many brands experiencing growth in search traffic and consideration on the Swapalease.com online marketplace. In particular, brands like Audi (+5% compared to Q4), and even Volkswagen (+2% compared to Q4) saw growth in the marketplace. It is expected that the U.S. auto lease market will remain at a stable, healthy rate in Q2, and most likely throughout the balance of 2017. Even if total U.S. sales dip slightly from the previous year, lease percentage should remain stable due to the consumer s continued overall appetite for leasing. 3
Q1 Searches by Brand Hyundai and Subaru continue to see the largest jump in growth in a quarterly snapshot. Also noteworthy is Volkswagen, which is again seeing growth after the scandal. Domestic 2% 3% 2% European 1% 2% 5% 4% Asian 2% 2% 16% 12% -4% -5% -7% -7% -6% -6% -5% -12% *Compared to Q4-2016 4
Q1 Searches by Brand Compared to the previous year, Audi remains one of the hottest brands in Swapalease.com for searches. Many Asian brands searches remain depressed, due mainly to their mostly unfriendly lease transfer policies. 2% Domestic 3% 2% -5% -6% 7% -12% European 10% 2% -3% -2% -8% Asian 15% 18% 2% -12% -13% -17% -19% *Compared to Q1 previous year 5
4% 4% 7% 6% 6% 6% 5% 4% 4% 4% 5% 4% 3% 3% 9% 8% 10% 9% 2% 4% 5% 7% 7% 9% 3% 3% 1% 1% 6% 5% 1% 3% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% % of Total Traffic Q4 16 Q1 17 Chevrolet and Ford were the only domestic brands to not see an increase in total search traffic on Swapalease.com from Q4, 2016, to Q1, 2017. Volkswagen continued to regain more interest following its recent scandal, and Mercedes grew its share of search traffic during the quarter to remain most-searched brand on the site. 6
$422.67 $415.76 $381.89 $370.16 $344.54 $366.34 $335.56 $348.34 $465.89 $514.35 $642.78 $610.22 $547.89 $501.23 $446.12 $368.44 $348.51 $509.46 $704.65 Swapalease Q1 Lease Report Q1 Avg. Payment by Brand Americans paid an average of $436.35 per month on their leases during the 1st quarter. A 7
Lease Term Trends 8
Q1 Lease Snapshot Y-O-Y Months Remaining 23.7 24.5 Miles Remaining 22,416 23,012 Incentives $662.17 $677.24 Q1 2016 Q1 2017 Q1 2016 Q1 2017 Q1 2016 Q1 2017 Q1 Lease Trends Months remaining and miles remaining numbers continue to rise from year-over-year levels, an indicator that people are looking to escape their leases earlier in their contract. 9
Q1 Lease Snapshot (by gender) Months Remaining Miles Remaining Incentives 20.1 25.6 19,558 24,923 $578.13 $462.44 Men Women Men Women Men Women Q1 Lease Trends Women continue to look to escape their leases earlier in the lease contract than men. However, men continue to offer higher incentives on their vehicles. 10
Q1 Lease Profiles WHAT THEY RE LEASING 70% 56% 58% 55% 56% 44% 42% 45% 44% 30% Hybrid Small Car Mid-Size Luxury Utility Men Women ACURA AUDI FORD TOYOTA BMW TOYOTA LEXUS MB FORD BMW 6.2 7 12.4 17.1 17.3 0 5 10 15 20 6.2 7.1 Women 10.7 11.1 14.6 0 5 10 15 20 Men 11
Q1 Lease Profiles WHAT THEY RE PAYING 24% 26% 22% 22% 20% 19% 14% 8% 8% 8% 5% 8% 4% 5% 5% 2% Under $200 $200-$299 $300-$399 $400-$499 $500-$599 $600-$799 $800-$999 $1000+ 2016 Q4 2017 Q1 Average Payment Q1 vs. Q4 The average monthly payment on a lease in Q1 was $436.35. 12
Brand Trends 13
Q1 Lease Profiles Number of Leases Per Household 39.9% 43.0% 35.7% 35.8% 17.9% 18.0% 4.6% 2.6% 1.1% 0.5% 0.9% 0.0% 0 Lease 1 Lease 2 Leases 3 Leases 4 Leases 5 or more Number of Leases Per Household 2016 Q4 2017 Q1 During Q4 2016, the number of leases per household remained relatively unchanged compared with the previous quarter, with the exception of a noticeable increase in the number of people reporting 0 leases at their household. 14
Q1 Lease Profiles What Type of Lease Are You Driving? 16.8% 15.7% 12.2% 13.1% 13.9% 14.6% 8.2% 6.5% 5.3% 4.7% 4.2% 3.1% 2.0% 1.0% Small Car Midsize Car Fullsize Car Spors Car SUV Crossover Truck Type of Lease in the Driveway 2016 Q4 2017 Q1 Smaller cars, mid-size cars and crossovers all saw slight decreases from Q4 to Q1; SUVs and fullsize cars both saw slight dips from quarter to quarter. 15
Q1 Lease Profiles Domestic Import Yes Not Sure No 67% 33% 20% 29% 51% Type of Vehicle You d Want to Lease The split between foreign (two thirds) and domestic (one third) remains mostly unchanged. Stay with the Same Brand? More drivers in the 1st quarter said they wanted to stay with the same brand compared with the 4th quarter. 16
41.4% 39.4% 34.9% 33.7% 11.4% 10.4% 16.8% 11.7% 25.7% 20.6% 17.4% 18.3% Reasons For Change Q4 16 Q1 17 Interesting that no longer driving the car was the only reason to see an increase in reasons for changing a vehicle. Location change, and Brand Change saw the most noticeable decreases for reasons. 17
51 50 49 49 58 59 60 60 Overall Confidence in the Economy Confidence in Economy Looking Ahead Confidence Level in Leasing A Vehicle Today Confidence in Leasing Versus a Year Ago Economy & Lease Confidence Indexes Those polled feel generally more confident about the overall economy, as well as their desire to shop for a vehicle lease compared when considering economic conditions today, going forward, or compared with a year ago. Q4 16 Q1 17 18
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