agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Inventory Sparks Leasing, Other Changes

Captives’ market share surges in first quarter as many shoppers switch from used to new vehicles.

May 31, 2024
Inventory Sparks Leasing, Other Changes

Captives’ new-vehicle financing market share jumped to about 62%, the highest point since 2010.

Credit:

Pexels/Pixabay

2 min to read


Revived new-vehicle inventory has brought a wave of changes across the auto retail market, including the return of leasing and the migration of some shoppers from used to new, Experian says in a first-quarter report.

The shift of many back to the new-vehicle market also reshuffled the share of auto lending, returning more business to captives than that segment has seen in nearly 15 years.

Ad Loading...

“The return of new vehicle inventory has had a ripple effect across the automotive finance market,” said Melinda Zabritski, Experian head of automotive financial insights.

New-vehicle leasing surged 5% year-over-year to 24% as the average monthly lease payment fell $7 to $595, Experian said.

Meanwhile, captives’ new-vehicle financing market share jumped to about 62%, the highest point since 2010.

The average new-vehicle loan amount fell nearly $500 year-over-year to $40,634, with an average interest rate of 6.73%, up from 6.61%.

Quarterly results showed electric-vehicle interest among lessees is growing, perhaps as a way to test the power train technology without a long-term commitment as the mass market continues to take a wait-and-see approach to EVs. Experian said leasing comprised 35% of EV financing in the quarter, up 12%.

Ad Loading...

“As technology evolves and infrastructure continues to develop, it’ll be interesting to see the buying preferences for these consumers once they come off lease,” Zabritski said.

LEARN MORE: Discounts Return as Previous-Year Models Sit

 

Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today

More Industry

Photo of man with most of his face hidden as he types on a computer keyboard
Industryby Hannah MitchellApril 2, 2026

Fake Auto Dealer Websites Frauding Consumers

The Point Predictive study traced a pattern across more than 100 websites it believes are being developed by an international theft ring.

Read More →
photo of Volkswagen vehicle steering wheel and interior
Industryby Hannah MitchellApril 1, 2026

One of Earliest U.S. Auto Dealers Exits

The sale of two Minnesota franchises ends a rare multigenerational business while adding to one of the Midwest’s biggest auto groups.

Read More →
chart showing the quarterly electric vehicle market share from 2020-2025
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMarch 27, 2026

EV Sales Slide While Hybrids Climb

California, as usual, led the country in EV registrations in the fourth quarter, but the U.S. as a whole saw a 43% year-over-year volume decrease.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of new car's tail light
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 26, 2026

New-Vehicle Sales Ride Tax Returns Wave

Forecasts show that the spring sales season is rising above overriding economic concerns, among them continuously rising car prices, trade tariffs, elevated interest rates, and now a war.

Read More →
Photo of Toyota car parked in front of a Toyota dealership
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 23, 2026

2025 Dealership Buy-Sells a Record

The Kerrigan Index shows that despite a chaotic year of musical trade tariffs, high vehicle prices and more roadblocks, acquirers still flush with pandemic-era cash accelerated the consolidation pace.

Read More →
Infographic from ABB titled “The Intelligent Factory is Accelerating as Automation Investment Increases.” It shows a robotic manufacturing assembly line on the left and key statistics on the right. Highlights include: 33% of manufacturers prioritize cost control, 31% are increasing investment in automation and robotics, 30% cite labor shortages and rising wages as challenges, and 34% identify energy and material costs as a leading concern. Additional sections explain competitive pressures and how automation technologies like robots improve efficiency, consistency, and productivity in modern manufacturing.
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMarch 19, 2026

Automation Acceleration Seen in Manufacturing

Labor shortages, material costs and tariffs are just a few of the reasons automakers are looking to expand their investments in automation and robotics this year.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Overhead view of container cargo ship loaded with vehicles
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 19, 2026

War Threatens Major U.S. Auto Exports Stream

The Middle East imports a sizable share of vehicles made in the states. It’s unclear how the Iran War could affect the keystone market for U.S. automakers.

Read More →
five people sitting in a row with paperwork, Retention Requires Strategy, Agent Entrepreneur logo
Industryby Hannah MitchellMarch 17, 2026

Hiring That Sticks

Auto dealers don’t have to settle for high employee turnover. Despite historical patterns of rotating dealership doors, they can tweak their processes to find and keep the right people on staff.

Read More →
row of cars, used vehicle demand spikes, chart showing data spike, F&I and Showroom logo
Showroomby Lauren LawrenceMarch 11, 2026

Used Market Gains Speed

New-vehicle sales fell year-over-year for the fifth month in a row in February, making retail deliveries the slowest they’ve been since 2023, according to a CarGurus report.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic showing used-vehicle days to turn rate
Showroomby StaffMarch 10, 2026

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Both vehicle values and conversion rates sped up last week as two segments outperformed in the pre-spring burst of buying.

Read More →