Q2 Lease Trends Report Shows More Drivers Opting for Longer Lease Terms
Brands with unfavorable lease policies continue to see lower brand loyalty.

Brands with unfavorable lease policies continue to see lower brand loyalty.
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Swapalease.com, a car lease marketplace, announced its second-quarter Auto Lease Trends Report, showing vehicle lease trends during the second quarter on brand-specific search traffic, lease mileage report, lease listing incentive data and the appetite for domestic versus foreign lease vehicles.
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.
Among the key trends Swapalease.com identified in its second-quarter lease data:
Tesla searches are up 64% from the first quarter, among the largest brands with this percentage growth. Tesla as a brand now represents 7% of total search traffic on the Swapalease.commarketplace, second highest behind BMW (18%).
People are now seeking leases with longer-term contracts. Forty-three percent of drivers had 24-month lease contracts in the second quarter, down from 51% a year ago. However, 41% of drivers had three-year lease contracts a year ago compared with 47% today, representing an increase for longer-term leases.
Nearly half of lease drivers (47%) say they would either switch over to a different brand in their next vehicle, or say they aren’t sure if they want to stay with the same brand when it comes time to shop next.
Swapalease.com continues to see a higher success rate of transfer for brands with favorable lease policies, such as Toyota, BMW and GM family vehicles. The company continues to see a lower rate of transfer, as well as lower rate of brand loyalty, on vehicles with unfavorable lease policies, such as Honda, Acura, Nissan and Infiniti.
“We continue to be in a period where identification of the right vehicle is paramount due to inventory challenges,” said Scot Hall, Executive Vice President of Swapalease.com. “A large percentage of these shoppers continue to seek dealer-alternate channels for their next vehicle, and companies with consumer-friendly lease policies are more successful in helping these shoppers complete their transaction on time.”
For more information or to see the full report, click here.
Originally posted on F&I and Showroom
More Sales

June Automotive Boon?
A forecast for this month’s new-vehicle sales tells a familiar 2026 story: Year-over-year comparisons must be made in light of last year’s aberrations.
Read More →
Affordable New Cars a Thing of the Past
More than one out of five new vehicles sell for more than $60,000, according to Edmunds. That's up 7% compared to prepandemic 2019.
Read More →
Legacy Automakers Risk Falling Behind
As legacy automakers, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, have revised their 2030 electric-vehicle sales targets and shifted to a hybrid focus, they risk falling behind new market leaders.
Read More →
New Cars a Tad More Affordable
May averages show that combined circumstances gave auto consumers slightly better buying power for the month, though average prices were up year-over-year.
Read More →
New Vehicles Down for Most Brands
Healthy May sales cut into inventory as automakers kept a tight reign on supply, though some brands ended the month with excess units on the ground.
Read More →
New-Car Demand on the Rise
For the first time this year, new-vehicle demand rose in May, up nearly 6% year-over-year, according to CarGurus’ Intelligence Report.
Read More →
Auto Prices Ride May Moderation
Flat ATPs and asking prices clocked in below long-term averages for the month, though some segments saw significant price gains, reported Cox Automotive.
Read More →
Nissan Reports Significant Sales Growth
Following the release of Nissan’s 2025 fiscal year report, the automaker announced that its retail-first approach has led to a significant jump in dealer sales.
Read More →
Inventory of New Units Stable
Auto brands spent April clearing out most of their 2025 supply with incentives while holding firm on 2026 prices, striking a balance to meet demand and protect their bottom lines.
Read More →
The Hidden Edge
Reflections from the 2026 Agent Summit: gratitude, gut decisions, and the power of the first contact
Read More →