LeaseCompare.com Rates the Most Fuel Efficient Cars that Lease the Best
Cincinnati, OH - March 31, 2005. Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS), the leader in online direct-to-consumer auto leasing, released ratings for the most fuel efficient vehicles to lease using data from its popular www.LeaseCompare.com website.
The Lexus SC430 coupe scored the highest with a rating of 62. The Ford 500 sedan with a rating of 45 was the only domestic brand to lead a market classification.
The ratings identify the vehicles offering the best total lease value when factoring in fuel costs in relation to the vehicle purchase price. Just because a vehicle has a high MPG doesn't necessarily make it a good value. On the other hand, vehicles with high projected future market values (residual values) tend to offer lower lease payments but may not be the most cost-effective when fuel costs are added. The analysis sought to find those vehicles with the lowest lease payments that exhibit superior fuel economy.
"With the price of fuel now above two dollars a gallon and interest rates on the rise, cost-conscious consumers are looking for ways to reduce their monthly expenses." says Tarry Shebesta, President of ACS and a certified lease consultant. "Leasing the right vehicle is a great way to fight higher gas prices and rising interest rates".
Top Vehicles by Classification
Classification Vehicle Rating
Coupes Lexus SC430 62
Sport Utility Lexus GX470 60
Luxury Sedan Mercedes E320 59
Upscale Sedans BMW 330i 58
Small Car Mini Cooper 56
Minivans Honda Odyssey 52
Family Sedan Nissan Maxima 49
Hatchbacks Honda Civic 48
Large Sedans Ford 500 45
Pickups Nissan Frontier 43
A complete list of vehicle ratings for each market class can be found at http://www.LeaseCompare.com. Each vehicle's MPG, fuel cost per month, monthly lease payment, market value purchase price, and total cost per month is shown.
About The Ratings
Ratings were based on industry standard residual values from Automotive Lease Guide, a market value purchase price of a minimally equipped vehicle, current market rates on a 36 month lease term, driving 1,000 miles per month. Due to incomplete data, hybrid, natural gas and diesel vehicles were not rated.
