But they don't offer the average American the inside skinny on used-car prices.
The used-car prices are higher than expected two or three years ago, meaning that Ford, the leader in leasing, is doing fine.
But used-car prices appear sensitive to changes in volume.
The price of new motor vehicles also rose, but financing charges and used-car prices declined.
As a result, used-car prices plummeted and, for now, remain down.
The rise in used-car prices was the third in a row, after 11 monthly declines.
A bigger factor pushing down used-car prices is the large number of cars that were first leased in 1994 and 1995.
It is also possible that used-car prices could climb.
If used-car prices are unusually strong, the customer may decide to buy the car.
In the first eight months of this year, the average used-car price was $13,858, he said, compared with $13,594 for the same period the year before.
