| Sumario: | Detailed motor-vehicle data gathered by the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey are discussed. Motor vehicles are among the most commonly owned assets, with over 85 percent of American households owning at least one vehicle in 1992. Over the last decade, a number of important trends relating to motor vehicles have emerged: Rising sticker prices for new vehicles and quality improvements have prompted households to retain vehicles for longer than they did previously, significant changes have occurred in vehicle financing, and the incidence of auto leasing has risen considerably, with leases now estimated to represent up to one in three new car acquisitions by consumers.
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