Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs In The USA
November 15, 2018Leasing is an increasingly preferred way to experience popularly-priced vehicles. The benefits of leasing vs. buying are more relevant and economically sensible than ever:
- You get a much lower monthly payment
- You can get into a lease for little or nothing down
- You get the latest safety and infotainment technology
- You can lease a nicer can than you could afford to buy
- You have full warranty coverage for the entire term of the lease
- You can walk away at lease end, and into a new vehicle every few years
- Leasing provides you with generous business-use benefits
It’s no wonder that more and more mass-market vehicles are being leased. While a lower percentage of these vehicles are leased, compared to luxury vehicles, it is still significant. It generally ranges between 20 and 30 percent of total sales, depending on the brand. This also holds true for SUVs, which are currently extremely popular.
Mid-Size & Compact SUVs Top The Charts
Just as compact and mid-size SUVs are the most popular choices in overall sales, they also lead in the leasing statistics. Every SUV in our Top 10 comes from one of these two segments. But our Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs list is different from the overall sales standings. This is because certain brands sell more SUVs in total, but may lease a lower percentage of them, while others sell fewer SUVs overall, but lease a much higher percentage of them. Here are the Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs, ranked from last to first:
10. Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer scores tenth place on our Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs list. The Explorer is Ford’s mid-size three-row SUV. The Ford Explorer comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. The standard V6 engine has 290 horsepower, with options up to a V6 with 365 turbocharged horsepower. Cargo space in the Explorer with the second and third row seats folded is 80.7 cu. ft. The Ford Explorer is a very well-rounded mid-size three-row SUV. While the Explorer is the overall sales leader in the segment, it finishes behind the Toyota Highlander here, because a lower percentage of Explorers are leased.
9. Toyota Highlander
In ninth place is the Toyota Highlander, another mid-size three-row SUV. It comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. The Highlander’s standard engine weighs in with a rather low 185 horsepower, but the optional 295-horsepower V6 provides decent performance. A hybrid version is also available. With the second and third rows folded flat, the Toyota Highlander gives you 83.2 cu. ft. of cargo space. The Highlander is a top-selling mid-size three-row SUV, with lots of space inside, a smooth ride, and a standard suite of advanced driver assistance technologies.
8. Ford Escape
The eighth-place finisher is the Ford Escape, a compact two-row SUV. The Escape comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. Its standard four-cylinder engine puts out a middling 168 horsepower, but it does offer a powerful optional turbocharged four with a respectable 245 horsepower. The Ford Escape provides 66.4 cu. ft. of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which is the smallest in its class. The Escape, which was all-new in 2013, has been greatly surpassed by the newer compact SUVs currently offered by Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Chevrolet. The Escape trails them in sales, in leasing, and in the execution of the entire vehicle.
7. Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee, a mid-size two-row SUV, achieves seventh place on our Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs list. It is the first of three Jeeps that appear on this list, thanks to Jeep’s popularity and high leasing percentage. The Grand Cherokee is available with rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. Its standard V6 has 295 horsepower, and you can get a variety of optional engines, up to and including a supercharged V8 with a massive 707 horsepower. The available cargo space inside the Grand Cherokee, with the rear seat folded, is 68.3 cu. ft. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has style, off-road capability, and true performance credentials, for those who can appreciate a muscle car with all-wheel drive!
6. Jeep Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee, in sixth place, is Jeep’s compact two-row SUV. The Cherokee comes with front-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive. It has a standard four-cylinder engine with a class-competitive 180 horsepower, and a top-rated optional 271-horsepower four-cylinder turbocharged engine. With the rear seats folded flat, the Jeep Cherokee gives you 54.9 cu. ft. of cargo space, the smallest in its class. The Jeep Cherokee may not be the most spacious compact SUV, but it is the one to choose if you value power, as well as the legendary Jeep tradition of proven off-road prowess on the toughest terrain you can imagine.
5. Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler, Jeep’s mid-size, body-on-frame, fully off-road capable SUV, lands in fifth place on our list. Completely redesigned, the Wrangler is available in two-door and four-door body styles. Four-wheel drive is standard on every Wrangler. The Jeep Wrangler’s standard engine is a V6 with 285 horsepower. Optional engines include a 270-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder with hybrid technology, as well as a V6 turbodiesel engine that will soon be available. Cargo space in the Jeep Wrangler, with the rear seats folded, is 72.4 cu. ft. in the longer four-door version, and 31.7 cu. ft. in the two-door. The Wrangler has kept up with the times, while retaining its ability to take on any off-road challenge.
4. Chevrolet Equinox
In fourth place on our list of Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs is the recently redesigned Chevrolet Equinox, Chevy’s compact two-row SUV. It comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. The Equinox has a standard four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 170 horsepower. An optional and larger four-cylinder turbo engine provides 252 horsepower, and a fuel-efficient 137-horsepower turbodiesel four is also available. Cargo space in the Equinox, with the rear seats folded, is 63.5 cu. ft. The Chevrolet Equinox is an up-to-date compact SUV that drives very nicely, and can also compete head-to-head with the Japanese favorites.
3. Toyota RAV4
The third-place Toyota RAV4 is all-new for 2019. Toyota’s compact two-row SUV comes in both gasoline-engine and gasoline-electric hybrid versions. Gasoline-engine models have front-wheel drive as standard and all-wheel drive as an option. Electrically-assisted all-wheel drive is standard on hybrid models. The new RAV4 is longer, more powerful, more rigid, and more off-road capable, with an available multi-terrain capable AWD system. It also leads the compact SUV class by offering a complete suite of advanced driver assistance systems as standard equipment across the board.
2. Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue, Nissan’s compact two-row SUV, lands in second place. The 2019 Rogue comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive, and it is available as either a gasoline-engine or a gasoline-electric hybrid version. The standard and only gasoline engine in the Rogue is a 170-horsepower four-cylinder. The fuel-efficient hybrid has 176 total system horsepower. A full complement of safety technology is now standard on the Nissan Rogue. The Rogue has 70 cu. ft. of cargo space inside, with the rear seats folded. The Nissan Rogue is a spacious, well-equipped, and comfortable compact SUV.
1. Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V takes the top spot on our list of Top 10 Most Popular Leased Mass Market SUVs. While this compact two-row SUV comes in behind the RAV4 and the Rogue in overall sales, it leads among leasing customers. The CR-V comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. Its standard engine is a four-cylinder with a plentiful 184 horsepower, and it offers an optional turbo four with a slightly higher 190 horsepower. Its cargo space makes it the class leader, with a huge 75.8 cu. ft. when the rear seats are folded. The Honda CR-V’s thoughtful design and execution make it a great choice in a compact SUV, especially if you value maximum cargo space and a pleasant driving experience.
