The lease on my car ends on October 30th. I've been in and out of several dealerships in the past week, looking at different makes or models. There isn't one dealership that hasn't called me at least three times since my visit. The GM dealer, who I've politely told that I'll be turning in my Buick and NOT getting another GM, called me three times yesterday alone. Thank God for Caller ID. The salesperson at the Nissan dealership told me that they normally sell 300 cars per month. Last month, they barely broke 100. And, as you said, the cost and availability of financing is through the roof. Only Honda and Toyota have decent lease deals. The dealerships are dying.