How about changing what they buy, and HOW they buy? Perhaps leasing
should be on the hit list, at least for non-business customers. That
almost guarantees that someone won't hang onto a car very long. Some cars
are still babies when they're two years old, so selling them used is easy.
Others are known to be middle aged at 2 years, and you can see them lined
up at any dealership, collecting dust. That's wasteful.

The changing of what they buy is happening right now, this very minute.
Trust me, dealerships across the nation will be having brisk business this
week from people trading in high fuel consuming vehicles for more economical
ones. The motivator? None other than high fuel prices. The machinery of a
free market system in perfect motion.

Leasing has provisions to deal with the issue as well. Leasing companies
right now are no doubt lowering the expected residual factors on high fuel
consumption cars and trucks. This will increase the monthly payments to new
lessees, thereby reducing demand. As a side note, the car that I owned the
longest of any was a car that I originally leased and then bought at the end
of the lease term. Total of seven years, which is a very long time for me.