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.