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PRESS RELEASE

LoJack Survey: Leasing vs. Buying

9 April 1997

Consumers Choose Leasing Over Buying For New Cars; LoJack Survey of Top New York Auto Dealers Shows More Women Than Men Choose Leasing Vs. Purchasing

    NEW YORK, April 8 -- A survey of top auto dealers in the New
York-area found that leasing now averages about 60% or more of local dealer
sales, with some dealers reporting as high as 70%, according to a survey
conducted by LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Systems.
    Dealers also reported that the majority of new car lease customers are
women.  Men appear to be more resistant to leasing, the study found.
    The survey also found that those who lease a vehicle are less likely to
purchase an anti-theft device, or auto recovery device such as LoJack.  "What
we found is that when people lease, they don't feel the same level of
ownership over the vehicle," said John Duffy, LoJack New York Regional
Manager.  "Leasing customers may not understand that if the car is stolen, the
consumer or business leasing the car is financially responsible.  If the
vehicle is not recovered, you will probably lose the down payment and
acquisition fees.  If it is recovered, you are definitely responsible for any
damage."  Almost 200 cars are reported stolen every day in the New York City
area, averaging one every seven minutes.
    "The National Crime Insurance Bureau statistics show the average damage to
a stolen car is $5,000.  With a car equipped with LoJack it is often around
$500," said Duffy.
    Expensive new cars are not the only cars that are stolen.  The average
value of a stolen car is $5,129.  "The real profit in stolen cars is the
parts, which are worth three times the value of the car when sold in pieces,"
Duffy advises.
    "Most vehicles are located within 15-20 miles from where they were stolen,
and usually the car is 'cooled off' for 24 hours before being shipped, chopped
up, or sold.  Taking a stolen car over state lines is a federal offense.
LoJack has been very effective in helping police to get a car back quickly,"
Duffy advises.

SOURCE  LoJack

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CONTACT: Jane Bartnett of Bartnett Communications, 212-213-4428,
for LoJack