MIAMI -

LeaseTrader.com recently discovered its users aren’t offering much of an incentive for another individual to take over their Toyota Prius contract.

In fact, site officials determined cash incentives from drivers looking to unload their Toyota Prius lease contract are averaging near zero, down sharply from an average of $450 in January.

As a comparison, LeaseTrader.com noted listed incentives within the SUV segment have gone up only slightly — from $1,075 in January to $1,150 this month — despite the run up in gas prices.

“Automotive dealers are reporting a heightened frenzy over the Toyota Prius and a few other select Japanese models because of a possible supply chain shortage stemming from recent events in Japan,” site officials contend.

“Naturally, a majority of these dealers have reduced or cut their incentives on any deals for the vehicle,” they continued. “Consumers looking to transfer a Toyota Prius lease are aware of the supply chain issues and have cut incentives.”

To illustrate the trend further, LeaseTrader.com reiterated the average incentives for the Prius as well as a few other popular models found on its site:

—Toyota Prius average incentive: nearly $0.
—Ford Edge average incentive: $430.    
—BMW 3 Series average incentive: $525.
—Cadillac Escalade average incentive: $1,750.    
—Chevrolet Tahoe average incentive: $1,340.

“Now that we live in the information age, consumers have all kinds of access to much of the same information businesses use to make real-time decisions,” explained Sergio Stiberman, chief executive officer and founder of LeaseTrader.com.

“Today’s savvy consumer is keenly aware of selling over the Internet and uses a lot of this information, available via cable news, Internet outlets and social media, to make decisions that are influenced by broader economic indicators,” Stiberman concluded.