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CINCINNATI — Swapalease.com, a leading online lease transfer site, on Wednesday discussed not only how much activity increased last year but also the specific vehicles consumers sought most.

Site officials indicated three times as many consumers used Swapalease.com to get out of a vehicle lease in 2009 as compared to the previous year. They went on to point out that consumers entering into short-term leases spiked even higher.

Swapalease.com contends that eight times as many consumers took over a short-term lease last year than in 2008.

"Our unique marketplace experienced a boost in 2009 partly because the economy was struggling and people needed a way out of their lease obligations without damaging their credit," explained Scot Hall, executive vice president of operations for Swapalease.com.

The vehicles most sought out on Swapalease.com included several from BMW and GMC. The site broke down figures by foreign and domestic nameplates.

Top 10 Import Vehicles at Swapalease.com in 2009

1. BMW 3 Series

2. BMW 5 Series

3. Mercedes-Benz E Class

4. BMW X5 Series

5. BMW 7 Series

6. BMW M3

7. Porsche 911

8. Audi A4

9. BMW 6 Series

10. Mercedes-Benz S Class

Top 10 Domestic at Swapalease.com Vehicles in 2009

1. Cadillac Escalade

2. Chevrolet Tahoe

3. Chevrolet Corvette

4. Cadillac CTS

5. GMC Yukon

6. GMC Sierra Pickup

7. Jeep Wrangler

8. GMC Acadia

9. Chevrolet Traverse

10. Chevrolet Suburban

As 2010 unfolds and the economy slowly recovers, Swapalease.com predicts that its traffic and activity will increase again.

"As credit improves and repossessions decrease, Swapalease.com will have even more opportunities to help consumers," Hall concluded.