There certainly was no shortage of creativity in automakers' marketing departments as they worked on the leasing incentives for January.

Both Honda and BMW devised zero down payment deals designed to bring reluctant consumers back to dealership showrooms, and most automakers are requiring fairly low upfront payments. Although its rates are a bit higher than those for other compact cars this month, Toyota's Scion brand is traditionally the leader in the down payment game, invariably requiring less than $1,000. And the initial payment on a Cadillac SRX is a mere $1,929 -- an amount more suited to a compact or midsize car. Monthly payments naturally tend to be higher when automakers eliminate a down payment -- they have to make up the loss somehow. But the lessee still generally comes out at least a few hundred dollars ahead once all the costs are added up. As far as monthly rates go, consumers will generally find rates affordable. There are many compacts with payments in the $150-$190 range, for example. The monthly lease payments in the midsize segment continued to hover around $200 -- a sign that most automakers are serious about competing in this category. The competition will only intensify once VW's American-made Passat hits the market later this year.