Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning automotive news roundup bringing you the biggest headlines from around the globe. The Downshift summarizes stories with a sentence or two, along with links for those who wish to dive deeper. Here’s what’s cooking on Thursday, July 30, 2026. The latest episode of The Drivecast, The Drive’s weekly podcast, went live yesterday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Leases accounted for 23% of new vehicle purchases over the first half of 2026, according to new data from JD Power. This is higher than the low of 17% in 2022, but still well below the pre-pandemic trend of 30%. Experts chalk the change up to less enticing…
Americans Don’t Lease as Much as They Used To. Blame Carmakers: TDS
