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Kentucky Lease Buyouts: A Guide
Published 4/1/26
TL;DR (2-minute read): The Ram 1500 leads the state's lease buyout list decisively. Most Kentucky drivers are approaching lease-end with more equity than the average suggests. The mileage picture adds to the financial case.
No vehicle leads any state's lease buyout list quite like the Ram 1500 leads Kentucky's in a state where trucks aren't a lifestyle accessory—they're a working instrument.
Kentucky has horse farms that need hauling, tobacco operations, rural routes between Appalachian communities, and a general culture that treats a full-size pickup as a base-level practical choice rather than a status statement.
And when those buyers reached lease-end, they often kept their trucks.
The Ram 1500 averaged $5,476 in equity nationally in 2025 according to Lease End's 2026 Annual Lease Buyout Report, a figure that can make the end-of-lease decision straightforward.
The Honda CR-V follows, reflecting the "other Kentucky": suburban Louisville, Lexington's growing professional and university base, the Bowling Green corridor. These are buyers for whom practical efficiency matters more than payload, and the CR-V's equity track record nationally is among the strongest in the crossover segment.
The Full Vehicle Popularity List
Kentucky's top buyout vehicles:
- Ram 1500
- Honda CR-V
- Honda Pilot
- Jeep Wrangler
- Toyota Highlander
- Chevrolet Equinox
- Kia Forte
Toyota
Highlander in the top 10 is worth contextualizing. Toyota's manufacturing complex in Georgetown, Kentucky is the largest Toyota plant outside of Japan. It has assembled vehicles there since 1988 and currently produces the Camry, RAV4, and Lexus ES. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians work in or adjacent to that facility.
So when buyers in the Lexington and Georgetown area choose a Toyota and reach lease-end, there may be a loyalty dimension operating alongside the financial one.
Jeep
The Jeep Wrangler reflects Kentucky's outdoor and rural culture—trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest, the Red River Gorge, terrain that rewards capable vehicles.
Honda
The Honda Pilot signals family buyers with three-row needs who think in long ownership cycles.
Chevy and Kia
The Chevrolet Equinox and Kia Forte tell a different story about Kentucky's economic range. Both are value-oriented—the Equinox as America's practical compact crossover, the Forte as Kia's accessible entry-level sedan.
Their presence on this list reflects the same dynamic seen in other states: when used car values hold broadly, even modestly priced vehicles carry positive equity, and buyers who leased them at favorable terms are finding buyout cases worth acting on.
Lease Equity
How a lease buyout is calculated comes down to the gap between current market value and your contractual payoff—and which vehicles hold their value for lease buyouts determines how strong that position tends to be.
In Kentucky's dataset, the vehicle mix—trucks, Hondas, Toyotas—skews toward models with proven value retention. Most drivers here are in a genuinely strong equity position at lease-end.
If you're in the minority with negative equity, you have options. But for the majority of Kentucky drivers, that's not the situation.
The Mileage Math
Kentucky's average mileage at lease-end is 39,563, about 3,500 miles over the standard three-year allowance. At 10 to 25 cents per mile, that's $356 to $891 in overage fees that disappear if you buy out instead of return.
Your payoff amount is fixed in your contract; mileage is irrelevant to it. The leasing company can only collect overage fees on a vehicle you return.
Kentucky's mileage pattern reflects the state's geography. It's not a small state, and it's not a dense urban one.
- The Louisville metro sprawls significantly;
- Lexington's exurbs reach into horse country in every direction; and
- Rural communities throughout eastern and western Kentucky require long drives for basic errands.
Bottom line: accumulating 14,000 miles per year isn't unusual here, and at that pace, three-year leases regularly land above 36,000.
For a full framework on how mileage factors into the lease-end decision, our guide on when to buy out a car lease covers the complete picture.
APR and Monthly Payments
Kentucky's average APR of 9.57% runs above the national average of 9.34%, consistent with a credit score that sits at the national average (689). Neither figure is alarming, but it does mean the financing environment isn't as favorable as states like Virginia or Colorado.
Current lease buyout loan rates vary meaningfully by credit tier—drivers above 740 access approximately 6.60% nationally, well below Kentucky's state average—so reviewing where your score puts you before applying is worth the few minutes.
What's notable is the monthly payment: $544.17, below the national lease buyout average of $563 and more than $100 per month below the national new-lease average of $659.
That spread exists in part because Kentucky's average retail book value ($31,700) runs on the lower end of this series, which means buyout loan amounts are smaller and monthly payments stay manageable even at above-average rates.
New vehicle prices at record levels nationally continue to push the new lease comparison higher, widening the payment gap in the buyout's favor.
How the Process Works
Apply online, and let Lease End take care of your buyout (we'll keep you in the loop every step of the way). No dealership visit required. The title transfer is processed remotely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Ram 1500 lead Kentucky's list so decisively?
Because Kentucky is one of the most truck-dependent states in the country, and Ram 1500 owners have among the highest buyout rates of any vehicle nationally. Working farms, rural communities, and a general culture that treats full-size trucks as practical necessities rather than optional upgrades create a buyer profile that holds their vehicles.
I'm over my mileage. Is that cost actually significant at return?
At the typical overage rate of 10–25 cents per mile, Kentucky's average of 3,500 miles over produces $350–$875 in fees at vehicle return. Those fees disappear entirely at buyout because your contractual payoff amount doesn't adjust for mileage.
Combined with equity, overage savings are often the second-largest financial argument for buying out in a state with Kentucky's driving patterns.
Why is the Kia Forte on the Common Vehicles List in Kentucky?
Less than it seems. When used car values hold broadly, which has been the pattern nationally over the past few years, even "value-oriented" vehicles carry positive equity. Forte drivers who leased at favorable terms are finding that market values have remained strong enough to make the buyout case.
See the Kia lease buyout guide for model-level detail.