TORONTO and RICHMOND HILL, Ontario -

The used-car days-to-turn rate in Canada climbed for the second straight month, according to the latest data provided by J.D. Power and Associates’ Canadian Automotive Practice.

Following four consecutive months of declines, the rate settled at approximately 54 days to turn in May, before creeping up each of the last two months and reaching close to 58 days for July.

This was just some of the data shared by the firm this week as part of the monthly Automotive Analyst Note and Automotive Market Metrics, which examined a wide array of trends in the Canadian marketplace.

Leasing Trends

Looking at how consumers pay for vehicles, J.D. Power noted that in the last 12 months, leases have commanded 18 percent of the Canadian new-vehicle market and 3 percent of the used market.

In the same time frame, 23 percent of new-vehicle sales have been cash purchases, with 51 percent of used transactions being cash. Fifty-nine percent of new-vehicle purchases have been via loans. The loan share in the used market has been at 46 percent.

Maintenance Trends

Turning to another analysis examining a different segment of the Canadian auto industry, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants released data this morning on vehicle maintenance in Canada.

The firm’s Light Vehicle Study indicates that the average Canadian spends $796 each year on maintenance for their vehicle. Of course, the data indicates there is “wide variance” in costs based on vehicle age.

DesRosiers broke down the data by age group, noting that the one- to three-year-old vehicle class has the lowest maintenance spending. Owners of four- to five-year-old cars spend an average of $756 per year, with owners of six- to seven-year-old rides spending $944.

Average spending for eight- to 12-year-old vehicles was at $913, with owners of vehicles 13 years or older spending $801 on average.

“Given that vehicles 10 years and older represent more than a third of the total vehicle fleet, understanding the maintenance habits of these owners is of growing importance to the aftermarket,” the firm stated.

The company also highlighted that almost three-fourths of respondents (73.7 percent) prefer taking their ride to a service outlet for their maintenance and repair needs.

Conversely, only 26.3 percent of owners said in 2011 they do the maintenance themselves, down from 27 percent four years earlier.

“Those who perform their own maintenance are in a declining minority,” the firm stated.

“As with most other vehicle maintenance issues, the “Do It Yourself”-to-“Do It For Me” ratio varies considerably with vehicle age; DIY rates soar from 9.0 percent for vehicles one to three years old to 46.2 percent for those 13 years or older,” it added.

Furthermore, there is also variance when it comes to product category. For instance, 74.3 percent of owners in 2011 said they install their own wiper blades, which was the highest of DIY install rates.

Conversely, 82.1 percent turned to a service shop to have the vehicle’s oil changed, according to DesRosiers. This was the country’s No. 1 “Do It For Me” service.