Q. With automakers cutting back on leasing, what are people to do if they don't want to buy a new vehicle? --E.H., Chicago area

A. A recent study shows many people are uncertain about how they will finance their next car and that this uncertainty is leading them to consider options such as buying a less expensive auto, a used one -- or postponing a purchase until conditions are more favorable. It was found that more women (43 percent) were uncertain about how to react to fewer leasing options than men (36 percent). Female consumers (17 percent) also were less likely than males (24 percent) to buy a used car. The more education a consumer has, the more he or she considers buying a new car when leasing isn't available, suggested the survey. It was conducted by Synovate on behalf of Global Debt Network Automotive, an online loan portfolio marketplace.

Q. I've heard rumors that the beloved British MG sports car might return to America. --M.K., West Chicago

A. Last sold here in 1980, the affordable, fun-to-drive MG introduced many Americans to sports cars in the early 1950s. Many baby boomers who have owned a sports car had a new or used MG, which is partly why there are many MG car clubs. (My first car was a used 1952 MG TD.) MG's plans to return to America are on hold after false starts, but keep your chin up because the car is sold in England and there's a possibility it might be offered here again.

Q. How is the new 2009 large Lincoln MKS sedan (July 12 AutoTimes) selling? --P.G., Highland Park

A. The made-in-Chicago MKS, which debuted in June, was the third-best-selling "middle-luxury" model in August behind the far-more-established BMW 5-Series and Cadillac DTS, with sales of 2,374 cars. Analysts say the MKS doesn't sit on dealer lots very long before being sold, although the country's economic problems are causing sales of costly mid-luxury vehicles to fall appreciably. This is good news for Ford Motor's long-neglected Lincoln division, which has seen annual sales fall from approximately 230,000 units in 1990 to 131,487 vehicles last year. Lincoln's fairly new MKZ mid-size sedan (Jan. 8, 2007, AutoTimes) also has been well-received, with sales through August this year rising to 23,336 units from 22,948 in the same year-ago period.

Car question? Send it to Dan Jedlicka, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654, or e-mail djedlicka@suntimes.com. Include name and hometown.