When you hear of BMW, what comes to mind? More often than not, you would associate it with luxurious interior, really cool exterior, and a pedal-to-the-metal performance. That has been the image that the German automaker has painted into the back of our minds.

It is thus not surprising that it is ranked as the best leasing vehicle in the United States. According to The Auto Channel, LeaseTrader.com announced its data for December last year and for three months straight, the BMW 3 Series is on top.

According to Sergio Stiberman, founder and CEO of LeaseTrader, the economic slump does not seem to faze consumers from leasing a luxury vehicle. "The BMW 3 Series continues to be the most popular car on our site because it's a marriage of both luxury and affordability," said Stiberman.

"Despite the slowing economy, people still want to enjoy a trendy car with great performance. And the BMW 3 Series delivers at a price point that is very budget-friendly," he added.

The top-ten list of leased vehicle is dominated by the BMW 3 Series but Mercedes-Benz has four vehicles in the list while BMW has three. Cadillac has two and Land Rover, one. Second on the list is the Mercedes-Benz C Class while the BMW X Series is at third. The Land Rover Sport ranked fourth followed by the Cadillac Escalade.

The Cadillac CTS is ranked sixth followed by the BMW 5 Series. Three Mercedes-Benz models bring up the rear with the Mercedes-Benz SL Class in eight place, the Mercedes-Benz E350 ninth and the Mercedes-Benz S550 rounding up the top ten. These vehicles according to The Auto Channel are the "most popular transferred lease vehicles in America during January".