Story highlights Obama: Americans wants a candidate that "doesn't have as much mileage as me"

Obama tells ABC he doesn't expect to be utilized too much in 2016 campaigns

Obama: Hillary Clinton would be a "formidable" candidate and "a great president"

Drive it straight off the lot and into the Oval Office.

That's what President Obama says the American people want, admitting Sunday that the country is ready to shift gears and hit the gas with a new leader.

"I think the American people, you know, they're going to want that new car smell," Obama said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "You know, they want to drive something off the lot that -- that doesn't have as much mileage as me."

After taking responsibility for his party's sweeping defeat in the midterm elections, the President now says that he is aware that his brand has lost some of its luster.

"When you've been president for six years, you know, you've got some dings," Obama said. "You know, they're probably not going to be looking at me to campaign too much."

"I think at the end of two years if -- if they want me to do some selective things, I'll be happy to do them, but I suspect that folks will be ready to see me go off to the next thing."

But even if he considers his mileage to be 2016 baggage, Obama says he wants to help his party in any way he can to win the next presidential election.

"I am very interested in making sure that I've got a Democratic successor," Obama said. "So I'm going to do everything I can, obviously, to make sure that whoever the nominee is, is successful."

Discussing potential 2016 contenders, Obama had kind words about a former competitor and colleague, who has racked up a number of political accomplishments on her own 2016 odometer.

"She hasn't announced so I don't want to jump the gun," Obama said about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he said he speaks with regularly. "If she decides to run, I think she will be a formidable candidate and I think she'd be a great president."

"She's not going to agree with me on everything," the President continued. "And, you know, one of the benefits of running for president is you can stake out your own positions -- and have a clean slate, a fresh start."