The traditional spring tax-season market appeared to wane in April, as average wholesale prices rose only modestly on both a sequential and annual basis.
by Staff
May 25, 2016
Kontos
2 min to read
Kontos
The traditional spring tax-season market appeared to wane in April, as average wholesale prices rose only modestly on both a sequential and annual basis. As in previous months, drilling down into the data reveals softness due to supply growth that is not as evident in the top-line numbers, according to ADESA's monthly analysis.
"This year, we did start to see some strength in March, but I would say April's results appeared to wane relative to March," said ADESA's Tom Kontos, executive vice president of customer strategies and analytics.
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Wholesale used vehicle prices in April averaged $10,881, which was up 0.8% compared to March and up 1.7% compared to April 2015, according to ADESA Analytical Services’ monthly analysis of Wholesale Used Vehicle Prices by Vehicle Model Class. The wholesale market remains bifurcated, however, with car prices down on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis, while truck prices were up.
Average wholesale prices for used vehicles remarketed by manufacturers were down 2.8% month-over-month and down 5.4% year-over-year. Prices for fleet/lease consignors were down 0.9% sequentially and down 3.1% annually. Only dealer consignors saw increases in average prices, registering a 2.7% increase versus March and a 2.2% increase relative to April 2015.
Data from NADA showed a 6.7% year-over-year increase in retail used vehicle sales by franchised dealers and a 3.4% increase for independent dealers in April, and both were up significantly up month over month as sales rebounded from the Easter holiday impact in March. April CPO sales were down 4.6% month-over-month but were up 8.3% year-over-year, according to figures from Autodata.
The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.
The Association, dedicated to advancing the remarketing phase of the vehicle lifecycle, held its kick-off meeting on April 16 at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) in Cleveland.
From a Wall Street analyst's take on remarketing's key players to whether fleets need their own version of Carfax, CAR 2026's afternoon roundtables will answer key operational and industry questions.
The company has processed more than 10 million pounds of EV battery black mass, highlighting growing demand for recycling and lifecycle management as more electric vehicles enter the used market.
A panel at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing will examine how resale value is created across the vehicle lifecycle and which traditional remarketing practices still deliver ROI.
