Vehicle Remarketing Logo

March Wholesale Buyers Continuing to Favor Small Cars

Car segment values continued to thrive last week, as nearly all vehicles within the segment saw growing consumer demand, according to Black Book’s March 26 Market Insights report.

by Staff
March 27, 2018
March Wholesale Buyers Continuing to Favor Small Cars

Courtesy of Black Book.

2 min to read


Courtesy of Black Book.

Car segment values continued to thrive last week, as nearly all vehicles within the segment saw growing consumer demand, according to Black Book’s March 26 Market Insights report.

Last week, overall car segment values were up 0.26%, compared to the 0.01% depreciation the segment experienced the week prior.

Ad Loading...

The performance from the car segment from two weeks ago was already strong. The fact that it remained essentially flat on a week-to-week basis was a testament to the strength of smaller cars during the tax season. The performance from cars this past week, however, resulted in the strongest week the car segment has had in two years.

There were two main drivers of the car segment’s performance this week. The first was the continued strength of subcompact, compact, mid-size, full-size, and sporty cars. Respectively, these vehicles saw their average wholesale values increase by 0.32%, 0.89%, 0.36%, 0.06%, and 0.06% week-over-week.

The second driver was the improved performance of vehicles from the luxury car segments. Similar to last week, luxury vehicles were the only vehicles within the car segment to experience a decline in wholesale value, but it was at a lower rate than in the week before.

Overall truck segment values were down 0.19%, compared to 0.27% the week prior. Subcompact crossovers/SUVs, compact crossovers/SUVs, and full-size vans were the top performers within the segment. Subcompact luxury and compact luxury crossovers/SUVs experienced the highest weekly depreciation.   

More Used Vehicle Values

Series of colored line graphs showing the recent history of average used listing prices.

Used Vehicle Prices Climb Higher As Sales Pace Slows

The higher prices at used retail reflect strong wholesale values earlier in the spring, particularly for older, more affordable vehicles.

Read More →
Dark blue bar graphs showing percentage gains in average wholesale used vehicle prices

Wholesale Used Vehicle Market Sustains Moderate Rise In Values, Prices

Trends continue to normalize after a strong start to the year, as consumers contend with higher gas prices in the coming summer months.

Read More →
Chart comparing April new and used EV sales. New EV sales fell to 76,889 units while used EV sales rose to 42,080, according to Cox Automotive.

Used EV Sales Grow In April

While EV sales declined, used EV sales grew, as tighter inventory and rising prices reflected a more normalized pace for the EV market.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Blue bar graphs showing wholesale used vehicle price shifts according to vehicle segment.

Wholesale Used Vehicle Prices Slightly Up In April

The Iranian conflict and rising gas prices inject much uncertainty into the future wholesale used vehicle markets, as higher gas prices soak up spendable income from vehicle buyers.

Read More →
collage of conference speakers
Operationsby Chris BrownApril 30, 2026

CAR 2026 Recap Part 2: Closing the Gap Between Data & Remarketing Value

The second half of CAR 2026 examined how fleets can translate lifecycle strategy, vehicle data, and market shifts into higher real-world results.

Read More →
Collage of CAR speakers
Used Vehicle Valuesby Chris BrownApril 27, 2026

CAR2026 in Two Words: Velocity, Value (Part 1)

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.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Line comparisons of used vehicle inventory set in different colors.
Fleetby News/Media ReleaseApril 20, 2026

March Used Vehicle Inventory Falls To Lowest Since 2019

Franchised and independent dealers had a total of 1.95 million used vehicles in stock in March, the lowest on record in the current data set.

Read More →
 A white Polestar 3 with all doors and trunk lid open while on display at an EV sales event.

Spring Bounce Pushes Q1 Used Vehicle Values Higher

Demand signals remain strong at auctions, with sales conversions, a clear sign of demand, reaching 68.2% in the most recent measure.

Read More →
Graphic promoting CAR 2026 roundtables featuring headshots of five speakers and topics including Wall Street trends, fleet data, upfits, fair market value, and AI in remarketing.
Operationsby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026: Get the Wall Street Update on the Key Players in Remarketing

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.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Promotional graphic for CAR 2026 panel on data-driven value in commercial vehicles, featuring five industry experts and session details for April 16 in Cleveland.
Fleetby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026 Session to Uncover the Missing Data That's Costing Fleets at Disposal

Work trucks lose value at remarketing, not because they aren't worth more, but because the data to prove it rarely makes it to the auction.

Read More →