Wholesale Prices Reverse Course

Wholesale prices reversed course and increased both sequentially and annually in August. Key drivers were strong retail sales and a decline in new vehicle incentives. Still, growing wholesale volumes should keep downward pressure on prices and increase the availability and selection of used vehicles for dealers.

by Staff

September 16, 2013

2 min to read

According to ADESA Analytical Services’ monthly analysis of Wholesale Used Vehicle Prices by Vehicle Model Class¹, wholesale used vehicle prices in August averaged $9,654, – up 2.3% compared to July and 1.4% relative to August 2012.

Prices for used vehicles remarketed by manufacturers were down 1.4 percent month-over-month but up 7.1 percent year-over-year. Prices for fleet/lease consignors were up 1.3 percent sequentially and 3.9 percent annually. Dealer consignors saw a 0.4 percent average price increase versus July 2013, but a 0.4 percent downturn versus August 2012.

Based on data from CNW Marketing/Research, retail used vehicle sales were up 4.7 percent on a year-over year basis in August. Sales of certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles rose above 200,000 for the first time and were up 25 percent from August 2012, based on figures from Autodata. New vehicle sales rose to the 16 million unit level in August despite a 3.6 percent month-over-month drop in new vehicle incentives according to Edmunds data.

Wholesale Used Vehicle Price Trends Average Prices ($/Unit) Latest Month Versus: Aug-13 Jul-13 Aug-12 Prior Month Prior Year Total All Vehicles $9,654 $9,435 $9,518 2.3% 1.4% Total Cars $8,733 $8,509 $8,693 2.6% 0.5% Compact Car $6,934 $6,605 $7,185 5.0% -3.5% Midsize Car $7,991 $7,701 $7,720 3.8% 3.5% Fullsize Car $6,893 $6,691 $7,443 3.0% -7.4% Luxury Car $11,948 $11,768 $11,967 1.5% -0.2% Sporty Car $12,784 $12,718 $12,361 0.5% 3.4% Total Trucks $9,645 $9,441 $9,407 2.2% 2.5% Mini Van $6,142 $5,949 $6,675 3.3% -8.0% Fullsize Van $9,979 $9,434 $9,751 5.8% 2.3% Mini SUV $11,341 $11,733 $11,003 -3.3% 3.1% Midsize SUV $7,042 $6,758 $6,673 4.2% 5.5% Fullsize SUV $10,113 $9,921 $10,432 1.9% -3.1% Luxury SUV $18,667 $18,308 $18,562 2.0% 0.6% Compact Pickup $7,063 $7,255 $7,422 -2.7% -4.8% Fullsize Pickup $12,023 $11,856 $11,308 1.4% 6.3% Total Crossovers $12,767 $12,543 $12,796 1.8% -0.2% Compact CUV $11,504 $11,265 $10,832 2.1% 6.2% Mid/Fullsize CUV $14,076 $13,871 $15,211 1.5% -7.5% Source: ADESA Analytical Services.

Topics:ADESA Tom Kontos Operations