Used-Vehicle Prices Remain Steady through August

NADA Used-Vehicle Price Index rises to 124.8

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The same factors causing a surge in new-vehicle sales – pent-up demand, low interest rates and heated competition among lenders eager to grow their loan portfolios – are having a similar effect in the used-vehicle market, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Used Car Guide.

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"Consumer demand for used cars and light trucks has kept growing this year, which has continued to fuel strong prices for used vehicles," says Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide, in the September edition of Guidelines, a monthly report on new- and used-vehicle sales trends and used-vehicle price movement.

Used-vehicle prices have remained at a historically high level through the first eight months of the year. Vehicles up to eight years in age carried a mix- and seasonally-adjusted average price of $15,113, a figure up slightly higher than 2012's average and $463 higher than 2011's average.

With a drop of 1.1% in August, used-vehicle prices matched the average rate of loss in June and July. Large pickups continued to outperform other segments, with wholesale prices increasing by an average of 0.2% during the month.

August's comparatively light drop lifted NADA's seasonally adjusted Used-Vehicle Price Index to 124.8, up more than one point from July's figure of 123.5 and the highest level recorded so far in 2013. The index measures the change in price for used vehicles up to eight years old.

Historically, the fall and winter months are the softest time of year for used-vehicle prices, partly because of increasing supply from rental car companies offloading year-old units to make room for new models and decreasing demand as consumers shift their focus to the start of the new school year and impending holiday season, Banks added.

"NADA predicts that the rate of decline will be considerably less than what has been recorded for this period in large part because a ravenous consumer appetite for used vehicles is being fed by incredibly favorable credit conditions," Banks said.

Trade-in values in September's edition of the NADA Official Used Car Guide were adjusted down by an average of 1.4%, which is a considerable improvement from the 3% drop recorded for the month in 2012.

For the fourth quarter of 2013, NADA projects that the average rate of decline will fall within a range of 1.6% to 1.9%, with the largest drop in price occurring in October. By comparison, prices dropped an average of 2.2% in the fourth quarter of 2011, the most recent benchmark. (Last year, prices were unusually strong in the fourth quarter because of the Hurricane Sandy-induced spike in demand for used vehicles.)

When August's strength is combined with a slightly more positive outlook for the rest of 2013, NADA expects that the average price of units up to eight years in age will be up by 1% compared to 2012, instead of remaining essentially flat as previously predicted.

Click here for the September edition of Guidelines.

About the NADA Used Car Guide
Over an 80-year history, NADA Used Car Guide has earned its reputation as the leading provider of market-reflective vehicle valuation products, services and information to businesses throughout the U.S. and worldwide. NADA's editorial team collects and analyzes more than 1 million combined wholesale and retail automotive-related transaction prices per month. Its guidebooks, auction data, analysis and data solutions offer automotive, financial, insurance and government professionals the timely information and reliable solutions they need to make better business decisions. For more information, visit www.nada.com/b2b.

The NADA Story
NADA has been the voice of the dealer since 1917. That's when 30 auto dealers traveled to the nation's capital to convince Congress not to impose a luxury tax on the automobile. They successfully argued that the automobile is a necessity of American life, not a luxury. From that experience was born the National Automobile Dealers Association. Today, NADA represents nearly 16,000 new-car and -truck dealerships with more than 32,000 franchises, both domestic and international. For more information, visit www.nada.org.

SOURCE NADA Used Car Guide