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Used Car Price Trends for 2024 (Updated Weekly)

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Last updated Mar 27, 2024

Prices on the used car market are stabilizing as we head into spring car buying season. In fact, mid-March brought the first wholesale price increase in months, albeit minor. However, we’ve seen this trend before in recent years, and more ups and downs are possible in 2024. With used car prices remaining volatile, it’s never been more important to track the value of your car.

So far in 2024, we’ve seen 10 consecutive weeks of dropping prices, and 3 weeks of rising prices. However, some used car segments are still falling faster than others.

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We also track new car prices. See the latest monthly update here.

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Used Car Prices – March 2024 Update

What types of used cars are dropping, which are increasing? Is now a good time to buy a used car? Should you sell your car now, or wait for prices to go back up? Let’s answer those questions and more.

According to the latest used car market data from Black Book, the used car market is dropping at wholesale markets. When will retail used car prices drop? We’ll get into that below. First, let’s take a closer look at wholesale prices last week.

Is the car bubble bursting? Let’s look at the data.

This week, wholesale used car prices rose +0.13%, compared to +0.17% last week.

used car prices in March 2024

Used car prices appear to be stabilizing at the wholesale level. That’s not necessarily a good thing, as used car prices remain far higher than in years past.

Used car prices (wholesale sedans)

The overall car segment increased slightly by +0.10%, compared to a slight increase of +0.02% last week. Some segments gained, while others dropped. Prestige luxury car prices decreased the most (-0.19%). Compact car prices have fallen -10% at wholesale auctions in the past few months, but actually rose last week.

March 2024 Car Price Trends. Source: Black Book

Used Truck Prices (Wholesale)

Truck prices are holding steady in Spring 2024. The overall truck segment increased last week, rising +0.15% in seven days, compared to an increase of +0.24% the week before.

Luxury crossover prices continue to fall more quickly than other segments. Minivans, small pickups like the Toyota Tacoma, and full-size SUVs like the Jeep Wagoneer saw used prices increase last week.

March 2024 Truck/SUV Price Trends. Source: Black Book

Since the onset of the pandemic, full-size vans have appreciated more than 60%. Now, used van prices are holding steady.

Retail used car prices are falling slowly in 2024

In 2024 (black), retail used car prices are falling slowly.

As the data above shows, retail car prices are slowly but steadily dropping. Car shoppers are saying no to ridiculously high prices, especially as interest rates remain high. In late 2023, retail used car prices eliminated the year’s overall gains, returning to where prices were when 2023 began. In early 2024, used car prices are holding steady, even as new car prices drop quickly.

Hybrid and EV prices remain elevated above the overall market, but the gap is narrowing. The average transaction price for an electric vehicle is now 16.7% higher than the overall market. That’s less than the 20% premium for EVs we saw early in 2023.

Here’s our monthly update on EV prices.

Used Car Inventory – Retail Markets

Used car days to turn - 2024

The graph above shows that used car inventory is falling as dealers hesitate to take on more inventory. Used car days-to-turn is now at a five-year high. Car buyers are holding off on purchases as used car interest rates soar well beyond 14% APR.

New Car Price Trends (Monthly Updates)

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Older used cars have appreciated most

A new phenomenon we have begun tracking is that older used cars are appreciating more rapidly than younger used cars.

older model used car prices
*Data as of April 2022

This is primarily a function of consumer demand. Retail customers that want to purchase a car at a sub $20,000 price-point are being forced to look at older used vehicles because the new ones have increased in value beyond their budget. This is scary, crazy, and a whole host of other words.

How much did used car prices increase in 2021?

Depending on who you ask (Cox Automotive, Edmunds, CarGurus, or Black Book), retail used car prices increased anywhere from 32% to 36% in 2021.

black book 2021 used car price trends

Black Book shows a 35% increase in retail used car prices for 2021 (the purple line). For comparison, the orange line shows a 7% appreciation for used car prices in 2020, and the blue line shows a 3% depreciation of used car values for 2019.

Here’s a month-over-month table showing used car price trends for 2021:

Month Average Used Car Price
January $22,112
February $21,573
March $21,343
April $22,568
May $24,414
June $25,101
July $25,500
August $25,890
September $26,548
October $27,067
November $27,569
December $29,000

This data, supplied by Cox Automotive, shows the incredible ascent used car prices took in 2021.

Every used car has two prices; the wholesale price, and the retail price. As consumers we typically concern ourselves with the retail price, and with good reason, unless you have a dealer’s license you can’t buy a car wholesale at an auction.

That being said, wholesale used car prices are the lifeblood of car dealers, and the used car price trends we saw on the wholesale side in 2021 were truly unfathomable. While retail used car prices increased ~36% in 2021, wholesale used car prices rose 52%.

black book 2021 wholesale used car price trends

There is an obvious interplay between wholesale and retail prices. As wholesale prices increase, we can expect retail to prices to do the same.

Interactive data

Thanks to our friends at foureyes, we can share with you this real-time updating data set on used and new car prices.

3 Comments

  1. Kapono Kamuela

    How will the recent hurricane be affecting auto prices on the used car market. Will there be concerns over cars that may have been declared a total loss on the used car market?

    Reply
  2. Anthony

    My vote is definitely team Pops/reality
    I like to be an optimist but these are most extraordinary times and the economy being the way it is and God knows getting worse I don’t see the used car market (far more affordable than new cars) going anywhere but up.

    Reply
  3. Phirum ley

    No

    Reply

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