March Prices See Modest Gain, but Not as Impressive as a Year Ago

Jonathan Banks Executive Automotive Analyst NADA Used Car Guide March prices improved for 2nd month in row in March, however wholesale price growth was mild and followed pattern typically seen in period. Prices on used vehicles up to eight years-old saw higher gains than in February – 1.2% in March versus 0.8% in February; however, […]

 

TrueCar’s Performance Scorecard Ranks Top Brands and Manufacturers

Who were the top manufacturers on TrueCar’s March Performance Scorecard? Subaru, Toyota and BMW. Near the bottom were Volvo, Mitsubishi and General Motors. TrueCar grades each manufacturer and brand on different measurements including pricing, sales, incentives, and days in inventory data.

Brands with the highest grades were Scion, MINI, Subaru, Lexus and Audi, while brands with the lowest grades were….

Manufacturers with largest Gains from February 2013 to March 2013 were Toyota, which moved from a B- to an A, and….

Manufacturers with steepest declines were Mitsubishi, which moved from a B+ to a D+, and Mazda and Ford experienced declines of….

Click here to read the entire TrueCar March Performance Scorecard report, with more details on the methodology used to rate automakers…

 

ADESA’s Tom Kontos on Spring Seasonal Price Trends

ADESA’s Tom Kontos says:  Wholesale prices rose seasonally but fell annually in March, indicating a softening of the overall price trends environment compared to the last three Spring/tax seasons. Softening is to be expected as UV prices had risen to high levels relative to new vehicle prices.

Retail sales of used and certified pre-owned vehicles have been strong, providing demand support that prices from…

Wholesale prices averaged $10,028, according to ADESA Analytical Services – up 2.9% compared to February but down….

Used vehicle prices seemed to emulate patterns seen in new vehicle sales data – fullsize pickup trucks and small SUVs and crossovers had….

Click here to view the latest Kontos Kommentary to get details on ADESA Analytical Services’ perspectives on market trends…

 

Retail Vehicle Sales vs. Commercial Fleet

  • Fleet sales are a much higher percentage than one would think if all small business acquisitions are included
  •  According to CNW Research, in February 2013, 59% of all auto sales were done at retail
  •  Significantly higher than the 48.6% in April of 2011 when automakers relied heavily on commercial sales