According to Black Book® data, the average price of a used vehicle for model years 2010-2014 declined -2.8% during November, reinforcing the notion that cars and trucks face their heaviest depreciation toward the end of the year. Cars declined -3.1% while trucks declined -2.6% during the month. Average pre-recession annual depreciation was continually recorded between -15% and -18%, and Black Book expects 2015 depreciation near -13.0%.

For the second straight month, cargo mini vans led all vehicle segments with the highest depreciation on the month at -5.6% in November. Vehicles in this segment include the Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet Uplander, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ford Transit Connect. Vehicles in this segment finished November with an average segment price of $7,662, a -20.6% drop from a year ago ($9,651).

Nine vehicle segments saw depreciation in November of -3.2% or greater, three of which were trucks including the Compact Crossovers at -3.8% on the month. Vehicles in this segment include the Acura RDX, Audi Q3, BMW X1, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Honda Element. Vehicles in this segment finished the month with an average segment price of $12,338, a -11.9% change from a year ago ($14,003).

Midsize pickup trucks led all segments with the lowest depreciation in November at -1.1%. Vehicles in this segment include the Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, GMC Canyon and Honda Ridgeline. Vehicles in this segment finished November with an average segment price of $17,792, a -7.3% change from a year ago ($19,184).

“In analyzing the depreciation patterns this late in the year, it’s interesting to see that many full-size segments are experiencing lower price declines, signaling continued strength for large vehicles,” said Anil Goyal, Vice President of Automotive Valuation and Analytics for Black Book. 

Black Book® is best known in the automotive industry for providing timely, independent and accurate vehicle pricing information, and is available to industry-qualified users through online subscription products, mobile applications and licensing agreements. A leading provider since 1955, Black Book has continuously evolved to ensure that it achieves its goal of delivering mission-critical information to its customers, along with the insight necessary to successfully buy, sell, and lend. Black Book data is published daily by National Auto Research, a division of Hearst Business media, and the company maintains offices in Georgia, Florida, and Maryland as well as the Canadian Black Book in Toronto.