Black Book, a division of Hearst Business Media that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for June, showing the Index, rising modestly to 113.0, up from 112.3 in May. On a twelve-month basis, the index has dropped 4.5% from last June. Click here to obtain a copy of the latest index data.

The Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index is calculated using Black Book’s published Wholesale Average value on two- to six-year-old used vehicles, as percent of original typically-equipped MSRP. The Index offers an accurate, unbiased view of the strength of today’s used wholesale market values.

The Index rose for the second time in the past three months; it increased slightly in April due to a stronger-than-expected spring selling season for used vehicles, and it saw gains in June largely because falling gas prices helped with the sale of used trucks, crossovers and SUVs. Despite these gains, the falling gas prices also meant a continuation of accelerated depreciation for Subcompact and Compact Cars.

“In addition to falling gas prices, which are playing a role in driving a little more interest for certain trucks today, there are generally some very good deals out there for used vehicles currently,” said Anil Goyal, Senior Vice President of Automotive Valuation and Analytics for Black Book. “These are the primary reasons why we are seeing some bounce off the lows in used car retention trends.”

The Index dates back to January 2005, where Black Book published a benchmark index value of 100.0 for the market. During 2008, the index dropped by 14.1% while during 2016, the index fell by just 6.4%. During 2011, the index rose strongly from 113.3 to 123.0 by the end of the year as the economy picked up steam and used vehicle values rose higher. It continued to remain relatively stable, rising slightly until May of 2014 when it hit a peak of 128.1.

To obtain a copy of the latest Black Book Wholesale Value Index, please click here.  

About 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. For more information, please visit BlackBook.com or call 800.554.1026.