CARY, N.C. -

Spurred by spiking demand, used pickup truck prices have risen far more rapidly than what the overall industry is experiencing, says CarGurus.

The price of a used pickup truck has climbed 22 percent since January 2013, according to the car-shopping site.

The 1-percent hike in the overall CarGurus Used Car Price index in the same time frame pales in comparison.

CarGurus collected and analyzed average price data on all used pickup trucks and car models from January 2013 to December 2016 through its price index, and also examined shopper inquiry changes.

It found that the average listing price on a used pickup in January 2013 was $19,672.  That has since ballooned to a current average of approximately $23,978.

Demand, among factors, is the major driver: used pickup inquiries have climbed 36 percent compared to other vehicle types, CarGurus said.

“The pickup truck has become more popular over the past three years, likely due to low gas prices, improved economic conditions, and to some degree a broadening customer base,” Lisa Rosenberg, CarGurus marketing analyst, said in a news release.

“This is a positive trend for truck owners looking to trade in, but for shoppers it’s just a lot harder to find an affordable used pickup truck than it used to be,” she said. “However, these shoppers can take comfort in the notion that their used pickup should retain its value equally strongly.”

In fact, they only lost an average of 18 percent of their value (original MSRP) in three years, according to a CarGurus study of 3- and 5-year price retention for the top 50 most popular vehicle models. 

The industry average over three years was a 25-percent loss.

The pickup truck with the best 3- and 5-year retention, CarGurus said, was the Toyota Tacoma.

On the wholesale side of the market, ADESA Analytical Services data shows that compact pickup prices were up 6.6 percent year-over-year in November, with full-size pickups up 3.3 percent.

Of the 13 segments included in this analysis from KAR Auction Services chief economist Tom Kontos, these represented the fourth- and fifth-best retention levels in the data set, respectively.

They trailed full-size SUVs/CUVs (up 14.9 percent), midsize SUVs/CUVs (up 9 percent) and minivans (up 8 percent), but were ahead of the five car segments, each of which declined in value.