CARY, N.C. -

If there was ever any doubt as to what segment draws the most attention in the used-vehicle market, let it be put to rest.

Each of the top three best-selling used vehicles in 2021 were full-size pickup trucks, according to an analysis from iSeeCars.com.

The firm examined more than 9.8 million sales last year of used vehicles from the 2016 through 2020 model years.

What it found was that the Ford F-150 had the greatest share of used-car sales (3.6%), followed by the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2.6%) and the Ram Pickup 1500 (2.4%).

“The Ford F-150 has been America’s undisputed best-selling new vehicle for over 40 years, and its popularity among new cars makes it popular in the used car market as well,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said in the analysis.

“The limited inventory of new pickup trucks led many consumers to purchase them used, and despite pickup trucks being among the top sellers, demand still exceeded supply, leading to dramatic increases in used-car prices.”

The F-150 also had the largest share of used-car sales in 38 states, according to the report.

And while pickups like the F-150 were at the top of the 10 best sellers, the segment with the most vehicles represented on the top 10 used-vehicle list was the compact SUV (with four).

The Nissan Rogue ranked as the No. 5 best-selling used vehicle, while the Chevrolet Equinox came in seventh, the Ford Escape was No. 8 and the Toyota RAV4 was No. 9.

And though it should be noted three cars made the list (Honda Civic at No. 4, Toyota Camry at No. 6 and Honda Accord at No. 10), Bauer posits the compact SUV popularity may be tied to the exodus of consumers from sedans

“Compact SUVs are popular among used car buyers due to their versatility and value, especially as many consumers abandon the sedan segment,” said Brauer. “Because they have been a rapidly growing segment among new car buyers for so long, there are plenty of these small crossovers available in the used-car market.”

As for those three cars on the list, he added: “These sedans are high-volume sellers among new cars, which makes them popular used cars as well. Used-car prices increased across all segments, so some buyers who were interested in SUVs may have purchased one of these reliable and more affordable vehicles instead.”

Speaking of higher used-vehicle prices, Black Book’s index for retail listing prices of used vehicles was 36% higher at the end of the year than it was at the beginning, the company said in its latest Market Insights report.

“During the third quarter, retail prices continued to rise at a slower rate but have since picked up. In Q4, prices on retail listings have steadily increased week after week … The scarcity of both new and used inventory in the market continues to fuel these consistent increases,” Black Book said in the report.

Delving into used-car scarcity specifics, the company said used-car retail listings fell 16% throughout the year. 

“As we head into 2022, we can hopefully only go up from here, as dealers start preparing for spring market,” Black Book said.

Elsewhere on the used-car pricing front,  Edmunds released a forecast this week projecting that monthly payments on used vehicles for the fourth quarter were likely to have reached an all-time high of $520.

That’s up from $437 a year earlier and $500 in the third quarter.