ATLANTA -

While AutoTrader.com’s rankings of most popular used vehicles didn’t change too much from April, SUVs and trucks are generating the same level of consumer interest and similar trends are being spotted for certified pre-owned vehicles, as well.

In fact, the site said seven trucks and SUVs on its list of Top 20 Most-Searched Used Vehicles saw decreases in consumer interest from May 2010.

“The larger, heavy-duty trucks took the biggest hits year-over-year, with the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and Dodge Ram 2500 all dropping four spots,” AutoTrader noted. “Conversely, family cars made notable year-over-year improvements, with the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta both moving up four spots and the Audi A4 and Nissan Altima moving up five spots.”

Likewise, the list of Top 20 Most-Searched Certified Pre-Owned Cars saw large trucks and SUVs sliding from May 2010, although several picked up some steam from April, AutoTrader said.

The CPO list had no newcomers this month, and consumers looking for certified rides typically appeared “less concerned” with fuel economy.

“In fact, the three vehicles to make month-over-month increases were either trucks or SUVs,” AutoTrader indicated, citing the Toyota Tundra (climbing from No. 7 to No. 5), Tahoe (No. 14 to No. 11) and Toyota 4-Runner (No. 20 to No. 18).

“However, the biggest year-over-year decreases were also large trucks and SUVs, showing that while interest may have increased on a few select models recently, two popular models are still garnering less interest than they did the same time last year,” it added

For example, the CPO Tahoe dropped six spots from where it was in May 2010, as did the Ford F-150.

The exception to the rule was the CPO Honda CR-V, the company indicated. It came in at No. 19 on the CPO list this May, versus its No. 31 ranking in May 2010.

“The CR-V’s relatively good fuel efficiency for its class could have contributed to this leap, as consumers attempt to find a balance between their needs for cargo and passenger space and decent fuel economy,” the site noted.

Prices Up Across Board

As far as asking prices, AutoTrader is seeing gains, for the most part, across  the new, used and CPO markets.

On the used side, in particular, it spotlighted the Toyota and Honda vehicles, which enjoyed the biggest gains in price within the used market.

Topping that list for asking-price gains was the Toyota Camry, whose asking price was up close to 13 percent. The Honda Accord was second on the used list with a near 10-percent gain, with the Civic in third (up close to 9 percent).

“These perennial favorites are typically in high demand, but that demand may have increased for used models due to the production shortages caused by the natural disasters in Japan earlier this year, according to AutoTrader.com analysts,” the site said.

On the CPO side, the greatest lift went to the Acura MDX (up 21 percent), followed by Ford Mustang (up 16 percent) and the BMW 5-Series (up 13 percent).

“Overall, average asking prices for the majority of CPO vehicles rose year-over-year, with 13 out of the top 20 showing increases, though there was less organization around body style or manufacturer than seen on the new and used lists,” the publication stressed.

AutoTrader noted that 13 of the 20 most popular new units were up in price. The most dominant gains were spotted among fuel-friendly rides.

Officials added: “According to AutoTrader.com analysts, prices are heavily affected by supply and demand, and the increase in consumer demand overall with the still-limited supply of used cars and the challenges facing the new-car market due to anticipated shortages have again pushed prices higher.”