Noticeable segment moves even as Black Book July index remains flat
At the highest level, Black Book’s Used Vehicle Retention Index remained steady in July compared to June, as analysts pegged the latest reading at 115.
However, looking deeper into the data, Black Book uncovered some notable value movements, mentioning four vehicle segments in particular.
Analysts noticed values of compact crossovers (up 0.82%) and sporty cars (up 0.48%) performed well, while full-size luxury SUVs (down 0.88%) and luxury cars (down 0.46%) endured higher losses.
“While the July Index is flat to the previous month, the segment breakdown shows very clear trends within segments,” Black Book executive vice president of operations Anil Goyal said in a news release. “Non-luxury crossovers enjoyed the largest gains, while luxury cars and luxury SUVs had the largest losses.”
The Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index is calculated using Black Book’s published wholesale average value on 2- to 6-year-old used vehicles, as percent of original typically equipped MSRP. It is weighted based on registration volume and adjusted for seasonality, vehicle age, mileage and condition.
The index dates to January 2005 when 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, go to this website.