Car Depreciation Accelerates in August, Black Book Reports
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The average price of a used vehicle for model years 2011-2015 depreciated 2.4% during August, noticeably more than July’s 1.5% decline, according to Black Book.
The decline is also notably more than what was recorded the last three years during the month of August — even higher than August 2014’s 1.9% depreciation rate. Cars overall recorded the highest depreciation, with prices falling 3.1% compared to 1.9% in July. Truck segment showed depreciation of 1.8% for the month, with all vehicles currently averaging a 12-month depreciation change of 16.2%.
Depreciation for near-luxury cars, including the Acura ILX, Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Cadillac ATS, and Lexus IS250, was the highest at 3.7%. Vehicles in this segment finished the month with an average price of $18,112, a 19.5% decline from year-ago levels ($22,501).
Full-size pickups, including the Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram, Ford F150, and GMC Sierra, recorded the highest retention, with prices depreciating only 0.6%. Vehicles in this segment finished the month with an average price of $24,372, a 10.2% decline from a year ago ($27,152).
Four other vehicle segments saw depreciation of 3% or greater in August. Those segments were the sub-compact car (3.5%); sporty cars (3.4%); luxury cars (3.3%); and compact cars (3.3%).
The top six segments with the weakest retention during August were all cars. And while prestige luxury cars recorded the strongest retention among all car segments, its 2.2% depreciation rate made it just the eighth best-performing segment overall for the month. In fact, just two car segments ranked in the Top 12 among retention for the month (premium sporty car depreciated 2.7%).
“As fall approaches, depreciation trends continue to accelerate as we head toward the last few months of the year,” said Anil Goyal, senior vice president of automotive valuation and analytics for Black book. “We can expect to see lower retention in cars across all segments as the year continues, and we’ll continue to monitor truck levels to see if they also see weaker retention overall.”
More Industry

Texas vs. California
The state known for its pickups penchant threatens to overtake the traditional center of U.S. car culture as it grows sales of new vehicles and pays more for them.
Read More →
Hybrids Record Highest Annual Mileage
A new study shows that conventional hybrids are the most heavily driven vehicles on the road, while plug-in hybrids are the least-driven power train.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Last week's wholesale vehicle auction activity reflected seasonal patterns as buyers stayed choosy about selections, analysts reported.
Read More →
Auto Prices Ride May Moderation
Flat ATPs and asking prices clocked in below long-term averages for the month, though some segments saw significant price gains, reported Cox Automotive.
Read More →
Auto Retail Families Get Out While the Getting’s Good
Kerrigan Advisors’ first-quarter Blue Sky Report shows a sharp uptick in buy-sell deals as more retailers take advantage of handsome values while seeking to escape market risk.
Read More →
Holman Opens New Lexus Dealership
Located in the heart of Clark County, Lexus of Vancouver features a multi-level showroom, more than 30 service bays, an indoor drive for drop-off and pick-up and a fleet of courtesy vehicles.
Read More →
Ownership Priorities are Shifting
A new survey shows that in the U.S. vehicle quality for generation Z is largely defined by advanced safety features, intuitive technology and premium sound systems.
Read More →
Pump Price Jump Calculated
ISeeCars.com examined fuel costs for different power trains, finding which ones have experienced the biggest hits since the war in Iran commenced.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Wholesale values fell last week despite the spring season still being in the traditional full-gear mode, analysts said.
Read More →
Arkansas Auto Group Acquires First Indiana Rooftop
Performance Brokerage Services represented both the buyer and seller in the sale of Carver Toyota of Columbus by Carlock Automotive Group.
Read More →