IRVINE, Calif. — Kelley Blue Book’s Kbb.com said that it anticipates the new-car sales and leasing slumps of recent years will impact used-car values in the coming years. Current supply reductions, caused by the decline in new-car sales since 2008 and the drop in leasing throughout 2008, will play a very prominent role in the wholesale used-car market in the future, according to the company's Blue Book Market Report for August 2011.

In response to supply reductions, the average value of a one- to three-year-old used vehicle has increased from $15,000 in 2008 to more than $23,000 in 2011, an average increase of nearly 16 percent each year, according to Kbb.com. The Website suggests that it will take several years of strong new-car sales to replenish the shortage of used vehicles driving values up today.  

“While the pace of used-car appreciation is likely to subside as supply, and ultimately sales, improve, we expect used-vehicle values to remain strong for the next two to three years," said Alec Gutierrez, manager of vehicle valuation for Kelley Blue Book. "Consumers who plan to sell or trade-in a used car soon will likely see their vehicle hold its value well. Alternatively, shoppers in the market for a used car will continue to pay more, making it difficult to buy at a discount."

For more information, visit www.kbb.com.