LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Black Book (div. Hearst) released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for December 2019 and reported a -0.7 point change from November.

Read: Pre-Owned Values Down 1.4% in December

“After a stable market performance earlier in the year, Q4 of 2019 experienced a steep decline in used vehicle values,” said Anil Goyal, Executive Vice President, Operations. “The year ended with a 2.6% year-over-year change in the Index. Full-size vans and luxury sedans experienced the steepest drops as the Index dropped by about 2% in the month of December for these segments. On the other hand, the Index for mainstream mid-size sedans improved a little, highlighting the demand for affordable vehicles.” 

The Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index is calculated using Black Book’s published Wholesale Average value on two- to six-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 offers an accurate, representative, and unbiased view of the strength of today’s used vehicle market values. 

To obtain a copy of the latest Black Book Wholesale Value Index, click here.