Demand drops for used automobiles however excessive costs aren’t budging

Used-car costs look like caught in excessive gear, regardless of slowing shopper demand.

Final month, gross sales of used automobiles lower than 10 years outdated have been down 27% in contrast with March 2021, in response to automotive buying app CoPilot, which tracks dealership costs nationwide. The common worth throughout that very same time jumped 40% to $33,653. 

For almost new automobiles — these 1 12 months to three years outdated — gross sales in March have been down by 31% in comparison with a 12 months earlier, whereas the common worth of $41,000 is 37% increased, CoPilot analysis reveals. Within the first two months of 2022, costs for this age group dropped nearly by 3% earlier than rising once more in March amid continued manufacturing challenges for brand new automobiles and uncertainty associated to the conflict in Ukraine.

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The upshot is that buyers are taking their time shopping for a used automotive. The common time spent on the lookout for one has jumped 93% to 171 days from 89 days in from March 2021, leading to vendor inventories of 1-year to 3-year-old automobiles returning to pre-pandemic ranges.

Nevertheless, costs aren’t dropping as a result of sellers proceed to face low provides of recent automobiles and plenty of would-be new-car consumers may find yourself with a used car as an alternative, in response to CoPilot.

“With almost empty new automotive tons throughout the nation, sellers have been holding costs of newer used automobiles excessive,” mentioned CoPilot CEO and founder Pat Ryan.

Pre-pandemic, roughly 76% of automobiles would promote for lower than $25,000. Now, automobiles on this worth vary account for simply 35% of stock. In the meantime, these priced above $40,000 are 25% of what is obtainable on vendor tons, in contrast with 5% in a typical 12 months.

“The silver lining to the continued excessive automotive costs is that it provides customers with an additional automotive to promote [an] alternative to money in on record-high costs,” Ryan mentioned.

“Our recommendation to used automotive house owners is to benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime pattern and promote their car at a revenue,” he mentioned.