Wholesale used car prices continued to soften in July but less than in June — due to retail demand cushioning the blow to prices, according to the latest Kontos Kommentary from ADESA Chief Economist Tom Kontos.

According to ADESA Analytical Services’ monthly analysis of Wholesale Used Vehicle Prices by Vehicle Model Class, wholesale used vehicle prices in July averaged $9,435 — down 1.3% compared to June and 1.3% relative to July 2012. According to ADESA, the biggest price hits were taken by vans, full-size cars, SUVs and CUVs categories. On the other hand, full-size pickups and smaller SUVS and crossovers continue to draw higher prices, as well as off-rental program units sold by auto manufacturers.

Prices for used vehicles — remarketed by manufacturers — were up 3% month-over-month and 3.9% year-over-year, while prices for fleet/lease consignors were down 0.6% sequentially but up 3.2% annually, according to ADESA. For dealer consignors, there was a 2.1% price decrease compared to July 2012.

Based on data from CNW Marketing/Research, July sales for retail used vehicle were somewhat flat on both a month-over-month and year-over year basis, but sales still remain at historically high levels on a year-to-date basis. In fact, year-to-date sales are at their highest levels since 2005 and are up 3.5% year-over-year for franchised dealers and 2.4% for independent dealers.

And based on figures from Autodata, sales of certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles were up significantly at 21.0% year-over-year.

This Kontos Kommentary analysis is based on nearly six million annual sales transactions from more than 150 of the largest U.S. wholesale auto auctions, including those of ADESA as well as other auction companies. ADESA Analytical Services segregates these transactions to study trends by vehicle model class.