Prices and volume are not expected to plummet in 2019, but industry experts seem to feel that the best-case scenario will be a plateau, and more realistically, will fall slightly.
The passenger car segment was a main contributor to the the rise in used-vehicle prices in 2018.
The average price for used fleet vehicles fell 2% at auction in October, but remained 6.1% higher than a year ago amid a strong month for wholesale prices, according to Tom Kontos, KAR Auction Services' chief economist.
Vehicles from fleet consignors followed the broader used-vehicle market downward in September, as wholesale prices struggled to keep up with last year's hurricane-driven demand and a now robust upstream market, said Tom Kontos, KAR Auction Services' chief economist.
While luxury vehicles continue to struggle, overall vehicle values held steady last week, according to Black Book’s Oct. 8 Market Insights report.
The average value of used fleet vehicles increased 1.5% in August from the prior month and are now up 8.5% from a year ago, according to Tom Kontos, KAR Auction Services' chief economist.
Used-vehicle values have held strong this year. A strong economy and more efficient remarketing strategies are helping make 2018 a banner year for used-vehicle values.
Vehicles that were taken out of commercial, government, and daily rental fleets and sold at auction in July were worth 8.1% more than they were a year ago and 0.4% more than in June, according to Tom Kontos, KAR Auction Services' chief economist.
The used-vehicle industry reached a record-breaking 39.2 million in sales in 2017, representing a 1.6% year-over-year increase, according to the latest Used Car Report from Edmunds.
The hottest segment today is facing a glut of models and volume in tomorrow’s wholesale market.