Auction Conversion Rates Rise

Auction Conversion Rates Rise

Depreciation remained concentrated in mainstream segments, while luxury and premium models held comparatively steady, according to Black Book’s Market Insights. Mid-Size Cars posted the steepest drop among car segments, and Mid-Size Crossovers led the declines within trucks and SUVs. Despite typical year-end softening, auction conversion improved to 59%, signaling steady buyer engagement and competitive bidding for clean, late-model units.

Car Segments

  • On a volume-weighted basis, the overall Car segment decreased -0.54%. For reference, in the previous week, cars decreased -0.58%.

  • The 0-to-2-year-old Car segments were down -0.49% and 8-to-16-year-old Cars decreased -0.44%.

  • All nine Car segments reported a decrease in values last week.

  • The Premium Sporty and Prestige Luxury Car segments reported minimal depreciation, down -0.06% and -0.09%, respectively.

  • Mainstream segments continued to post steeper depreciation than their luxury counterparts. Over the past ten weeks, the Sporty Car segment has averaged a weekly decline of –0.68%, compared with the Premium Sporty Car segment, which has averaged a more moderate –0.27% per week.

  • The Mid-Size Car segment had the largest Car segment decline last week with a drop of -0.87%, an increase from the prior week’s decline of -0.69%.

Truck / SUV Segments

  • The volume-weighted, overall Truck segment decreased -0.60% compared to the decrease seen the prior week of -0.85%.

  • The 0-to-2-year-old models saw an average decrease of -0.42% and the 8-to-16-year-old models experienced an average decrease of -0.58%.

  • All thirteen truck segments declined last week, with only one reporting a decline exceeding 1%.

  • The Small Pickup segment showed a notable moderation in depreciation last week, with 2- to 8-year-old models down just -0.05%, following fourteen consecutive weeks of steeper declines that averaged -0.69% per week.

  • The Sub-Compact Crossover segment continued to post steep declines, falling –0.94% last week. Over the past eight weeks, it has averaged a weekly drop of –1.14%, with five of those weeks recording declines greater than 1%