Black Book, a provider of used vehicle valuations and residual value forecast solutions, released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for April 2026. The seasonally adjusted Index decreased 0.7% (1.1 points) to 146.6 from March 2026 (147.7), which is 1.8% below where it was at the same time in 2025.
“April’s retention results reflect a market that remained seasonally resilient but became more selective as the month progressed,” said Laura Wehunt, Vice President of Data & Analytics. “Early spring demand and tax-season activity supported values, but that momentum softened by month-end as buyers placed greater emphasis on vehicle quality, configuration, and retail readiness. Trucks and SUVs continued to provide relative stability, while cars faced more pressure, resulting in a modest month-over-month decline in the Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index.”
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.
