Auction price declines are beginning to pick up — just as NADA Used Car Guide predicted.

At the industry level, wholesale price movement was expected to weaken slightly over the course of the current week as NADA projected prices to decline by 0.3 percent, or $50, relative to the two-week average.

“The expected rate of decline is slightly more accelerated than last week,” officials said.

Which segment will fall the most?

NADA UCG predicts midsize cars to see the biggest decline this week — prices are expected to soften around 0.8 percen,t or $100. 

Units in the compact utilities and midsize utilities segments are both expected to decline, as well, by 0.3 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

“We should continue to see steady declines in the industry average throughout the final days of April into May,” NADA UCG officials said.

On the other hand, as gas price remain high at an average of $3.54 per gallon, according to Energy Information
Administration data, the only segment not expected to see any price movement activity will be the more fuel-efficient segment — compact cars — which are positioned to remain flat compared to both the two- and four-week average. 

Interestingly, large pickups are expected to be one of the only segments to “creep up” this week in price. NADA UCG predicts this segment will see a 0.1-percent, or $25, increase in price.

Lastly, the luxury car, luxury utility, and midsize van segments are all expected to see growth ranging between 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent.

Four- and two-week AuctionNet wholesale average prices are created by collecting all AuctionNet records for vehicles  up to five years of age for a specified period of time.  Prices are then adjusted for changes in mileage and mix.

Current week prices are based on NADA's proprietary used-vehicle value model which includes assumptions for new-vehicle prices, used-vehicle supply, gasoline prices, and other economic factors.