With the arrival of April and the warmer weather that comes with it, it is time to take a look back at the first quarter of 2013.

The beginning of the new year brought some new developments within the auction lanes.

Black Book’s Ricky Beggs offers up some of the industry’s “biggest surprises” in wholesale and used markets.

In studying the pricing performance in all car and truck segments, Beggs noted the biggest “disappointment,” in terms of depreciation levels, was the full-size crossover segment.

This segment’s average depreciation levels are currently at 4.1 percent since the start of January.

According to Black Book, average monthly vehicle depreciation in the used market for this segment is projected at 1.2 percent.

Beggs shared that gas prices did not stay as high as expected the past few months, which could be playing a part in these falling rates.

“Lower-than-expected gas prices as the first quarter rolled out most likely played a roll in the falling depreciation for full-size crossovers compared with large SUVs,” explained Beggs. “In this situation more buyers will look for the larger room and needs such as third row and space, as well as the ability for more towing power from the SUVs.”

On the other hand, or the “positive side of the surprises,” the entry midsize cars enjoyed a three-month price increase of 0.4 percent.

Full-size cars also showed “resilience” in the lanes, Beggs said. This segment saw a depreciation level of just 2.1 percent during the quarter.

“The full-size car segment isn’t one that typically enjoys a lot of excitement, but these cars offer solid functionality, value and comfort for the used buyer,” Beggs added.

And Full-size Pickups saw just a -0.4 percent depreciation level in the first quarter.

For the latest update on prices in the lanes, see Auto Remarketing's analysis of this week's Beggs on the Used Car Market report. Click here.

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