CARY, N.C. -

Auction values for used 1- to 3-year-old vehicles declined 3.6 percent, or about $671, in the second quarter, according to analysts at Kelley Blue Book.

The average used-car value at the end of the second quarter finished just 1.5 percent, or $272, lower than it did at this time last year.

Year to date, the average auction value for 1- to 3-year-old used cars has declined by 4.9 percent, or about $900, compared to a decrease of 1.8 percent, or $327, in 2015.

Playing into the decline is the fact that auction volume is at an all-time high (despite a quarterly decrease). “Vehicle values decrease when the market is oversaturated,” KBB analyst Sean Foyil said in a news release for the latest Blue Book Market Report, “so this indicates that automakers and rental companies may not be sending all of their off-lease vehicles to auction in an effort to keep values stable.”

While vehicles values saw an unusual decline in the first quarter, analysts note that the second-quarter decline was less drastic than they had anticipated.

Historically, the first quarter sees an uptick in vehicle values due to seasonal trends, the report indicated. Rather than contributing to a steeper decline in the second quarter, vehicle values compare similarly to the declines in previous years (3.6-percent dip in Q2 2015 and 2.5-percent drop in Q2 2014).

Looking at individual segments, sports cars are the vehicles to have increased in value — by 1.5 percent — year to date. The top performers in the segment include the Nissan 370Z (up 3.5 percent), the Ford Mustang (up 3.3 percent), the Dodge Challenger (up 3.2 percent), the Mazda MX-5 Miata (up 2.9 percent) and the Subaru BRZ (up 1.4 percent).

Among 2015 model-year vehicles, midsize pickups continue to outperform all segments, with an average value retention rate of 87 percent. Leading the segment are the Toyota Tacoma at 97 percent retention and the Chevrolet Colorado at 82 percent.

SUV and crossover segments (with the exception of subcompact SUVs and crossovers) are outperforming the segment average retention rate of 68 percent for 1-year-old vehicles. By segment, the top-performing SUVs/crossovers are:

— Compact SUV/crossover: Jeep Wrangler, 96.9 percent

— Midsize SUV/crossover: Toyota Highlander, 83.5 percent

— Full-size SUV/crossover: Chevrolet Suburban, 77.5 percent

— Subcompact SUV/crossover: MINI Countryman, 70.8 percent

From a year-over-year perspective, only four segments have increased their retained value: full-size SUV/crossover (up 7 percent), minivan (up 1 percent), full-size car (up 2 percent) and electric vehicle (up 2 percent) segments.

On a brand basis, Subaru is tops for retained value in 1-year-old vehicles (78 percent) among luxury brands, while Porsche is tops among luxury brands at 86 percent. At the other end of the spectrum in the non-luxury category are FIAT (48 percent) and, in luxury, Volvo (58 percent).

Looking at brands from a year-over-year perspective, all but one saw decreases in their retained value; MINI, in the non-luxury category, saw no change.