Tax season is continuing to drive price retention in the lanes as refunds start streaming in.

According to Black Book editorial director Ricky Beggs, the season “continues to bring positive numbers and helped drive the largest number of necessary (price) adjustments in a weekly period in over a year.”

During the latest “Beggs on the Used Car Market” video report, the Black Book executive reported an average of  2,503 price adjustments per day in the lanes last week.

And overall, price movement brought stronger price retention to both the car and truck segments.

The cars saw an average decline of $32 last week after dropping by $49 the week prior. Trucks followed a similar trend, seeing a $25 drop after prices fell by $37 two weeks ago.

The most stable car segments, according to Beggs, were the entry sport cars with a $18 drop; the upper mid-size cars, which saw prices fall by $19; and the full-size cars, with a drop of $20.

“These three segments are also the most stable in change within the cars for the past three weeks, with an average change of -$26, -$15 and -$22 respectively,” Beggs reported.

Switching over to cover the truck market, Beggs said these vehicles “continue to get plenty of attention in the lanes.”

Interestingly, 44 percent of the price adjustments for trucks involved positive movement, while only 26 percent of cars saw prices move up. This movement is perhaps not surprising as gas prices remain low, providing an optimum market for larger units.

And truck market strength isn’t confined to the auction lanes.

“Not only are these trucks moving better within the wholesale channels, that’s the case within the retail market as well,” Beggs said.

In the lanes, the compact SUVs, which saw a price increase of $52 last week, have seen positive changes for seven weeks in a row.

Cargo minivans are also proving strong in the lanes, with a price increase of $55 last week.

Lastly, Beggs pointed out the midsize pickup segment is also “getting a lot of attention in both the new and used markets right now.”

This segment finished last week off with an average decline of $2, after dropping by $7 the week before. 

The complete video recap can be viewed above.