LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -

With dealers noticing tax-refund money slowly starting to impact their retail business, Black Book’s latest Market Insights report showed truck segments retaining their value much better than car segments compared with previous weeks.

Editors noticed two vehicle segments within the truck segment — subcompact crossovers and compact vans — maintained their values from the previous week.

Looking at volume-weighted data, Black Book determined overall car segment values decreased by 0.46 percent last week, higher than the depreciation rate of 0.35 percent seen in the previous four weeks.

Midsize car, prestige luxury car and premium sporty car segments declined the most by 0.82 percent, 0.58 percent and 0.58 percent, respectively.

Again reviewing volume-weighted information, editors also found that overall truck segment values — including pickup, SUVs and vans — softened by by 0.27 percent last week, lower than the depreciation rate of 0.34 percent seen in the previous four weeks.

Full-size crossover/SUV and full-size pickup segments dropped the most by 0.44 percent and 0.38 percent, respectively.

“The market sentiment in auction lanes remains optimistic. Luxury vehicles are showing higher depreciation than mainstream brands,” said Anil Goyal, Black Book’s senior vice president of automotive valuation and analytics.

That market sentiment also was confirmed by Black Book editors and other auction observers mingling with dealers in the lanes last week.

In North Carolina, personnel reported back to Black Book saying, “Cheaper units selling very well here with tax money slowly coming in.” And in Indiana, the story was, “Rainy day here today but cars were selling well and everyone seems very positive about the market.”

Out West, the recap was similar with the watcher noting, “Dealer optimism remains high. Midsize and compacts sold well today but luxury units were weak.”

Staying in the region, another editor conveyed observations that supported Black Book’s value trends, mentioning, “Prices stable in this market location with trucks leading demand.”

The other two lane observations coming back to Black Book also originated the South as in Tennessee it was, “Good market here with midsize cars in demand but more no-sales than last week.” And from neighboring Kentucky, “Good crowd here today with a very active Internet. Vehicles sold well most all day with more ‘if-sales’ coming along towards the end.”