Based on 2010 sales numbers shared this week by Edmunds.com, it appears that the certified pre-owned segment has become a more integral part of the used-vehicle operations at franchised dealerships.

In fact, CPO sales commanded close to a 19-percent share of franchise dealers’ used-car business last year, an upswing — albeit a modest one — from the CPO penetration in 2009, according to Edmunds.com

Specifically, the company estimated that CPO units accounted for 18.6 percent of franchise dealers’ used sales in 2010, versus the year-ago period, when CPO penetration hit 17.8 percent.
The analysis also delved into used-car pricing during December, which climbed 8.2 percent on a year-over-year basis, but fell modestly on a month-over-month basis.
A three-year-old vehicle fetched a transaction price of $17,954, on average, during December. This average was a $1,368 year-over-year increase and a $257 dip from the prior month.
“The people who benefit most in this used-car market are car shoppers with a high-value trade-in,” explained Edmunds senior analyst Joe Spina.
“Strong demand, a continued short supply and an effort by carmakers to boost certified sales are keeping used-car prices elevated, so dealers are happy to take in high-value cars on a trade,” he added.
Edmunds went on to share some model-specific data regarding retail used-car prices.
Shoppers who sold their Chevrolet Suburban vehicles in December enjoyed rather robust pricing results, as the Average Used True Market Value was $25,250, up 32.5 percent from December 2009.
The following table from Edmunds shares more details for the Suburban and other vehicles, as well:
 

Average Used True Market Value® by Model
Model
December 2009
December 2010
% Change
Chevrolet Suburban
$  19,057
 $  25,250
32.5%
Cadillac Escalade
$  24,684
 $  32,643
32.2%
BMW X5
$  28,687
 $  37,921
32.2%
Chevrolet Tahoe
$  17,932
 $  22,886
27.6%
GMC Yukon XL
$  24,091
 $  29,611
22.9%
Dodge Caravan
$    7,965
 $    9,780
22.8%
Ford Expedition
$  18,888
 $  22,961
21.6%
Chevrolet Uplander
$    9,249
 $  11,117
20.2%
Acura MDX
$  23,371
 $  28,088
20.2%
Hummer H2 SUT
$  27,504
 $  32,899
19.6%

SANTA MONICA, Calif. –

 

Edmunds also detailed how various segments fared in terms of Average Used True Market Value with the below table:

Average Used True Market Value® by Segment
Segment
December 2009
November 2010
December 2010
Premium Sport
$  30,203
 $  33,663
 $  33,362
Luxury SUV
$  25,343
 $  29,045
 $  28,933
Premium Luxury
$  26,326
 $  28,768
 $  28,797
Full-size SUV
$  18,184
 $  23,904
 $  23,618
Standard Luxury
$  19,024
 $  22,452
 $  22,060
Full-size Pickup
$  17,791
 $  19,906
 $  19,527
Midsize SUV
$  16,754
 $  17,981
 $  17,572
Minivan
$  14,298
 $  16,590
 $  16,113
Compact Pickup
$  13,610
 $  15,773
 $  15,605
Mini SUV
$  13,839
 $  15,793
 $  15,489
Standard Sport
$  14,055
 $  15,159
 $  14,628
Fullsize
$  13,265
 $  14,362
 $  14,111
Full-size Van
$  11,773
 $  13,471
 $  13,535
Midsize
$  12,449
 $  13,374
 $  13,185
Premium Compact
$    9,609
 $  10,275
 $  10,126
Standard Compact
$    8,652
 $    9,350
 $    9,241
Moving on, it is likely that the upswing in used sales will not be as steep as the gains on the new side, according to Edmunds.com. Furthermore, the site projects that used prices will see a modest decline in light of the sales momentum in the new-vehicle market.
“Still, Edmunds.com suggests that consumers interested in late-model used vehicles should keep an eye on prices and incentives for new vehicles since those new vehicles could actually cost less than used models,” officials noted.