Americans still have about two weeks to file their federal income taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, but consumers who already have completed the process are leaving an impact in the lanes.

The latest Black Book Market Insights report highlighted that the market for cars — particularly smaller models — continues to strengthen throughout the spring season to that point editors declared last week was the strongest week for used cars in two years.

“Very strong week in car values led by compact cars. Tax season demand continues to be strong,” said Anil Goyal, executive vice president of operations at Black Book.

Volume-weighted, Black Book indicated overall car segment values increased by 0.26 percent last week. In comparison, the market values had decreased on average by 0.11 percent per week in the previous four weeks.

As Goyal mentioned, the compact car segments increased the most in value last week, rising by 0.89 percent or $61.

Volume-weighted, editors determined that overall truck segment values — including pickups, SUVs and vans — decreased by 0.19 percent last week. In comparison, editors pointed out the market values for trucks had decreased on average by 0.22 percent per week during the previous four weeks.

Within trucks, Black Book found that the sub-compact crossover segment increased the most in value last week, ticking up by 0.18 percent or $20.

Turning next to what Black Book’s representatives stationed at auctions across the country observed, two particular trends surfaced in the Southeast.

Out of Georgia, the lane watcher reported, “There was a good crowd and the demand was strong, which resulted in very few no-sales. I had one dealer tell me that he was looking to purchase in excess of 30 vehicles at the auction.”

Meanwhile down in Florida, “Off-lease and rental vehicles performed well, as did units in the $10,000 price range.”

Moving north to Pennsylvania, used-car managers find themselves in a bit of a quandary.

“There is an imbalance with the supply/demand equation here. Dealers continue to complain that they can’t find enough vehicles for inventory,” Black Book’s representative shared.

Finally out West, the situation is rather upbeat, too.

The report out of Nevada indicated, “The market here is good. We are experiencing very high activity levels both online and on-site.”

And the mood in Colorado was, “We had another strong sale here with more vehicles selling without regard to the vehicle type or make.”

Black Book valuations chosen for Roush Performance Products

In other company news, Black Book announced this week that the firm has signed an agreement to provide vehicle valuation data for ROUSH Performance Products, a company offering an extensive line of aftermarket performance parts, vehicles and crate engines.

ROUSH Performance blends Jack Roush's legendary racing successes with the formidable OEM engineering and manufacturing skills of ROUSH Industries and its more than 4,000 employees. ROUSH Performance is the first specialty-vehicle company to combine race-proven technologies with advanced automotive engineering.

ROUSH dealers can now leverage Black Book’s legacy of accurate vehicle valuations, available on the Black Book Digital mobile application or online.

With Black Book’s valuations, ROUSH dealers can instill trust in their customers that their transaction comes with an accurate, fair value. Dealers can also fully finance the purchase of a new ROUSH vehicle, offering credible value to lenders and making it easier for buyers to gain financing.

Lastly, Black Book wants to enhance satisfaction levels for ROUSH vehicle owners helping them achieve fair value for their vehicles when they’re ready for resale.

“We’ve always taken pride in the supreme quality of vehicles our dealers offer their customers, and with Black Book we take extreme pride in the quality of our deals,” said Jack Roush Jr., who oversees advanced business strategy at ROUSH. “Our customers want to know they’re getting the best vehicle on the road today, and they also want to know it comes with the most accurate valuation in the industry.”

Jared Kalfus, executive vice president of revenue, for Black Book, added, “We’re excited to offer our trusted vehicle valuation data and services to an industry icon in ROUSH, known for high performance vehicles.

“The ROUSH name is synonymous with trust and quality, and we’re proud to know that Black Book’s values will help enhance their customer relationships even further, solidifying that trust between the dealer and customer,” Kalfus went on to say.