A sign is posted in front of a CarMax dealership in Santa Rosa, Calif., on April 10, 2025. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Increased buyer demand and shrinking inventory continue to push used car prices higher, with wholesale prices up by 2.4 percent year over year in January, the largest since July 2025 and far exceeding the 0.4 percent increase in December 2025, a new report from Cox Automotive said.
Wholesale supply in January dropped by 5.1 days from a month earlier to 26.6 days, Cox Automotive noted on Feb. 6 in its Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI), which measures pricing trends across the auto industry. Its sister publication, the Manheim Market Report, is used to value about 99 percent of used car listings at Manheim wholesale auctions or trade-ins at automotive dealerships.
