the used/cpo car insights report, brought to you · pdf filethe used/cpo car insights report,...

1

The Used/CPO Car Insights Report, brought to you

by the AutoTrader.com Trend Engine, provides

analysis of used and certified pre-owned (CPO) car

shopping activity on AutoTrader.com each month.

The report takes an in-depth look at which used

and CPO models are making big moves, what’s

driving segment level changes, which used and

CPO models are the most viewed, and what’s

happening with asking prices for these models.

As a top site for car shoppers with millions of

unique visitors each month, AutoTrader.com and

its site activity offer a unique, nationwide

snapshot of the vehicles shoppers are considering.

Increased Interest in Luxury Evident Among CPO Shoppers in October

October was the month of luxury vehicles for shoppers on AutoTrader.com, as data from both the recently

released New Car Insights Report and in this Used/CPO Car Insights Report shows that consumer interest in

luxury vehicles exhibited significant increases during the month. This trend was seen in the list of CPO “Big

Movers,” at the segment level, and in the list of the top 20 most-viewed vehicles.

CPO Luxury Vehicles Make Big Moves

Each month, the AutoTrader.com Used/CPO Car Insights Report offers a look at the “Big Movers” on the

site, which are vehicles that have gained significant increases in consumer interest month-over-month.

Although the vehicles on the list may not be among the most viewed, big movers highlight interesting

early trends in the industry.

As shown in the most recent New Car Insights Report, a number of new luxury vehicles made big moves

in October, and this trend was also supported by the list of CPO “Big Movers.” In this list, CPO luxury

vehicles took 11 of the top 20 spots, with seven luxury cars and four luxury SUVs. According to

AutoTrader.com analysts, the recent spike in interest in luxury vehicles points to a pent up demand from

consumers, an indication that – despite economic headwinds – consumers are paying more attention to

higher-end choices.

October Insights – In this Issue:

CPO Shoppers Interested in Luxury

CPO Big Movers: Luxury

CPO Segment Tracker: Luxury Gains

Most-Viewed CPO Vehicles: Luxury Leads

Korean Automakers Still Going Strong

CPO Hyundai Vehicles Make Big Moves

Hyundai CPO Vehicles Increase in Price

Used (Non-CPO) Trucks Dominate

Used Trucks Maintain Majority

Used Segment: Full-Size Trucks

Camry: Interest in CPO and Used Waned

2

Make Model

Oct 2011

Rank

Sept

2011

Rank

MOM

Rank

Change

Land Rover Range Rover/Sport 65 302 237

Jaguar XJ Series 174 208 34

Jaguar XF 143 173 30

Jaguar XK Series 177 205 28

Chevrolet Cruze 137 161 24

Mercedes-Benz GLK Class 102 122 20

Nissan Frontier 104 124 20

Hyundai Elantra 92 109 17

Audi Q5 94 110 16

Lincoln MKS 171 186 15

Volvo C30 195 209 14

Hyundai Santa Fe 108 121 13

Hyundai Tucson 164 177 13

Hyundai Genesis 66 78 12

Honda S2000 170 182 12

Acura TSX 35 45 10

GMC Yukon 47 57 10

Nissan Murano 70 80 10

Ford Focus 129 139 10

Infiniti FX35/45/50 141 151 10

The CPO Land Rover Range Rover Sport made the biggest move month-over-month in October, moving

up 237 spots to No. 65. This interest was likely a result of consumers cross shopping the new and CPO

Land Rover SUVs, as Land Rover had three big movers on the new-car front, according to the recently

released New Car Insights Report. Other luxury SUVs to make big moves in October were the Mercedes-

Benz GLK Class (up 20 spots), the Audi Q5 (up 16 spots) and the Infiniti FX Series (up 10 spots).

For CPO luxury cars, it was Jaguar that had the most models to make big moves in October, with the XJ

Series moving up 34 spots to No. 174, the XF moving up 30 spots to No. 143 and the XK Series moving up

28 spots to No. 177. Other luxury cars to make big moves in October were the Lincoln MKS (up 15), the

Volvo C30 (up 14), Hyundai Genesis (up 12) and the Acura TSX (up 10).

Figure 1: Top 20 Big Movers by CPO Vehicle Interest

CPO Segment Tracker: Luxury Leads

Luxury cars came in as the No. 1 CPO segment on AutoTrader.com in October. Out of all the CPO

segments in October, luxury cars and SUVs were the only ones to see month-over-month increases in

consumer interest. The luxury car segment increased 0.4 share points from September to October, and

the luxury SUV segment increased 0.7 share points during the same time.

3

Figure 2: Segment Tracker - All Segments by Share of CPO Vehicle Interest

In addition to the seven models that made big moves in October, a few other models drove the share

point increases in the luxury car category. The chart below shows the 10 most

AutoTrader.com in October, and of those, the BMW

Class all showed slight increases during the month

Figure 3: CPO Luxury Car Segment - Share of Interest for 10 Most Viewed Models

Oct 2011

Rank

Segment

1 Luxury Car 0.4

2 Midsize SUV -0.3

3 Luxury SUV 0.7

4 Midsize Car -0.1

5 Full-size Truck -0.2

6 Compact Car -0.1

7 Sports Car -0.2

8 Full-size SUV 0.0

9 Compact SUV 0.0

10 Full-size Car -0.1

11 Compact Truck 0.0

12 Van 0.0

13 Exotic 0.0

Share Point

Change from

Sept '11

All Segments by Share of CPO Vehicle Interest

odels that made big moves in October, a few other models drove the share

point increases in the luxury car category. The chart below shows the 10 most-viewed luxury cars on

AutoTrader.com in October, and of those, the BMW 3 Series, Acura TL and TSX and the Mercedes

Class all showed slight increases during the month.

Share of Interest for 10 Most Viewed Models

Trend of Share

(prev 13 mo)

0.4 0.0 -1.6

-0.3 0.3 1.5

0.7 0.3 0.2

-0.1 -0.3 0.3

-0.2 -1.0 -1.3

-0.1 1.0 1.8

-0.2 0.4 1.1

0.0 -0.4 -1.9

0.0 0.4 1.0

-0.1 -0.3 -0.9

0.0 -0.2 0.1

0.0 -0.2 -0.4

0.0 0.0 0.0

Share Point

Change from

Sept '11

Share Point

Change from

Oct '10

Share Point

Change from

Oct '09

odels that made big moves in October, a few other models drove the share

viewed luxury cars on

Mercedes-Benz S

4

As shown in the chart below, the Range Rover Sport claimed a huge spike in interest compared to other

models that were among the top 10 most

to be most-viewed CPO luxury SUV, interest in this vehicle declined

SUVs in the top 10 either remained relatively flat

Figure 4: CPO Luxury SUV Segment - Share of Interest for 10 Most Viewed Models

Most-Viewed CPO Vehicles: Luxury Cars Lead

Luxury cars claimed six of the top 20 spots on the list of most

segment represented. The BMW 3 Series, always a favorite among CPO shoppers, took the No. 1 spot

again in October, a position it also held during the same

one spot in its ranking month-over-month, it moved up four spots year

cars included in the top 20 most-viewed list are the BMW 5 Series at No. 12, the Mercedes

at No. 15, the Acura TL Models at No. 16 and the Mercedes

The BMW 3 Series and 5 Series were also


els that were among the top 10 most-viewed CPO luxury SUVs. While the BMW X Series continues

viewed CPO luxury SUV, interest in this vehicle declined slightly during the month while other

relatively flat or showed slight increases.

Share of Interest for 10 Most Viewed Models

Viewed CPO Vehicles: Luxury Cars Lead

Luxury cars claimed six of the top 20 spots on the list of most-viewed CPO cars, more than any other


again in October, a position it also held during the same time last year. Although the Audi A4 dropped

month, it moved up four spots year-over-year to No. 7. Other luxury

viewed list are the BMW 5 Series at No. 12, the Mercedes

. 15, the Acura TL Models at No. 16 and the Mercedes-Benz C Class at No. 20.

also in the top 20 most-viewed lists of used (non-CPO) vehicles.


luxury SUVs. While the BMW X Series continues

during the month while other

viewed CPO cars, more than any other


time last year. Although the Audi A4 dropped

year to No. 7. Other luxury

viewed list are the BMW 5 Series at No. 12, the Mercedes-Benz E Class

CPO) vehicles.

5

Figure 5: Top 20 Most-Viewed Models by CPO Vehicle Interest

Korean Automakers Still Going Strong

The rise of the Koreans this past year has been quite evident in the shopping activity on AutoTrader.com,

with numerous CPO Korean vehicles making big moves in the last couple of months. October was a

particularly good month for Hyundai, as it had four models that made another round of big moves on the

CPO list in October (see Figure 1). Median asking prices also increased notably for many of those models.

CPO Hyundai Vehicles Make More Big Moves in October

As shown in Figure 1, the CPO Hyundai Elantra moved up 17 spots to break into the top 100 at No. 92 in

October. This comes on the heels of a 22 spot jump during the August to September timeframe, showing

that this vehicle is gaining serious momentum. Also gaining momentum were the Hyundai Santa Fe,

which moved up 13 spots in October to No. 108 after having made an 11 spot jump during the month

prior and the Hyundai Genesis, which moved up 12 spots in October to No. 66 after having made a 23

spot jump during the month prior. Rounding out the Hyundai vehicles on the list of CPO big movers was

the Hyundai Tucson, which moved up 13 spots to No. 164 in October.

CPO

Oct 2011

Rank

Make Model

Used

Rank

Oct '11

Used

Rank Oct

'10

Trend of

Share (prev

13 mo)

1 BMW 3 Series 0 0 3 3

2 Honda Accord 0 0 9 7

3 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 0 1 2 2

4 Toyota Tundra 0 1 21 22

5 Ford F-150 5 2 1 1

6 Toyota Tacoma 1 1 15 14

7 Audi A4 1 4 22 21

8 Chevrolet Tahoe 1 2 14 13

9 Volkswagen Jetta 2 5 26 23

10 Toyota Camry 2 2 27 26

11 BMW X Series 2 2 25 28

12 BMW 5 Series 0 2 20 19

13 Honda Civic 0 1 8 8

14 Porsche 911/911Turbo 0 6 28 29

15 Mercedes-Benz E Class 0 1 33 35

16 Acura TL Models 0 3 42 38

17 Honda Pilot 4 4 78 95

18 Toyota Highlander 1 0 84 94

19 Chevrolet Camaro 7 30 41 48

20 Mercedes-Benz C Class 2 1 29 34

CPO Rank

Change from

Oct '10

CPO Rank

Change from

Sept '11

* N/A - Vehicle was not available in reported month

6

Hyundai CPO Vehicles Commanding Higher Asking Prices

The increased popularity of CPO Hyundai vehicles has supported a significant increase in median asking

price year-over-year for numerous models (see Figure 6). The asking price for the Hyundai Tucson

increased 29.4% year-over-year, the second-largest asking price increase overall during the month of

October (the largest was for the Chevrolet Aveo, which increased 30%). Other Hyundai vehicles that saw

large increases in asking price year-over-year were the Hyundai Sonata, which increased 26.6%; the

Hyundai Accent, which increased 18%; and the Hyundai Elantra, which increased 15.8%.

Figure 6: CPO Price Tracker – 20 Largest Increases by Percent Change

Trucks Continue Dominance in the Used (non-CPO) Arena

Most-Viewed Used (non-CPO) Vehicles: Trucks Maintain Dominance

Conversely, on the list of most-viewed used (non-CPO) vehicles, trucks held the most positions of any

segment. In all, trucks captured eight of the top 20 spots on the list, with the majority of those trucks

coming from domestic automakers. The Ford F-150 retained the No. 1 spot, a position that it has held for

many months. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 came in at No. 2 on the list, and the Ford F-250 rounded out

Oct 2011

Rank

Make Model

Median

Inventory

Listing Price

179 Chevrolet Aveo $12,995 -2.8% 30.0% 18.3%

164 Hyundai Tucson $21,995 4.8% 29.4% 37.6%

89 Buick LaCrosse $24,990 8.7% 28.2% 51.5%

51 Hyundai Sonata $18,991 -1.6% 26.6% 26.7%

87 Audi A8 $57,977 0.0% 23.8% 18.3%

165 Hyundai Accent $12,975 -0.2% 18.0% 8.2%

114 Cadillac SRX $35,383 4.1% 18.0% 27.5%

83 Nissan 350/370Z $27,987 0.2% 17.7% 21.7%

41 Chevrolet Equinox $23,977 2.1% 17.6% 41.1%

141 Infiniti FX35/45/50 $35,991 3.7% 16.1% 16.1%

92 Hyundai Elantra $15,488 -2.5% 15.8% 11.6%

159 Nissan Sentra $14,991 0.0% 15.4% 7.3%

90 Chevrolet Cobalt $13,820 -1.2% 15.2% 15.2%

166 Nissan Versa $13,790 -1.4% 15.0% 6.1%

100 Toyota Avalon $22,912 -0.1% 14.6% -0.3%

129 Ford Focus $15,751 -1.5% 14.6% 12.7%

110 Subaru Legacy $20,995 0.0% 14.4% 13.6%

132 Cadillac DTS $33,989 3.0% 14.1% 17.2%

38 Toyota Sienna $24,995 0.0% 12.6% 16.3%

107 Subaru Impreza $17,988 0.5% 12.5% 5.9%

Price Change

from Sept '11

Price Change

from Oct '10

Price Change

from Oct '09


7

the top five at No. 5. Other domestic trucks to make the top 20 were the Dodge Ram 1500 at No. 7, the

Chevrolet Silverado 2500 at No. 11, the Dodge Ram 2500 at No. 13, and the Ford F-350 at No. 19. The

only foreign-made truck to make the list was the Toyota Tacoma, which came in at No. 15 in October.

Overall, the strong presence of trucks on the list of most-viewed used cars is considered to be a positive

sign by AutoTrader.com analysts. Americans’ love affair with their large trucks (and SUVs) is typically only

interrupted when major economic factors are at play, such as when gas prices are on the rise or when

other economic indicators are on a downward slope, such as during the precipitous rise in

unemployment at the height of the recession. Consumers’ behavioral trends may point to signs that

confidence in the economy is stable enough for shoppers to consider these vehicles. Additionally,

analysts noted that the strong presence of the larger-sized trucks which are typically used as work

vehicles, such as the F-250, F-350 and Silverado 2500 and Ram 2500, is also a positive sign.

Figure 7: Top 20 Most-Viewed Models by Used (non-CPO) Vehicle Interest

Used (non-CPO) Segment Tracker: Full-Size Trucks Show Biggest Increase in Share

On the used (non-CPO) segment tracker, luxury cars may have taken the No. 1 rank, but it’s the full-size

truck segment that stands out the most with its increase of 0.4 share points month-over-month.

Used

Oct 2011

Rank

Make Model

CPO

Rank

Oct '11

CPO

Rank Oct

'10

Trend of

Share (prev

13 mo)

1 Ford F-150 0 0 5 3


3 BMW 3 Series 0 0 1 1

4 Ford Mustang 0 0 23 15

5 Ford F-250 0 0 86 66

6 Jeep Wrangler 0 0 48 28

7 Dodge Ram 1500 1 2 62 31

8 Honda Civic 1 0 13 12

9 Honda Accord 0 2 2 2

10 Infiniti G35/37 1 0 43 61


12 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1 4 34 37

13 Dodge Ram 2500 1 1 148 127

14 Chevrolet Tahoe 1 1 8 6

15 Toyota Tacoma 1 1 6 7

16 Chevrolet Corvette 0 1 40 34

17 Nissan Altima 0 0 25 24

18 BMW M Series 1 0 49 48

19 Ford F-350 1 1 186 147

20 BMW 5 Series 2 1 12 10

Used Rank

Change from

Oct '10

Used Rank

Change from

Sept '11


8

Figure 8: Segment Tracker – All Segments by Share of U

As shown in the chart below, the majority of the top 10 most

demonstrated increases in consumer interest. The Ford F

increase in share of interest in recent months. The slight dip shown in the chart for most full

during the late spring occurred due to the significant rise in gas prices during that time.

Figure 9: Used (non-CPO) Full-Size Truck

Oct 2011

Rank

Segment

1 Luxury Car 0.1

2 Full-size Truck 0.4

3 Midsize SUV 0.0

4 Compact Car -0.4

5 Sports Car 0.0

6 Midsize Car -0.3

7 Luxury SUV 0.0

8 Full-size SUV 0.1

9 Compact Truck 0.0

10 Full-size Car 0.0

11 Van 0.0

12 Compact SUV 0.0

13 Exotic 0.1

Share Point

Change from

Sept '11

All Segments by Share of Used (non-CPO) Vehicle Interest

, the majority of the top 10 most-viewed models in this segment have

increases in consumer interest. The Ford F-150 in particular stands out with a notable

st in recent months. The slight dip shown in the chart for most full

during the late spring occurred due to the significant rise in gas prices during that time.

Size Truck Segment - Share of Interest for 10 Most Viewed Models

Trend of Share

(prev 13 mo)

0.1 -0.5 -0.2

0.4 0.5 1.4

0.0 0.6 1.1

-0.4 -0.2 -1.0

0.0 0.2 -0.2

-0.3 -0.3 -1.0

0.0 -0.3 0.2

0.1 -0.2 -0.1

0.0 0.0 0.1

0.0 0.0 -0.4

0.0 -0.1 -0.3

0.0 0.3 0.5

0.1 0.0 0.0

Share Point

Change from

Sept '11

Share Point

Change from

Oct '10

Share Point

Change from

Oct '09

viewed models in this segment have

150 in particular stands out with a notable

st in recent months. The slight dip shown in the chart for most full-size trucks

iewed Models

9

Toyota Camry: Interest in New Spiked in October; Interest in CPO and Used Waned

Analysts at AutoTrader.com have been watching the online performance of the Toyota Camry closely as

its Japanese automaker continues to recover from the dual natural disasters earlier in the year. As noted

in the AutoTrader.com New Car Insights Report for October, consumer interest in the Toyota Camry has

shown a resurgence on the new-car front with its recent redesign and normalizing production levels.

However, the enthusiasm and interest shoppers have shown this popular car on the new-car side did not

transfer over to the used and CPO models. As shown in Figure 5, the Toyota Camry fell two spots in its

ranking month-over-month and year-over-year, landing at No. 10 on the list of most-viewed CPO

vehicles. Likewise, the Camry fell one spot year-over-year to No. 27 on the list of most-viewed used

(non-CPO) vehicles. These findings are an indication that consumers may be specifically seeking out the

2012 Camry rather than demonstrating general interest in that model.

About AutoTrader.com

Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com, created in 1997, is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace and

consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars

and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers and is a leading online

resource for auto dealers, individuals and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles to in-market

shoppers. The company also provides a robust suite of software tools for dealers and manufacturers to help

them manage and market their vehicle inventory and display advertising on the Internet. AutoTrader.com

continues to grow key business metrics, including revenue, profitability and site traffic. Today, AutoTrader.com

attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to review descriptions, photos and

videos of vehicles for sale; research and compare vehicles; review pricing and specials; and read auto-related

content like buying and selling tips and editorial coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends.

AutoTrader.com operates one other auto marketing brand, AutoTraderClassics.com. AutoTrader.com also

owns used vehicle management software company vAuto, Kelley Blue Book (Kbb.com), HomeNet Automotive,

a leading provider of online inventory management and merchandising solutions for the automotive retail

industry and VinSolutions, a leading provider of end-to-end solution platforms for dealers. AutoTrader.com is

a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Providence Equity Partners is a 25 percent owner of the

company and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit

www.autotrader.com.

the used/cpo car insights report, brought to you · pdf filethe used/cpo car insights report,...

Documents