05.05.2026

CBB Used Vehicle Retention Index Decreases Marginally in April

Index Decreased 1.7 points 

Canadian Black Book today released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for April 2026, which sits at 130.8 points compared to 132.5 in March. Year-over-year, the Index decreased by 6.8%. 

Click here to obtain a copy of the Index. 

“As new vehicle sales begin to slow following last year’s fear-driven market frenzy, the used market is reflecting a similar trend. While used vehicles remain more affordable than new, the slowing pace of sales is leading to increased incentives in the market. We’re beginning to see this trend accelerate, with a resulting impact on lower retained values.

Consumer demand for cars remains uncertain, and without broader interest from U.S. buyers—particularly for non-domestic branded models—there is little support to maintain the elevated values seen previously. Additionally, the growing supply of used EVs is gradually introducing more lower-retention vehicles into the mix. While incremental, this shift may be enough to dampen any short-term positive outlook for the market,” says Daniel Ross, Director of Strategic Market Insights at Canadian Black Book.

The Index peaked in March of 2022 at 165 Index points. Preceding the March peak was a run of unprecedented growth in used values beginning in the late summer of 2020, when the Index was as low as 100.5 points. 

The Canadian Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index is calculated using CBB’s published Wholesale Average value on two to six-year-old used vehicles, as a percent of original typically equipped MSRP. It is weighted based on registration volume and adjusted for seasonality, vehicle age, mileage, and condition. The Index offers an accurate, representative, and unbiased view of the strength of today’s used vehicle market values.  The Index dates to January 2005, where the Canadian Black Book published a benchmark index value of 100.0 for the market.  
 
ABOUT CANADIAN BLACK BOOK 

For 60 years, Canadian Black Book has been the trusted and unbiased Canadian automotive industry source for vehicle values. Today the company has grown into a leading data provider of vehicle valuations, residual value forecast solutions, and VIN decoding. Canadian Black Book tools and information are considered ‘The Authority’ for vehicle values not only by car dealers and manufacturers but also the leasing, finance, insurance, and wholesale sectors. In 2020 Canadian Black Book brought to market its Enhance Vehicle Matching (EVM) solution, which will allow the industry to decode more consistently 17 digits VINs down to a specific trim package allowing a more precise vehicle valuation. 

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