10.20.2026

Market Insights 10/20/26

 Wholesale Prices, Week Ending October 17th, 2026

 The Canadian used wholesale market saw a decline of -0.27% in pricing for the week. Car segment prices decreased by -0.26% while the Truck/SUV segment decreased by -0.28%. Overall, the Sub-Compact Luxury Crossover/SUV segment saw the biggest increase of +0.13%. The largest declines in the Car segments were seen in Sporty Car at -0.59% and Luxury Car with -0.41%. The largest declines in the Truck/SUV segments were Full-Size Van with -0.90% followed by Compact Crossover/SUV at -0.55%.

Car Segments 

• The overall Car Segment was down this week –0.26%, with the largest decline in Sporty Car at –0.59%.
• Full-Size Car showed positive movement, increasing 0.11%.

Truck / SUV Segments

• Last week truck values continued to soften  with the overall Truck/SUV Market down -0.28%. The largest declines were Full-Size Van –0.90%, followed by Compact Crossover/SUV -0.55%.
• The Sub-Compact Luxury Crossover/SUV +0.13%, segment posted the largest gain last week, followed with Small Pickup +0.11%.

Wholesale Market Commentary

• The Canadian market remains on a downward trajectory, with the decline moderating slightly from the rate observed last week. Truck segment values experienced a 0.02% shift, resulting in an overall decrease of –0.28%. Car segment values presented a 0.15% change, resulting in a –0.26% decrease. Just under 41% of market segments saw average value movements greater than ±$100.
• Auction inventory continues to hold at high levels, though upstream channels continue to receive priority access. Demand for high-quality vehicles remains strong on both sides of the border.

Used Retail Prices & Listing Volume 

The average listing price for used vehicles has slightly decreased, as the 14-day moving average was at $37,900. This analysis is based on approximately 165,000 used vehicles listed for sale on Canadian dealer lots.

Market Insights

Economics & Government

• The Canadian economy lost 68,000 jobs in September, pushing the Unemployment Rate up to 6.5%. Combined with the loss of 42,000 jobs in August, the economy has now shed all the jobs created so far in 2026.
• The yield on Canadian 10-year government bonds decreased slightly to 3.69%. The Canadian dollar is around $0.704 this Monday morning, down from $0.714 last week.

U.S. Market 

The market continued to see healthy buyer participation, with auction conversion improving to 57%, up one percentage point from the prior week. At the same time, buyers remained selective, with stronger demand for certain newer, premium, and performance vehicles while results were more mixed across EVs and larger SUVs.

Industry News

• Zero-emission vehicle sales in Canada represented 13% of the market in August – sales of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles reached 22,716, a 55% increase year-over-year and the highest monthly share since 2024. Federal and some Provincial rebates along with high gas prices are pushing buyer consideration towards these models.
• While EV sales surge for the industry, the expectation of Chinese EVs keeps many consumers from buying now – a study conducted by Abacus Data showed that 42% of Canadians, while interested in buying an EV, are delaying their purchase in the anticipation of new entrants to Canada. This data comes as brands from General Motors are citing huge sales increases, as high as 118%, for their EV offerings from Cadillac and Chevrolet. Tesla and Rivian are also recording large increases in Canada.
• The refreshed Lexus NX-Series crossover will be assembled in Cambridge, ON as Toyota Motor Corp. maintains production plans – while many other brands have delayed plans to produce their models in Canada, the new NX-Series crossover from Lexus will continue to be built in Ontario along with the Toyota RAV4 and Lexus RX-Series. GM, Ford and Honda have either reduced production or delayed plans to expand here.
• Tesla pauses sales of its Chinese-built Model 3 trims as it reaches the end of its import quota – Tesla’s Canadian website shows a notice of exhausting its import quota, resuming ordering only when the Government of Canada issues more quota. No separate quota was initially communicated by brand.

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