Used Car Prices Should Remain High in 2012

The number of used cars available today is dependant on the number of new cars that were sold in the past 3 years.

There were only 10.3 million and 11.6 million new cars sold in 2009 and 2010, compared to average levels of 16 million in prior years.

To make matters worse, leasing took a huge nosedive, so there are few lease-returns coming back right now.

The good news is that higher used car prices make new cars more attractive. The year-over-year depreciation rate on 2010 models was only 6.6%.

Some experts are predicting increased incentives on new vehicles during the first quarter as Honda and Toyota try to gain back market lost market share.

If you currently have a used car you want to trade-in or sell for a new one, this is a good year to do so.

Used car prices are expected to keep increasing from now until summer.