- The average used car sold for $26,043 in December, up 2% from November.
- With new cars now over $50,000 on average, affordability is a growing concern for drivers.
The average used car in America was listed for $26,043 in December. That’s 2% higher than November’s figure, and nearly 3% higher than a year ago. The numbers come from data compiled by Kelley Blue Book parent Cox Automotive.
Affordability is a growing concern for car shoppers of all types. New car prices set an all-time record in December, reaching $50,326.
Related: Is Now the Time to Buy, Sell, or Trade-In a Car?
Supply and demand govern used car prices. The nationwide supply of used cars has remained low throughout 2025, largely due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Automakers built about 8.1 million fewer cars during the height of the crisis than they had planned. Those cars will never reach the used car market, depressing supply for years to come.
That problem is beginning to ease, but only slightly. Dealers had 5% more inventory in December than in the previous month. Dealers had a 49-day supply of used cars at the start of January, one day more than a year earlier.
But the most affordable used cars remain the hardest to find. Dealers had just a 38-day supply of the older, higher-mileage cars they sell for under $15,000.
The top five sellers of the month were listed at an average price of $24,049, nearly 8% below the average listing price for all used vehicles sold. Once again, Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan were the top-selling brands, accounting for 50% of all used vehicles sold.
