Jumping 0.7% in October, the average price of a used SUV topped $25,000 for the first time in the CARFAX Used Car Index.
Driving the news: The popular SUV category saw prices jump $170 in the month of October, pushing prices into new territory at $25,125.
SUV prices are up 4.4% year over year in the CARFAX index.
In an email to CDG News, CARFAX Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen attributed the rise to inflation.
Zooming in: The SUV category was not the only one to hit a new high point, as vans and minivans topped $24,000 for the first time, by $1.
Vans and minivan prices are up 0.6% over the past month and 12.9% year over year.
Additionally, prices in the category were up $400 in the Southwest and $300 in the Midwest.
Car prices increase: The used car segment, which includes sedans and wagons, saw prices increase by 0.4% in October to $20,286.
Luxury cars were up 0.3% and are up 8.7% year-over-year to $36,583.
Pickup trucks fell in price 0.2% in the past month to $35,311 but remain up 2.6% since October 2025.
Luxury SUVs dropped a half percent in October to $36,853.
The car business moves fast. Stay ahead.
The most important insights from automotive retail, delivered to your inbox daily.
Join 74,000 others now, it's free:
Hybrids and EVs continue to fall: The prices for hybrids and EVs have continued the same trend since August, falling $230 in October to $33,470.
Since August, hybrid and EV prices have dropped $650.
Conversely, used hybrid and EV prices are up 6% year over year.
RAV4 Hybrids surge: The Toyota RAV4 Hybrids are an exception, with used models averaging $49,000 on CARFAX.
That price is outpacing starting prices for hybrid RAV4s at $32,000 to $43,000.
Olsen noted in the report that RAV4s are difficult to find.
“Toyota has had production issues with the RAV4 for its 2026 redesign, and it’s become really hard for shoppers to get their hands on one,” Olsen said.
Bottom line: Overall, used vehicle prices were mostly stable during October, with prices moving 0.1% or just $2. But finding SUVs under $25,000 may become increasingly difficult as the average price moved into new territory.
A quick word from our partner
Sold-out model. Credit worry. A trade-in lead with a VDP link.
Impel AI doesn't reach for a script. It knows the customer, the vehicle, and your store, then answers like your best rep and keeps the deal moving. Read real dealership conversations across sales, service, financing, and trade-ins, start to finish. No scripts. Just the receipts.
