According to Kelley Blue Book, values of used, fuel-efficient compact cars and hybrids rose handsomely at the end of February, with compacts increasing 1.3% and hybrids increasing 3.6% in the last week of the month.
‘The 2010 Toyota Prius led in gains, increasing in value $1,370 through the month of February,’ says Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights for Kelley Blue Book. ‘Dealers have been aggressively bidding on fuel-efficient vehicles at auction as consumer demand increases in response to rising gas prices.’
Last year, used compact-car values rose 20%, and Kelley Blue Book anticipates that a similar increase for 2012 is likely if fuel prices continue on their current upward trajectory.
