Used Car Prices That Have Surged Most Since 2019
Some used vehicles cost dramatically more than they did before the pandemic. Here's which models got hit hardest.
If you've been shopping for a used car lately, sticker shock isn't just a feeling — it's a data point. According to a new iSeeCars analysis highlighted by ABC4, certain used vehicle segments have seen price spikes that dwarf anything buyers experienced in the pre-pandemic market. The gap between 2019 prices and today's reality is jarring, and it's not closing fast.
The core driver is no mystery. Supply chain collapses during COVID hammered new-car production, which starved the used market of incoming inventory. Fewer trade-ins plus surging demand created a perfect storm. Even as new-car lots have slowly refilled, used prices in specific segments remain stubbornly elevated compared to where they sat in 2019.
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What you really need to know as a buyer: not all used cars are equally overpriced. The iSeeCars data points to particular models and segments carrying the biggest premiums over their 2019 baselines. Knowing which vehicles are still inflated versus which have corrected back toward normal gives you actual leverage at the dealership — or at least tells you when to walk away.
From a trading angle, this is your comp table. If a segment is still running well above 2019 prices, either supply stays tight or demand is structural. Either way, don't expect a bargain there anytime soon. Focus your search on models that have already deflated — that's where the value play lives right now in the used market.
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