“The first half of the year is officially in the books, and wholesale values finished on solid footing. The Manheim Index closed June up 2.1% against last year and essentially flat on the month, slightly below the typical gain for June. The story of the first half is a strong tax-refund season that pushed values to levels we haven’t seen in a few years, peaking in March before normalizing, leaving the index about 1% off that March high,” said Jonathan Gregory, Senior Director, Cox Automotive, this past June as reported in AutoInformed.com.

“Affordability is the throughline in the first half of 2026. We’ve seen stronger appreciation in older units this year, and the most affordable segments have been among the year’s best performers. The risk we’re watching for the second half is that steep ramp in off-lease supply, EVs especially, which could pressure specific segments even as the headline holds firm. Gas is the swing factor: If pump prices keep falling, some of that EV demand could fade as availability increases,” said Gregory.