The latest Pulse report from the BCA suggests average values of used fleet and lease vehicles declined in January by £148 compared to the previous month. Values of fleet and lease cars averaged £9,440 last month, falling 1.5 per cent on December's figure of £9,588. Performance compared with CAP improved from 95.64 per cent to 98.03 per cent, while retained value against the original manufacturers' retail price (MRP) improved to 40.48 per cent, with the age and mileage of vehicles largely stagnant. Year-on-year comparisons with January 2015 show that average fleet and lease values are down slightly by just 0.4 per cent, with performance against CAP Clean improving although retained value was almost a full percentage down on 2015. The headline average value of a used car sold at BCA last month also declined by 2.1 per cent (£7,877) compared to December, although performance against CAP Clean improved to 98.5 per cent. Simon Henstock, chief operating officer, BCA UK Remarketing, said: 'January saw a well-balanced marketplace in terms of supply and demand, with plenty of appetite for used cars across the board. 'However, average prices dropped slightly compared to the back end of 2015 and while there is a lot of demand for good retail quality stock, there are challenges at the extremities of the market. 'The relatively mild weather has also meant that the seasonally strong performance for the 4x4 sector hasn't really reached expectations. 'With Easter arriving early, we may see values reduce more quickly than usual once we move into the second quarter and the holiday season hits.î
