TL;DR
- For the week ending September 5, 2026, Canadian Black Book's Market Insights report shows car-segment wholesale values up 0.01% — reversing the prior week's 0.24% decline.
- Compact cars led with a 0.47% weekly gain, the strongest of any segment tracked. Premium sporty cars were up 0.16%.
- Subcompact cars (−0.57%) and mid-size cars (−0.48%) were still falling the same week — this is not an across-the-board turn.
- Truck/SUV segments overall were still down 0.09%, though subcompact crossovers jumped 1.01%.
I track the weekly Canadian Black Book wholesale numbers because they move well before retail listing prices catch up — a dealer buying at auction this week is pricing next month's lot inventory off this data, not off what a competitor's website says today. The week ending September 5 is the first one in a while worth a second look.
Week ending September 5, 2026 — wholesale value change by segment
| Segment | This week | Prior week |
|---|---|---|
| Compact cars | +0.47% | — |
| Premium sporty cars | +0.16% | — |
| Car segments overall | +0.01% | −0.24% |
| Subcompact crossover/SUV | +1.01% | — |
| Truck/SUV segments overall | −0.09% | −0.16% |
| Subcompact cars | −0.57% | — |
| Mid-size cars | −0.48% | — |
| Overall market | −0.05% | −0.20% |
Source: Canadian Auto Dealer, citing Canadian Black Book Market Insights, published September 9, 2026. CBB also noted the 14-day moving average retail listing price rose slightly to about $38,500 across roughly 160,000 listed used vehicles.
What it means: Car-segment values (the category most Civic, Corolla and Elantra shoppers compare against) hadn't posted a single positive week since early May. One week of a modest 0.01% overall gain, carried almost entirely by compact cars at 0.47%, isn't proof the slide is over — subcompacts and mid-size cars were still negative the same week. But it's the first data point in months that isn't simply "down, but by a little less than last week."
My prediction: Compact-car wholesale values will post a second consecutive month-over-month gain by November 2026, confirming this week's move as a genuine floor rather than noise — because new-vehicle sales are now growing for a third straight month, which historically feeds through to firmer used demand within one to two quarters. I'll be wrong if compact values give this gain back and resume their decline through October.
For Henry's lot specifically, this matters most on Civic. It's the highest-volume compact Honda that moves through as a trade-in and a used pick, and it's exactly the segment that just showed the first sign of life. If the floor holds, waiting for a further discount on a clean used Civic becomes a weaker bet than it was through the summer.
Quick answers
Are used car prices going up or down in Canada right now?
For the week ending September 5, 2026, Canadian Black Book reported car-segment wholesale values up 0.01% overall, with compact cars up 0.47% — the first positive weekly move for the car segment since early May 2026. Truck and SUV segments were still down slightly that week.
Does one week of wholesale gains mean used prices have bottomed?
Not yet. One positive week reverses a longer decline but doesn't confirm a trend on its own. It typically takes two or more consecutive weeks of gains in the same segment before a genuine floor can be called with confidence.
Should I wait for used Honda prices to fall further before buying?
Based on the data available now, the case for waiting on further declines is weaker than it was earlier this year. Compact cars — the segment most Honda buyers cross-shop — just posted their first weekly gain since May, which is not the pattern of a market still falling.
Curious what your trade is worth this week?
Wholesale swings like this one move trade-in values before they move retail listings. Send me your VIN and I'll tell you where it actually sits today.
Henry Chen
Sales and Leasing Executive, Maple Honda
89 Auto Vaughan Dr, Maple, ON L6A 4A1
647-523-6878 · henry@maplehonda.com
Wholesale pricing data from Canadian Black Book's Market Insights report, via Canadian Auto Dealer, published September 9, 2026. Predictions and buyer framing are my personal read, not an industry forecast.
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