Dealer demand and resale values for used commercial fleet vehicles in the wholesale market have softened with the onset of winter, the ongoing new-vehicle retail incentives, and excess inventory for certain makes and models, said Lee Mercier, vice president/remarketing for ULTEA, a fleet management company with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, and Davenport, IA. Also, affecting commercial fleet resale values are manufacturer new-vehicle pricing restraints, which keep a ceiling on resale values, added Tim Hart, remarketing manager for ULTEA. The seasonal slowdown has impacted higher-mileage minivans, which have seen their resale demand taper, said Mercier. Another reason for the softness of minivan prices is that many former retail buyers are now opting instead to buy sport/utility vehicles. Also experiencing softer prices are mid-size sedans such as the Taurus and Lumina; however, the severity varies by region. The price spread for certain intermediates, such as the Taurus, can vary as much as $2,500, depending on where in the country the vehicle is remarketed. “Taurus prices are strongest in the Midwest and weakest on the West Coast and Southeast,” said Mercier. Despite the seasonal slowdown, certain models are doing extremely well, such as low-mileage Chevrolet Astro cargo vans, 4x4 extended cabs, and diesel pickups, said Mercier. Also strong are 4x4 sport/utility vehicles, whose prices tend to spike upward this time of year. During the winter season, Mercier advocates it may be advantageous to hold vehicles through January and send them to auction in February, when resale activity picks up. “Timing is very important when selling used cars,” said Mercier. “Sometimes it behooves us to hold a vehicle, which can result in as much as an $800 increase in price.”