Table of Contents
- Auto Trader data reveals drivers are opting for fuel-efficient hybrid used cars
- Only four SUVs made it to the top 10, and family cars came back strong
- The used car market is thriving overall, as is the nearly new used EV market.
Auto Trader has revealed which used cars are leaving second-hand dealerships the fastest and which are collecting dust at service stations.
Data suggests Brits are turning to cost-effective used hybrids, with the top 10 dominated by the eco-friendly fuel type.
Plug-in hybrids (which can run on an electrically charged battery only for a limited distance but also have a gasoline engine) are also proving popular, with three of them in the top 10.
We also list the 10 used models that sold the slowest over the past month; Scroll to the bottom to find out which cars take the longest to spank.
The Peugeot 3008 is currently the fastest-selling used car in the UK according to the latest data from Auto Trader. This gasoline hybrid SUV takes an average of just 12 days to sell
A used Mercedes GLC (up to one year old) is the second best-selling used car lately, leaving service stations in 12.5 days; This diesel hybrid coupe combines looks, luxury and fuel efficiency.
Third place went to the Cupra Formentor, a sports SUV from the emerging Spanish racing brand subsidiary of Seat. The petrol variant of this car takes 13.5 days to change
The engine with the shortest time announced for sale is the Peugeot 3008.
The French petrol hybrid SUV is apparently taking second-hand buyers by storm.
Auto Trader reports that it takes just 12 days on average to leave retailers’ service stations, two weeks faster than the current national average.
The data from the last four weeks places the Mercedes GLC Coupé in second place and the Cupra Formentor in third place, a solid position for the Spanish sports brand.
Supporting consumers’ strong appetite for hybrid vehicles, the 3008 was joined by five more hybrids in the month of April, making this segment the fastest-selling fuel group, taking just 24 days to sell.
The other hybrids are: the Mercedes GLC (diesel hybrid), the Mercedes CLA (gasoline hybrid), the Seat León hatchback and estate (both gasoline plug-in hybrids) and the Hyundai Tucson (gasoline hybrid).
Body-shaped SUVs didn’t quite dominate, even though manufacturers distributed them left, right and center; Only four of the top 10 had this 4×4 body shape.
The appearance of two estates gave a nod to the return of this family category, while a combination of hatchback, minivan and saloon made up the rest of the fastest sellers.
Richard Walker, Head of Data and Insights at Auto Trader, said: “The speed at which used cars are sold is a good barometer of the underlying health of the used car market and, since the start of the year, we’ve seen retailers leave ‘yards at a record pace.’
Seat had a very strong April, with versions of the same car among the top 10 best-selling used cars – the León PHEV petrol hatchback takes 14 days to sell on average (when it’s three to five years old)
But his heir brother was not far behind and took 14.5 days to change. Gasoline plug-in hybrids have once again proven attractive to cost-conscious buyers.
And rapid hybrid sales aren’t just a spring 2024 thing: Auto Trader data shows that, based on April of this year, year-over-year consumer demand for hybrids is up a whopping 55 percent .
Overall appetite for used cars is at an all-time high – March saw the fastest pace of used car sales Auto Trader has ever seen (25 days) and April was just one day faster slow.
After hybrid cars, gasoline is the next fastest selling type of fuel (25 days), followed by diesel with 28, and electric cars currently take about 29 days.
While new electric vehicle sales are widely reported to be stagnating, the used electric car market has had a much better year.
Demand for used electric cars on Auto Trader continues to far outpace that of their internal combustion engine counterparts, with current levels up 59 percent year-on-year compared to more conservative 7.7 percent growth for the gasoline and a decrease of -6.9 percent for diesel. .
A diesel MPV, the Ford Tourneo Connect, made the top 10, showing that flexible practicality was popular with used car buyers. He came to an impressive sixth place.
And demand for 3- to 5-year-old EVs is up a whopping 133 percent year-on-year, with 3- to 5-year-old EVs currently taking an average of just 24 days to sell, putting them on par with hybrids. .
As expected, older used cars are taking longer to trade in, with those between 10 and 15 years old currently taking the longest to sell at 32 days.