The current fastest selling used car in Britain is French and hybrids dominate the top 10
- Data from Auto Trader shows that drivers are opting for economical hybrid used cars
- Only four SUVs made the top 10, while station wagons made a solid comeback
- The used car market overall is booming, as is the almost new used electric car market
Auto Trader has revealed which used cars are currently leaving second-hand dealerships the fastest – and which are collecting dust on forecourts.
The data suggests Brits are turning to cost-effective used hybrids, with the top 10 dominated by the green fuel type.
Plug-in hybrids (which can only drive electrically for a limited distance, but also have a petrol engine) are also proving popular, three of which are in the top 10.
We’ve also listed the 10 slowest-selling used models from the past month. Scroll down to see which cars take the longest to sell.
The Peugeot 3008 is currently the fastest-selling used car in Britain, according to the latest data from Auto Trader. It takes an average of just 12 days to sell this petrol hybrid SUV
A used Mercedes GLC (up to one year) is the second fastest selling used car in recent times, leaving the forecourt within 12.5 days – with the hybrid diesel coupe combining looks, luxury and fuel efficiency
Third place went to the Cupra Formentor, a sporty SUV from the emerging Spanish racing brand that is a subsidiary of Seat. The petrol variant of this car needs 13.5 days to change gear
The engine with the shortest sales time is the Peugeot 3008.
It seems the French petrol-hybrid SUV is having a storm with used buyers.
Auto Trader reports that it takes an average of just 12 days to leave retailers’ forecourts – two weeks faster than the current national average.
The data – which is based on the past four weeks – places the Mercedes GLC coupe in second place, while third place goes to the Cupra Formentor – a strong reputation for the sporty Spanish brand.
To support strong consumer demand for hybrid vehicles, the 3008 will be joined by another five hybrids in the month of April, making the segment the fastest-selling fuel group in just 24 days.
The other hybrids are: the Mercedes GLC (diesel hybrid), Mercedes CLA (petrol hybrid), Seat Leon hatchback and station wagon (both petrol plug-in hybrid) and the Hyundai Tucson (petrol hybrid).
In terms of body style, SUVs didn’t completely dominate, despite manufacturers rolling them out left, right and centre; only four of the top 10 had this 4×4-like body shape.
The appearance of two estate cars was a sign that this family-friendly category was making a comeback, while a mix of hatchback, MPV and sedan made up the rest of the fastest sellers.
Richard Walker, Data & Insights Director at Auto Trader, said: ‘The rate at which used cars are being sold is a good barometer of the underlying health of the used car market, and since the start of the year we have seen them hitting retailers to leave. ‘forecourts in record time.’
Seat had a very strong April, with versions of the same car in the top 10 of fast-selling used cars: the Leon hatchback petrol PHEV takes an average of fourteen days to sell (when it is three to five years old)
But the estate’s sibling wasn’t far behind, taking 14.5 days to shift. Once again it turned out that petrol plug-in hybrids are attractive to price-conscious buyers
And fast hybrid sales aren’t just a matter of spring ’24. Data from Auto Trader shows that, based on April this year, consumer demand for hybrids has increased by a whopping 55 percent year-on-year.
Overall demand for used cars is at a record high, with March seeing the fastest used car sales pace on record – 25 days – and April just one day slower.
After hybrid cars, petrol is the second fastest fuel to sell (25 days), followed by diesel at 28 days, and electric cars currently take around 29 days.
Although new EV sales are widely reported to be stagnant, the used EV market has had a much better year.
Demand for used electric cars on Auto Trader continues to far exceed that of their combustion engine counterparts, with a current increase of 59 percent year-on-year, compared to a more conservative growth of 7.7 percent for petrol and a decline of -6.9 percent for diesel.
A diesel MPV – the Ford Tourneo Connect – made the top 10, showing that flexible functionality was popular among used car buyers. It came in an impressive 6th place
And demand for three to five year old electric cars has increased by a whopping 133 percent year-on-year, with three to five year old electric cars currently taking an average of just 24 days to sell, putting them on par with hybrids.
Unsurprisingly, older used cars take longer to convert, while cars between 10 and 15 years old currently take the longest to sell: 32 days.