- Which car? selected the best second-hand models in 8 used car categories
The best used car you can buy this year is a particularly sensible option, according to a panel of road test experts.
Which car? has announced the winners and acclaimed engines at its annual Used Car of the Year Awards – and the standout model is something of a measured and rational selection from Volvo’s range of practical vehicles.
The car magazine’s used car gong for 2024 has gone to the Swedish brand’s XC40 SUV.
It narrowly beat out a wide selection of electric vehicles, which have become much more attractive to motorists after suffering massive depreciation in their first year and falling in value to more affordable prices on the second-hand market.
A sensible selection of second-hand: Which car? has presented the award for Used Car of the Year 2024 to the Volvo XC40 SUV. Find out which other models have been recommended by the team of experts
Used car prices have fallen in recent months after rising to record highs due to new car shortages following the pandemic.
The latest Auto Trader Retail Price Index for September shows that the average value of used cars has fallen to £16,450 – down 8.4 per cent on the same month in 2023.
But while this recent market Stability may be good news for used car buyers in general, but it hasn’t made it easier for drivers to choose the best option for their next engine.
The annual Used Car of the Year Awards from What Car? are aimed at helping motorists make a choice by highlighting the best-used models in eight classes, ranging from hatchbacks to SUVs, with an overall winner chosen from the category winners.
The best choice this year is the Volvo XC40, which also won prizes the ‘best used SUV’ category.
It was praised by the judges for its high-quality interior, outstanding refinement and family-friendly functionality.
This was enough to stave off competition from a number of electric cars, namely the Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.3 and Kia e-Niro, all of which offer tempting price tags given the significant drop in residual values of electric cars, which tend to fall dramatically decline in value within the first twelve months of ownership.
An exclusive study for This is Money by Cap Hpi earlier this year revealed the significance of the impact of the first year on residual values of electric vehicles.
In seven comparisons with petrol or hybrid equivalents, the battery model tended to depreciate much faster in the first twelve months, so much so that they fell to a lower price than the combustion engine option.
An exclusive comparison of residual values of electric cars versus petrol equivalents earlier this year found that a more expensive electric car would depreciate much more in its first year than a comparable combustion alternative – so much so that the battery versions would be cheaper to buy after 12 years are. months
In response to the recommendation of the XC40 as the best used motorcycle to buy, What Car? Mark Pearson, used car editor, said: ‘The task of choosing one winner can often be difficult for our panel, but this year the vote was unanimous.
‘The XC40 is the ultimate all-rounder. It’s a reliable and desirable car that does almost everything exceptionally well, so you can buy it with your head as well as your heart.
‘It is also extremely versatile, because you can get it as a petrol, diesel, mild hybrid or fully electric car.
‘It’s the way it excels in so many areas, as well as the variety of options it offers the used car buyer, that earned it the win.
‘The fact that this immensely attractive family SUV would also have such great value if bought second-hand sealed the deal for us.’
Other winners included the recently discontinued Audi TT (2014-2024), Honda Jazz (2020-present), Peugeot 5008 (2017-present) and BMW 330e (2019-present).
In addition to the Used Car of the Year and the eight category winners, What Car? listed a number of alternative cars to consider in each category, with these excelling in areas that may be of particular interest to used buyers.
Here is the full list of winners and acclaimed alternatives in the eight different vehicle segments: