- Auto Trader data reveals drivers are opting for fuel efficient hybrid used cars
- Only four SUVs made the top 10, with estate cars making a solid comeback
- The used car market is thriving overall, as is the nearly-new used electric market
Auto Trader has unveiled which used cars are currently flying out of second-hand dealers fastest – and which are sat gathering dust on forecourts.
The data suggests Britons are turning to cost-effective used hybrids, with the top 10 dominated by the green fuel type.
Plug-in hybrids (which can run on battery charged electric-only for a limited distance but also have a petrol engine) are also proving popular with three making the top 10.
We’ve also listed the 10 slowest-selling used models of the last month – scroll to the bottom to find out which cars take the longest to flog.
The Peugeot 3008 is currently the fastest selling used car in the UK according to Auto Trader’s latest data. This hybrid petrol SUV takes an average of just 12 days to sell
A used Mercedes GLC (up to one year) is the second fastest selling used car of late, leaving forecourts in 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’s a subsidiary of Seat. The petrol variant of this car takes 13.5 days to shift
The motor with the shortest for sale advertised time is the Peugeot 3008.
The French petrol-hybrid SUV is going down a storm with second-hand buyers, it would seem.
Auto Trader reports it takes just 12 days on average to leave retailers’ forecourts – two weeks faster than the current national average.
The data – which is based over the last four weeks – puts the Mercedes GLC coupe in second place, with third going to the Cupra Formentor – a strong standing for the sporty Spanish brand.
Underpinning the big consumer appetite for hybrid vehicles, the 3008 is joined by five more hybrids in the month of April, which saw this segment become the fastest selling fuel group taking just 24 days to sell.
The other hybrids are: The Mercedes GLC (diesel hybrid), Mercedes CLA (petrol hybrid), Seat Leon hatchback and estate (both petrol plug-in hybrid) and the Hyundai Tucson (petrol hybrid).
Body shape-wise SUVs weren’t entirely dominating, despite manufacturers rolling them out left, right, centre; just four of the top 10 were this 4×4-esque body shape.
The appearance of two estates nodded to this family-friendly category making a come back, while a mix of hatchback, MPV and saloon made up the rest of the quickest sellers.
Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s Data & Insights director, said: ‘The speed in which used cars are selling is a good barometer of the underlying health of the used car market, and since the start of the year, we’ve seen them leave retailers’ forecourts at a record pace.’
Seat had a very strong April, with versions of the same car making the top 10 fasting selling used cars: The Leon hatchback petrol PHEV takes 14 days to sell on average (when aged three to five years)
But it’s estate sibling wasn’t far behind, taking 14.5 days to shift. Again it proved petrol plug-in hybrids are appealing to cost minded buyers
And quick hybrid sales are not just a Spring ’24 thing – Auto Trader data shows that, based on this April, year-on-year consumer demand for hybrids is up a whopping 55 per cent.
Overall used car appetite is at an all-time high, with March recording the fastest used car sales pace Auto Trader has ever seen – 25 days – with April just one day slower.
After hybrid cars, petrol is the next quickest fuel type to sell (25 days), followed by diesel at 28, and electric cars are currently taking around 29 days.
While it’s widely reported that new EV sales are stalling, the used electric car market has been having 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 per cent YoY compared to a more conservative growth of 7.7 per cent for petrol and a decline of -6.9 per cent for diesel.
A diesel MPV – the Ford Tourneo Connect – made the top 10, proving flexible practicality was popular among used car buyers. It came in at an impressive 6th place
And demand for EVs aged 3 to 5 years old is up a massive 133 per cent YoY, with EVs aged three to five currently taking an average of just 24 days to sell, putting them on par with hybrids.
Unsurprisingly older used cars are taking longer to shift, with those aged between 10 to 15 years old are currently taking the longest to sell – 32 days.