The most popular used cars revealed: BMW 3 Series is in hottest demand as 2016's second-hand car sales are tipped to break records
- Cap HPI has predicted that used car sales for 2016 will surpass 7.7 million
- That would set a new record for the number of second-hand models bought
- Auto Trader said the BMW 3 Series is the car most people are searching for
- Almost 135 million 3 Series adverts were looked at during 2016
UK motorists will have bought more than 7.7 million second-hand cars last year.
That's according to a prediction by automotive data experts, Cap HPI, which expects used vehicle sales to top the previous record high set in 2004.
So which second-hand model did Britons show the most interest in throughout 2016? According to the nation's biggest used-car site, the BMW 3 Series is top of the pile.
Second-hand car sale spike: Automotive data experts have predicted that more used cars were bought in 2016 than any other year
James Dower, senior editor of the CAP HPI's Black Book used-car value guide, said second-hand sales were likely to surpass the record 7.7 million figure from 12 years ago on the back of 'strong demand'.
He said: 'It looks like 2016 will beat a strong 2015 and the previous record of 2004. While 2017 isn’t without its challenges, motor retail is in great shape heading into the new year.'
According to the automotive data crunchers, the average value of a three year old car with 60,000 miles on the clock dropped by 1.6 per cent in December.
That compared to a 1.8 per cent decline in the same month in 2015, suggesting a stronger used car market in the final month of 2016 that the year before.
The most popular used cars
James Dower, editor at Cap HPI Black Book
One car driving a sizeable chunk of this demand was likely to be BMW's compact executive saloon, the 3 Series.
According to Auto Trader, it was the most searched for model on its website last year, amounting to almost 135 million advertisement views over the 12 months.
While that will not directly translate into sales, as only a limited number are available and some browsers will be window shopping, it helps to explain how the 3 Series holds its value well.
That's because the interest from used car buyers contrasts somewhat to new car sales figures.
Official data released yesterday showed the 3 Series wasn't in the top 10 most bought new cars of the year, lagging behind best sellers like the Ford Fiesta, Focus, Vauxhall Corsa and VW Golf.
Despite this, the 3 Series amounted almost 35 million more advert views than the next most searched for car on Auto Trader, the VW Golf.
Rank | Make | Model | Total advert views for 2016 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | BMW | 3 SERIES | 134,705,316 |
2 | VOLKSWAGEN | GOLF | 90,587,748 |
3 | MERCEDES-BENZ | C CLASS | 68,871,492 |
4 | FORD | FOCUS | 63,327,960 |
5 | BMW | 5 SERIES | 56,021,220 |
6 | BMW | 1 SERIES | 52,126,332 |
7 | FORD | FIESTA | 51,581,664 |
8 | AUDI | A3 | 50,323,824 |
9 | MERCEDES-BENZ | E CLASS | 48,709,284 |
10 | VAUXHALL | ASTRA | 46,287,336 |
11 | VAUXHALL | CORSA | 45,675,420 |
12 | MINI | HATCH | 33,308,004 |
13 | AUDI | A4 | 32,783,724 |
14 | LAND ROVER | RANGE ROVER SPORT | 30,576,492 |
15 | HONDA | CIVIC | 30,439,740 |
Holding back the years: BMW 3 Series adverts were the most searched for on Auto Trader in 2016, with almost 135 million views over the 12 month period, this picture shows the current and previous generations
According to stats released by Auto Trader at the beginning of December, the average used car for sale on its site was on average 5.4 per cent more expensive than it was in 2015, amounting to a £546 difference.
It said this was down to the higher number of younger cars entering the market on the back of increasing new car registrations and the greater uptake in PCP finance deals in recent years.
As a result, the average car for sale on Auto Trader is now just 40 months old and two in five cars listed for sale on the site are likely to still be covered by a manufacturer warranty.
The SMMT confirmed this week that almost 2.7 million new cars were registered in the UK in 2016 - a new record high.
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