Sunshine – finally – puts convertibles into Top 10 fastest sellers

01.07.2024
  • Mercedes-Benz GLC revealed as the UK’s current fastest-selling used car taking just 11 days to leave retailers’ forecourts
  • But convertibles enter Top 10 fastest sellers as sunseekers seek open-top driving on better weather
  • Cars selling the fastest in Scotland but lingering the longest in London

27th June 2024 – Drivers have finally rediscovered an appetite for soft tops following the belated arrival of the British summer, according to the latest data from Auto Trader.

Figures from the UK’s largest automative platform showed Mercedes-Benz’ C-Class convertible (petrol, 3-5-years) and the sporty Mazda MX-5 RF (petrol, 3-5-years) both selling in around 16 days on average – marking the first appearance for convertibles among the fastest sellers in 2024 following the wettest Spring since 1986.

Even so, consumer demand for convertibles is still down 5.6% year on year compared to June 2023, which was the hottest June on record. By contrast, temperatures this year in “flaming” June were chilled by an Arctic jet stream in the first half of the month.

Convertibles also have some way to go before knocking SUVs off the top of the list, where demand has shot up 27% on last year. The Mercedes-Benz GLC (diesel, aged 1-3 years) is currently the fastest-selling used car, taking an average of just 11 days to leave UK forecourts, three times faster than the current national average of 29 days. On average, SUVs are taking around 27 days to sell.

More broadly and underpinning the very high levels of consumer demand in the market, used cars are currently selling three days faster than in June last year. In fact, based on the activity of the circa 85 million visits to Auto Trader last month, demand for used cars is up circa 13% year-on-year.

Highlighting the nuance of the retail market, volume models are currently taking around 28 days to sell, versus 30 for premium marques. What’s more, middle-aged used cars are currently the quickest age cohort to sell, with 3–5-year-old cars leaving forecourts in just 26 days, whilst 5- 10-year-old cars are taking 27. Those under a year old, are lingering on forecourts the longest, taking 35 days. This is no doubt due to the significant discounts retailers and brands are currently applying to brand new cars, particularly for the growing array of electric vehicles. Since June last year, average discounts applied to brand-new cars have risen from 6.4% to 8.8%, with almost eight in 10 new cars now offering some level of discount.

On a regional level, retailers in Scotland are seeing the fastest average speed of sale of all the UK regions, with used cars north of the border taking a mere 24 days to sell. It’s five days faster than the current national average and eight days faster than London, which has the slowest speed of sale of all UK regions, with used cars taking a comparatively lengthy 32 days to shift.

Commenting, Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s Data & Insights director, said: “The speed at which used cars sell is an accurate barometer of the strength of the used car market and our data suggests it remains in very robust health as we enter the summer months. With such nuance in the market, the analysis also serves as a good reminder of the importance of looking at data on a granular level. A high-level view would suggest convertibles are under performing, but a quick look under the bonnet reveals there’s plenty of models bucking the overall trend with the final arrival of summer.”

Fastest-selling used cars between 27th May – 24th June

Rank

Make

Model

Body Type

Fuel Type

Age Cohort

(years)

Avg. days to sell

1

Mercedes-Benz

GLC Class

SUV

Diesel

1 to 3 Years

11

2

CUPRA

Formentor

SUV

Petrol

3 to 5 Years

12

3

Vauxhall

Grandland

SUV

Petrol

up to 1 Year

13

4

Mercedes-Benz

GLB Class

SUV

Petrol

1 to 3 Years

13

5

SEAT

Leon

Hatchback

Petrol Plug-in Hybrid

3 to 5 Years

13.5

6

Volvo

XC40

SUV

Petrol Plug-in Hybrid

3 to 5 Years

14.5

7

Kia

Sportage

SUV

Diesel Hybrid

1 to 3 Years

15

8

Peugeot

508

Hatchback

Petrol

3 to 5 Years

15

9

Mercedes-Benz

C-Class

Convertible

Petrol

3 to 5 Years

15.5

10

Mazda

MX-5 RF

Convertible

Petrol

3 to 5 Years

16

Slowest-selling used cars between 27th May – 24th June

Rank

Make

Model

Body Type

Fuel Band

Age Cohort

(years)

Average days to sell

1

Porsche

Taycan

Estate

Electric

up to 1 Year

111

2

Mazda

Mazda2

Hatchback

Petrol Hybrid

up to 1 Year

106

3

Kia

XCeed

SUV

Petrol Plug-in Hybrid

1 to 3 Years

106

4

Audi

A5

Coupe

Petrol

up to 1 Year

98

5

Volvo

C40

SUV

Electric

1 to 3 Years

93.5

6

Lexus

UX

SUV

Electric

1 to 3 Years

91

7

Porsche

911

Convertible

Petrol

1 to 3 Years

90

8

Audi

Q4 e-tron

SUV

Electric

up to 1 Year

86

9

Volkswagen

Passat

Saloon

Petrol

3 to 5 Years

84

10

Porsche

Taycan

Saloon

Electric

up to 1 Year

82