Electric car sales (a net +47%) and stock availability (+45%) are the main improvements dealers expect from 2026’s used car market, according to Startline’s December Used Car Tracker which questioned 300 consumers and 60 dealers.
The survey asked respondents to predict whether a variety of factors would improve, stay the same or worsen in the New Year.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “The first point to note from these results is the net positive score to every factor we asked dealers to rate. That backs up a general mood of optimism that we have seen in the last few months of our Tracker research.
“It’s also noteworthy that the two factors scoring most highly – electric car sales and stock availability – have both been significant problems in recent years, and it is welcome news that so many dealers believe we’ll see improvements.
“Other results are less emphatic and it’s probably significant that any positivity surrounding consumer confidence or the economy is more muted. While the mood of dealers might be generally upbeat, there remains a high degree of caution.”
Other results included better margins on used car sales (+30%), higher consumer confidence (+25%) and lower preparation costs (+22%).
Dealers also rated staffing costs (+12%), the general state of the economy (+10%) and premises costs (+8%).
