The average used car is taking 27 days to leave retailers’ forecourts in October, down from 30 days in September and 29 days during the same period last year, according to Autotrader.
Hybrid models lead the fastest-selling list this month. The 5-to-10-year-old petrol hybrid Toyota Yaris is taking an average of 14 days to sell, followed by the plug-in hybrid Jaecoo 7 (14.5), ahead of the petrol hybrid Hyundai Bayon (17 days).
Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: “The speed at which cars are leaving forecourts is another encouraging sign of the underlying health of the used car market. Despite continued economic pressures, cars are selling faster than both last month and last year, and with transactions forecast to reach their highest level since 2017, the market is carrying real momentum into the final months of 2026.
“What’s particularly interesting is what’s happening beneath that headline. Rising fuel costs are part of the backdrop for car buyers, and we’re seeing a clear difference between diesel, which is currently the slowest-selling fuel type, and the strength of hybrid models at the top of the rankings.
“But slower demand doesn’t mean diesel is disappearing; there are still parts of the market where it remains an important choice, so the opportunity for retailers is increasingly about understanding where that demand remains.”
EVs are the fastest-selling fuel type overall at an average of 25 days, followed by hybrids and plug-in hybrids (26 days), while petrol cars are taking 27 days.
Three-to-five-year-old cars are the fastest-selling age cohort overall at 25 days, while amongst EVs, those aged between five and 10 years are taking just 20 days on average to sell.
Diesel is the slowest-selling fuel type (32 days). Three diesel models feature among October’s 10 slowest sellers, including the 5-10-year-old diesel Kia Sportage (35 days).
Petrol-hybrid versions aged below 1 year-old, and 3-5-years-old, are both among the month’s fastest sellers at 19 and 19.5 days respectively.
Demand for used diesel cars fell 19.2% year-on-year in September, steeper than the 6.8% contraction in supply.
Demand for used EVs increased 40%, significantly ahead of the 26% increase in supply.
