Used car demand up 15 per cent compared with 2019 levels, says research

Demand for used cars is up 15 per cent compared with the same period last year.

That’s according to AA Cars, which has found that the increase in used car popularity has coincided with a fall in new car sales.

In fact, interest in used cars rose 9.1 per cent above pre-pandemic levels when forecourts were allowed to reopen across the UK in June.

However, the analysis made by AA Cars has found that demand has continued to increase since that point.

It says that searches on its used car platform in September were up by four per cent on average compared with June. Some areas – such as a Glasgow – saw demand increase by close to a third.

And further analysis of searches for used vehicles in September across 48 major towns and cities showed that demand across the UK was 15 per cent higher than the same period in 2019.

In Crawley, West Sussex, which experienced the biggest increase in demand, searches doubled compared with the previous year.

It contrasts sales of new cars in September fell by 4.4 per cent, versus the same month in 2019.

The AA said that it thought that government guidance to avoid public transport where possible had increased the number of people who started to consider a car as a way of getting from A to B.

James Fairclough, chief executive of AA Cars, said: “The sustained increase in demand since the summer is positive news for the used car market, which endured a big decline in sales during lockdown.

“The used car market continues to offer an enormous amount of choice to drivers at all price points, and changes in commuting habits may be leading more people to purchase a car so they can avoid public transport.

“The large range of affordable cars on the second-hand market means that drivers who need a new or replacement vehicle, but also have concerns about job security or the state of the economy, can easily find one to suit their budget.”