Used car sales tipped for strong 2025 performance
Used car sales are expected to remain high this year, with Cox Automotive predicting 7.64 million sales in the UK this year.
This is comparable to last year but 3.6% higher than the average annual sales recorded from 2001 to 2019.
It says the higher sales figure reinforces the used car market’s role as a stabilising force amid wider industry volatility.
Cox Automotive is also expecting strong sales to continue into the second half of the year, with supply constraints left over from production slowdowns during the pandemic expected to ease in the next six months.
A further positive signal for the industry is the continued stabilisation of trade values.
It found that over the past 18 months values of vehicles aged between 24 and 72 months old have remained consistent, with petrol values at 60% of original cost new in April, while hybrid and diesel values fell by just four and seven per cent in the same period.
Trade values stabilise
Philip Nothard, insight director at Cox Automotive, said: “The used market continues to provide a vital anchor for the automotive sector. As trade values stabilise and consumer appetite for affordable vehicles remains strong, retailers have a clear opportunity to set robust retail prices, where market conditions support them, and maximise their margins.
“Strategic stock selection and strong retail pricing will be crucial to sustaining profitability in a supply-constrained environment.”
