Average used car prices fall marginally in October
Average used car prices fell 1.8% year-on-year to £17,321 in October, according to the latest Autotrader Retail Price Index.
This follows a one per cent annual decrease in September.
Meanwhile, used cars sold in an average of 29 days during the month, which is unchanged from October in 2025.
In terms of fuel types, electric cars recorded their sixth consecutive month of like-for-like price growth, up 2.8% year-on-year and 1.3% month-on-month to £25,263, with demand growing 38% compared to the same month last year and supply up 11.5%.
The data also found that used electric cars sold in average of just 25 days, which is four days faster than petrol cars and eight days quicker than diesel models.
Meanwhile, cars aged 10–15 years recorded annual price growth of 4.6% to £7,290 and average values of models over 15 years old rose three per cent to £5,294. By contrast, used models under a year saw values fall 3.5% in a year, those aged one to three fell two per cent, three to five-year-old cars decreased 2.3% and five to 10-year-olds saw an average fall of 1.8%.
Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights, said: “The used car market has repeatedly shown its resilience through economic uncertainty. Household pressures can change when people replace their cars or what they choose, but they don’t remove the underlying need for personal transport.
“The usual seasonal easing shouldn’t be mistaken for a market running out of steam: buyers remain active, and there are good reasons for retailers to approach the final months of the year with confidence.”
