Used Car Prices Up Slightly, EVs Down: March Market Shift

7th May 2025

Used car prices ticked up to £16,915 in March, a small 0.1% increase from February. Auto Trader’s data shows demand for used cars grew by 1.0% compared to last year. Supply, though, jumped higher, rising 5.7% year-on-year. Cars are selling faster, too, with the average time on the lot dropping to 25 days from 27 days in February. Petrol cars lead the pack, selling in just 24 days.

Unusual Price Growth

This March price bump is the second month in a row of increases, which Auto Trader notes is odd. Typically, prices fall by 0.4% this time of year. Something’s different in the market, and it’s keeping prices steady or slightly up.

Electric Vehicle Market Shifts

Used electric vehicles (EVs) are shaking things up. Their supply exploded by 54.7% from last year, mostly because old lease cars are flooding back. Demand for used EVs is up, too, by 35.9%, but it’s not enough to match supply. This mismatch is dragging EV prices down, with the average price falling 1.4% to £25,190.

Petrol and Diesel Price Trends

Petrol and diesel cars are moving in the opposite direction. Petrol cars hit £14,849, up 0.1% from last month. Diesel cars climbed to £14,276, a 0.8% jump. These steady increases show traditional fuel types are holding strong.

Expert Insights

Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s data and insights director, says the used car market is evolving fast. Retailers are feeling confident about prices, but the flood of used EVs is keeping things unpredictable. Sellers who use real-time data and price cars based on what buyers want will make the most money. With supply and demand shifting, data is key to staying profitable.

Top 10 Cars with Price Growth

Some used cars saw big price jumps. Here’s the rundown:

· BMW 3 Series (Petrol Hybrid): £42,166, up 8.4% year-on-year, 0.4% month-on-month.

· BMW X5 (Petrol Plug-in Hybrid): £54,184, up 8.5% yearly, down 2.1% monthly.

· Volkswagen Touareg (Diesel): £28,454, up 9.6% from last year, no monthly change.

· Hyundai i30 (Petrol): £10,417, up 9.6% yearly, 1.1% monthly.

· Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Diesel): £24,337, up 9.7% year-on-year, down 2.3% month-on-month.

· Honda Civic (Petrol): £9,853, up 10.7% yearly, 2.4% monthly.

· Toyota Yaris (Petrol): £7,693, up 11.1% from last year, 0.7% monthly.

· Toyota Land Cruiser (Diesel): £37,406, up 12.8% yearly, 0.4% monthly.

· BMW X5 (Diesel): £25,131, up 13.2% year-on-year, 0.3% monthly.

· Volvo V60 (Diesel): £12,113, up 14.2% yearly, 4.2% monthly.