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UK used car market hits record high – March 2025 best month on record

Marketcheck, the UK’s most significant source of data on the UK used car market, has today published a comprehensive analysis showing that used car sales have reached their best-selling month in March 2025 since May 2023 when their analysis began – this trend was seen across all fuel types.

A total of 376,780 used cars were sold in March 2025. This represents an 8.88% increase when compared with the previous month, in which 346,049 cars were sold, and a 40.25% when compared with May 2023, with sales amounting to 268,650 in that month. The average price of a used car in the UK has fallen by 6.05%, from £17,848.21 in May 2023 to £16,768.57 in March 2025.

Marketcheck’s analysis also looked at the proportion of all used cars broken down by fuel type. During the period covered by this analysis, all four fuel types saw an increase in overall sales. In terms of market share, petrol remains dominant, not dropping below 50% in any month covered by Marketcheck’s research. Petrol, EVs and hybrid also saw modest growth, at the expense of used diesels cars. 

Wholly fossil fuel vehicles still amount to 85.85% of used car sales, although this is a 4.94% decrease when compared with May 2023.

Market Share

Month% EVs% Hybrid% Petrol% Diesel
May 20232.63%6.58%52.70%38.09%
March 20255.54%8.56%54.38%31.47%

Used EVs

The sale of used EVs has seen remarkable growth between May 2023-March 2025, with a 195% increase. 7,073 used EVs were sold in May 2023, and 20,882 in March 2025. The average last listed price saw a significant decrease, falling from £30,441 to £24,373.81, a £6067.19 (19.93%) drop in cost.

MonthUsed EV VolumeAverage Last Listed Price
May 20237,073£30,441.00
February 202517,689£24,210.29
March 202520,882£24,373.81

Used Hybrid

Hybrids also saw a large increase in sales during the time period covered by Marketcheck’s analysis. The sale of used hybrids rose by 82.51%, with 17,676 sold in May 2023 and 32,262 sold in March 2025. The average last listed price saw a modest decrease of 6%, falling from £25,949 to £24,395.88.

MonthUsed Hybrid VolumeAverage Last Listed Price
May 202317,676£25,949.00
February 202528,707£23,868.08
March 202532,262£24,395.88

Used Petrol

Used petrol cars have continued to dominate the market, with 204,884 sold in March 2025. This represents an increase of 44.72% compared with the 141,572 sold in May 2023. The average last listed price fell by 5.62%, from £16,553 in May 2023 to £15,622 in March 2025.

MonthUsed Petrol VolumeAverage Last Listed Price
May 2023141,572£16,553.00
February 2025189,663£15,295.99
March 2025204,884£15,622.20

Used Diesel

Despite used diesel’s drop in overall market share, sales increased by 15.87% between May 2023 and March 2025, with 102,323 sold in May and 118,558 in March. The average last listed price fell from £17,240.91 to £15,249.70 over the same period. This represents an 11.55% (£1,991.21) fall in the average cost a used diesel in the UK.

MonthUsed Diesel VolumeAverage Last Listed Price
May 2023102,323£17,240.91
February 2025109,814£14,838.63
March 2025118,558£15,249.70

Alastair Campbell, Marketcheck UK, commented: “This data shows positive signs for the UK used market as it reaches record levels of reported sales. Petrol and diesel continue to dominate but this is likely to decrease as more EV drivers choose to upgrade their cars and used supply continues to increase. 

All fuel types have seen a decrease in their last listed prices, with the most dramatic drop seen in EVs. We might see further decreases as more vehicles enter this section of the market but this may stabilise soon.

Marketcheck will continue to analyse trends as they emerge across the UK used car market.”

ENDS

About Marketcheck UK:

We are the best source of UK automotive data. We collate, enhance and manage more data on the UK used car sector than any other provider.

For any automotive businesses we bring unprecedented access to live data to power apps, populate reports and get insight into the UK used car market.

We track over 650,000 cars and 11500 dealers across 16k locations daily and match the data against the DVLA, SMMT and other data sources for normalisation and accuracy.

https://marketcheck.uk/

Contact:

Alistair Harrison
07498 217705
[email protected]

Notes to Editor:

MonthVolume of All Used SoldAverage Last Listed Price% Change
May 2023268,650£17,848.21na
June 2023265,025£17,957.03-1.35%
July 2023257,946£17,458.42-2.67%
August 2023276,786£17,466.977.30%
September 2023270,002£17,375.27-2.45%
October 2023270,039£17,188.430.01%
November 2023273,038£16,633.391.11%
December 2023222,225£16,969.44-18.61%
January 2024337,170£16,284.7951.72%
February 2024302,691£16,291.04-10.23%
March 2024329,237£16,066.268.77%
April 2024297,494£17,061.26-9.64%
May 2024321,717£16,264.208.14%
June 2024312,291£16,039.05-2.93%
July 2024328,432£15,727.455.17%
August 2024339,863£16,149.273.48%
September 2024336,504£16,049.55-0.99%
October 2024344,789£16,004.932.46%
November 2024286,270£16,471.63-16.97%
December 2024238,206£16,418.96-16.79%
January 2025354,946£16,510.3249.01%
February 2025346,049£16,371.19-2.51%
March 2025376,780£16,768.578.88%
MonthVolume Used EVsAverage Last Listed Price% Change
May 20237,073£30,441.00na
June 20237,516£29,516.006.26%
July 20237,512£27,762.00-0.05%
August 20238,458£27,766.0012.59%
September 20238,248£27,801.00-2.48%
October 20237,396£28,542.00-10.33%
November 20237,514£28,076.001.60%
December 20236,792£29,710.00-9.61%
January 202410,135£26,535.0049.22%
February 202410,343£25,588.002.05%
March 202411,683£25,410.0012.96%
April 202411,225£25,664.00-3.92%
May 202412,889£24,857.0014.82%
June 202413,421£24,377.604.13%
July 202413,939£23,782.583.86%
August 202415,082£24,576.968.20%
September 202414,839£23,818.00-1.61%
October 202413,405£23,929.00-9.66%
November 202411,962£24,511.00-10.76%
December 20249,856£25,029.97-17.61%
January 202516,227£24,352.5964.64%
February 202517,689£24,210.299.01%
March 202520,882£24,373.8118.05%
MonthVolume Used HybridAverage Last Listed Price% Change
May 202317,676£25,949.00na
June 202317,006£26,170.00-3.79%
July 202313,768£26,106.00-19.04%
August 202315,635£26,013.0013.56%
September 202315,799£25,546.001.05%
October 202315,098£25,663.00-4.44%
November 202315,600£24,969.003.32%
December 202314,036£25,404.00-10.03%
January 202421,342£24,194.0052.05%
February 202420,907£23,827.00-2.04%
March 202422,899£23,775.009.53%
April 202421,746£24,576.00-5.04%
May 202423,942£24,053.0010.10%
June 202423,047£23,778.70-3.74%
July 202425,308£23,392.869.81%
August 202426,169£24,214.013.40%
September 202425,473£23,532.00-2.66%
October 202425,612£23,788.000.55%
November 202422,743£24,044.28-11.20%
December 202419,079£23,890.92-16.11%
January 202529,405£23,958.7354.12%
February 202528,707£23,868.08-2.37%
March 202532,262£24,395.8812.38%
MonthVolume Used PetrolAverage Last Listed Price% Change
May 2023141,572£16,553.00na
June 2023139,485£16,630.49-1.47%
July 2023138,782£16,165.15-0.50%
August 2023151,585£16,151.959.23%
September 2023147,573£16,119.18-2.65%
October 2023148,002£15,979.520.29%
November 2023149,012£15,325.960.68%
December 2023121,787£15,569.31-18.27%
January 2024191,895£15,026.4257.57%
February 2024168,293£14,955.25-12.30%
March 2024181,844£14,892.508.05%
April 2024165,243£15,711.28-9.13%
May 2024175,897£15,173.646.45%
June 2024170,813£14,923.83-2.89%
July 2024179,603£14,647.915.15%
August 2024188,624£15,031.825.02%
September 2024185,029£14,899.61-1.91%
October 2024190,194£14,943.262.79%
November 2024156,991£15,355.96-17.46%
December 2024130,858£15,414.05-16.65%
January 2025196,192£15,421.8449.93%
February 2025189,663£15,295.99-3.33%
March 2025204,884£15,622.208.03%
MonthVolume Used DieselAverage Last Listed Price% Change
May 2023102,323£17,240.91na
June 2023101,012£17,316.30-1.28%
July 202397,884£17,102.90-3.10%
August 2023101,105£16,925.923.29%
September 202398,376£16,673.23-2.70%
October 202399,542£16,419.561.19%
November 2023100,906£15,851.201.37%
December 202379,608£16,044.97-21.11%
January 2024113,791£15,466.1142.94%
February 2024103,142£15,484.71-9.36%
March 2024112,801£15,293.599.36%
April 202499,272£15,964.56-11.99%
May 2024108,979£15,116.209.78%
June 2024105,002£14,858.16-3.65%
July 2024109,575£14,544.004.36%
August 2024109,987£14,713.300.38%
September 2024111,157£14,732.931.06%
October 2024115,443£14,754.013.86%
November 202493,772£15,062.52-18.77%
December 202478,349£14,992.30-16.45%
January 2025112,904£15,131.2344.10%
February 2025109,814£14,838.63-2.74%
March 2025118,558£15,249.707.96%