The fastest - and slowest - selling used cars revealed by Glass’s

The Mitsubishi Mirage and Ford Focus: the slowest- and fastest-selling used cars revealed by Glass's

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

28 August 2014 12:17

The best and worst secondhand cars have been revealed in a survey revealing which models sell quickly and which hang around like a bad smell.

The list, compiled by used-car pricing gurus at Glass’s, claims that the Ford Focus is Britain’s fastest-selling secondhand car. On average, it takes just 24.9 days to sell a Focus on the used market in Britain.

But be warned if you own a Mitsubishi Mirage. It takes an average of 81.7 - or nearly three months - to sell, according to Glass’s. On the flip side, this means bargains should be available should you fancy picking up one of these from a desperate seller.

Tellingly, most of the cars in Glass’s quickest-selling list are mainstream cars, showing Brits have an eye for a value motor.

Who’d have thought that Chevrolet, which is pulling out of Europe altogether, would prove popular on the used-car lot? The Orlando MPV is the second fastest selling model, taking an average of just 25.7 days to find a buyer.

Glass’s chief car editor Rupert Pontin said: ‘This car is super value for money and is in fairly short supply – a situation that will not get any better now that Chevrolet is withdrawing from the UK.’

Ford Focus 24.9 average days to sell
Chevrolet Orlando 25.7
Toyota Prius 26.7
Aston Martin Vantage 28.2
Land Rover Evoque 28.8
Vauxhall Zafira 31.3
Peugeot 308 31.5
Citroen Nemo 31.6
Fiat 500 33.1
Honda FR-V 33.2

Be worried if you own one of the cars at the bottom of the Glass’s list. Unusual and low-volume cars predominate, including the awkward Mini Paceman (71.8 days to sell, on average), Mercedes CL (73.9 days) and Subaru Forester (72.3 days).

But the Mitsubishi Mirage lurks in last place, taking an average of 81.7 days to find a buyer. 

‘We’re told it’s due to volume in the market as a result of “bodyshop car” deals and pre-registration activity,’ claimed Glass’s Pontin. ‘This is actually an attractive car, but in every other way it lags behind its rivals. The only way to move it will be to reduce the price and see what customers are prepared to pay.’

Audi A8 66.8 average days to sell
Skoda Rapid Fastback 66.9
Nissan Micra 69.0
Skoda Citigo 69.9
Mini Paceman 71.8
Subaru Forester 72.3
Renault Scenic 73.6
Mercedes CL 73.9
Subaru Outback 81.0
Mitsubishi Mirage 81.7

By Tim Pollard