Britain’s fastest-selling used cars in 2024 revealed.. with one model taking just 16 days to sell and EV numbers soaring

BRITAIN’S fastest-selling used cars in 2024 have been revealed, with one Mercedes model often snapped up after just 16 days on dealership forecourts.

Newly released data from Auto Trader found that both Mercedes and MG are big sellers on the second-hand car market, while EV sales are beginning to soar.

Blue Mercedes-Benz GLB driving on a coastal road.
The Mercedes-Benz GLB class was the fastest selling used car in 2024
Blue Mercedes-Benz GLB parked by the sea.
It represents one of eight SUVs that made it into the top 10
A dark-blue Peugeot 3008 driving on a road.
The hugely popular Peugeot 3008 was also near the top of the list
Orange Dacia Duster parked on a gravel road.
The Dacia Duster, pictured here in its second-generation form, has also proven to be a hot favourite among Brit drivers

Top of the list was the Mercedes-Benz GLB Class, which took an average of just 16 days to sell last year.

The German marque also secured the second-place spot with its A-Class SUV, which takes 16 days and 12 hours on average to be sold.

Indeed, SUVs make up eight of the 10 fastest-selling vehicles, while the other two are hatchbacks.

EVs are also the overwhelming favourite model type, taking a median of just 29 days to sell, compared to 30 and 31 days for petrol and diesel vehicles, respectively.

Vehicles aged between three and five years old were sold at an even greater pace, with EVs flying off forecourts in just 23 days.

The data also found that Mercedes models sold almost two weeks faster than the average used car at 30 days.

Other popular models to make the list include the Peugeot 3008 and the Dacia Duster, while MG, like Mercedes, has two models inside the top 10.

[boxout headline=”Fastest-selling used cars of 2024″]
  1. Mercedes-Benz GLB Class – 16 days
  2. Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 16.5 days
  3. Peugeot 3008 – 18 days
  4. Ford Kuga – 18 days
  5. MG ZS – 18 days
  6. Vauxhall Grandland X – 18.5 days
  7. Dacia Duster – 18.5 days
  8. MG HS – 18.5 days
  9. Mazda MX-30 – 19 days
  10. Polestar 2 – 19.5 days
[/boxout]

Richard Walker, data and insight director at Auto Trader, said: “Despite general belt-tightening at the moment, car buyers were still happy to indulge in premium used cars last year.

“Not only did Mercedes-Benz top the list, but most of the hottest used cars in 2024 were pricier SUVs.

“We’ve entered January with real momentum, following a very positive market performance last year. Cars sold at a rapid pace, demand was very robust, and prices were stable.”

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At the other end of the spectrum, the slowest-selling car took almost eight times as long to sell as the fastest-selling model, with the wooden spoon award going to the Hyundai Ioniq 6, which took an average of 125 days to sell last year.

The luxury Lexus RX comes in second place, taking 114 days to be picked up by a buyer.

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In January so far, the slowest-selling car is the Honda CR-V, which takes 62 days to sell.

However, the used car market thrived in 2025, with second-hand motors selling at the fastest pace since records began in 2019.

[boxout headline=”Slowest-selling used cars of 2024″]
  1. Hyundai IONIQ 6 – 125 days
  2. Lexus RX – 114 days
  3. Citroen C5 X – 110.5 days
  4. Peugeot 408 – 110 days
  5. Bentley Continental – 100 days
  6. BMW i5 – 99 days
  7. BMW 5 Series – 96 days
  8. Lexus RX – 93 days
  9. Audi Q5 – 92 days
  10. Skoda Enyaq – 90 days
[/boxout]

This comes as Dacia recently revealed that their budget-friendly Sandero model was the best-selling car across Europe in 2024 – despite once being the subject of a famous running joke on Top Gear.

The little model can be picked up brand new for under £15,000 – which is “good news” for penny-pinching drivers in the UK.

According to recently revealed stats, Dacia sold 309,392 units of the Sandero, making it Europe’s best-selling vehicle across all channels, even outselling the Tesla Model Y – which remains the world’s best-seller.

It also makes it the best-selling vehicle in the European retail market since 2017.

The Sandero is perhaps best known for the fame it found during the height of Top Gear‘s popularity.

It was frequently mentioned during “the news” – a segment where presenters Clarkson, Hammond and May rounded up the latest events in the car industry.

Any word of the model being renewed was announced by May with a trademark cry of “good news“.

Likewise, the report that the debut version had been delayed in 2008 was met with a shout of “bad news”.

Indeed, the latter also gave rise to a viral moment as, in reaction to May’s despair, Clarkson quipped back: “Oh no… anyway.”

Close-up of a black Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric vehicle.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 has proven to be a hard sell on the second-hand car market
Blue Lexus RX 450H driving on a winding road.
The luxury Lexus RX is another that sells slowly – taking 114 days on average before it’s sold
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