The UK used car market has reached its highest level in over five years, totaling 7,807,872 transactions in 2025. 

This represents a 2.15% increase from the 7.64 million sales in 2024, signaling a massive “Second-Hand Bull Market” despite wider economic uncertainty.

The graphics above shows the total number of Used car transactions in the U.K. since 2020. It’s according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).

TL;DR

• U.K. used car sales have been slowly rising. Also, Britain is now a “Secondary First” nation as most drivers choose pre-owned vehicles over new ones.
• Ford has closed production but is still the favorite of British drivers.
• Electric vehicles are part of the fastest-selling cars but are not part of top 10 models. 

4-to-1 Gap For New Car Market in the U.K

The data above reveals that used car sales in the U.K. have been gradually rising, getting to almost 7.8 million units in 2025. 

In comparison, new car registrations hover under 2 million per year, meaning the used car market is now about four times larger than the new car market.

This trend indicates how Britain has become a “Secondary First” nation. 

The Ghost of Ford

The table below shows the top 10 used car models by the transaction volume in year-to-date.

As you can see, th Ford Fiesta continues to dominate the U.K. used car market, with 303,090 sales till 2025. 

What makes this outstanding is that Ford officially ended production of the Fiesta in 2023, yet it remains the vehicle of choice for British drivers seeking a compact, reliable, and affordable car. 

This trend is striking with nearly one Fiesta changing hands every 104 seconds, the car is effectively being recycled in the country. 

That speaks to the longevity and cultural status of the Fiesta.

Diesel is Disappearing

While petrol models still make up over half of all used car sales, diesel’s share is declining. 

Diesel transactions have fallen in recent quarters, about a 3.1% drop in early 2025. Petrol is currently the best-selling fuel type as it rises by 2.1%, while diesel experienced a 3.1% decline.

This trend indicates a quiet “Great Purge” of diesel engines from British driveways as buyers increasingly shift toward petrol, hybrids, and electrified vehicles.

It shows a change in preferences alongside environmental concerns, tighter emissions policies, and the growing availability of alternative fuel options.

High-Volume, Low-Interest

The Electric Vehicles (EVs) are among the fastest-selling cars by days-on-market, often moving in around 30 days. 

Despite this, they still do not appear in the Top 10 models by total transactions. 

This simply means that EVs sell quickly when listed, but the number of deals remains very small compared with petrol models.

Meanwhile, the so-called “boring” internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles continue to top sheer volume, filling almost every space in the Top 10 rankings. 

This indicates that while EV interest is improving in speed and visibility, traditional petrol and diesel cars still rule the market in high sales numbers. 

It’s basically driven by affordability, more availability, and good infrastructure.

ELI5 

More people in the U.K. are going for second-hand cars instead of brand-new ones, and this trend keeps growing each year. In 2025, a total of 7.8 million used car transactions happened. 

An interesting fact is that the Ford Fiesta is still one of the country’s favorites, showing how much drivers trust familiar and reliable models. 

At the same time, electric cars are selling quickly whenever they get to the market, but there still aren’t enough of them to rank among the top 10 most traded cars.

Source: 

SMMT | Bodyshopmagazine