Used Estates Coming Back Into Fashion

Estate cars knocked SUVs off the top seller’s list last month as space and value became a priority among buyers in the used car sector and the chances of a dealer selling one were especially strong if it was a Ford.

A 2012 petrol/manual Focus estate was the fastest selling used car last month, taking just 18 days on average from being advertised on a dealer’s website to finding a buyer with a typical transaction price of around £8,100.

Proving there has been a shift in demand another estate, this time the bigger Skoda Superb – a 2017 diesel model – was not far behind and taking just 21 days to sell. In fact, analysis by Auto Trader found that more than a fifth, 21%, of all searches, were for the estate body type, overtaking SUVs and hatchbacks which each accounted for 17%.

Trade watchers believe that estates could be making something of a comeback among family buyers on the grounds that they are often more spacious than an SUV, many have a better ride and because they have been seen as functional rather than fashionable over the past several years this is reflected in their prices which can offer better value for money.

Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s Director of Commercial Products, said:

 

“It’s easy to overlook estates in the wake of the surging popularity of SUVs over the last few years, but it shouldn’t come as any surprise to see them take the top spot; they’ve come a long way from the uninspiring models that prioritised functionality over style. Many of today’s estates offer elegant styling, excellent efficiency, and plenty of practicality that can often outperform an equivalent SUV in the real world.”

Functionality over style

Ford was once again the dominant manufacturer and its cars were the best sellers in many regions with the Fiesta, Focus, Kuga and EcoSport taking top spot in several areas.

Internal combustion engines remain by far and away, the most popular type of power unit but it is telling that searches for pure electric cars, not just plug-in hybrids, jumped by 14% during May from the previous month.

May’s top ten fastest selling cars were:

• 2012 Ford Focus estate (petrol/manual)
• 2017 Skoda Superb estate (diesel/manual)
• 2016 Vauxhall Astra hatchback (petrol/automatic)
• 2016 Volkswagen Sharan MPV (diesel/manual)
• 2016 Kia Sorento SUV (diesel/manual)
• 2016 Ford Kuga SUV (petrol/manual)
• 2012 Ford Focus hatchback (petrol/automatic)
• 2016 Smart forfour hatchback (petrol/automatic)
• 2017 Seat Ateca SUV (petrol/manual)
• 2016 Vauxhall Zafira MPV (diesel/automatic)

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