For the first time in many years, the most searched for used car on the Internet isn’t a Volkswagen Golf. One way? Interestingly, it is not even BMW, nor Audi, nor Mercedes.
In Spain, there has always been a clear “aspirational component” to searches for used cars on the Internet. This is indicated by the latest study on the most sought-after vehicles on the Internet, published by the specialized portal AutoScout24, one of the leading buying and selling websites in our country.
And rightly so, because according to this same report, 7 brands out of 10 most searched second hand cars on this portal so far in 2023 premium German Such as Mercedes, Audi and BMW.
But the report also suggests that on the spot and “against all odds”, a major change has taken place. And is that compared to the general fact, study after study, Volkswagen Golf has always been the most sought after car in the buying and selling portals; Now they have been replaced by Toyota Land Cruiser.
Thus, the Japanese SUV has ousted the German compact, which comes second in this particular ranking; And whose podium closes the Mercedes C-Class.
Another issue highlighted by the Autoscout report is that, Four of these 10 vehicles belong to the SUV or off-road segment… Compared to the three sedan variants and the other three in the compact segment. Specifically, and in addition to the aforementioned Landcruiser, these SUVs are the Toyota RAV4, Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5.
The Used Cars We Want…and The Ones We Actually Buy
But one thing is also clear from the study of this buying and selling portal: The search for used cars does not correspond to the reality of buying these vehicles in Spainsince in our country The best selling second hand car is still the Volkswagen GolfThis was followed by other popular models such as the Renault Megane, Seat Ibiza or Ford Focus.
and the same goes for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids or, what’s the same, with electrified cars, According to AutoScout24, there has been a 10.6% increase in searches for this type of used car so far in 2023 as compared to the same period last year. Motive? AutoScout24 cites two: “fear of the entry into force of low emissions zones” in 149 Spanish municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants this whole year; And the uncertainty about the future of combustion vehicles, whose sale as new vehicles, we remember, will be banned in the European Union from 2035.
But This increase in the search for electrified cars does not mean that more of these cars are being bought on the second-hand market, Like new though. In this market, there is a growing trend of buying these vehicles, and many more; Not surprisingly, new car sales figures for the month of May show that this type of car was sold 59% more than 12 months earlier. Yes actually, In terms of total sales of new vehicles, the share of these cars has been reduced to just 11 per cent.
be that as it may, Sales of these electrified vintage cars haven’t started yet; something thatAccording to Autoscout24 spokesperson, Ignacio Garcia Rozzi, is due to “its high price” (…) and the ignorance and skepticism generated by this technology, still with little charging infrastructure and little autonomy”.
