Buyers of Cars Over 10 Years Old Now Pay £751 More, Cazoo Data Shows

• The average advertised price of a used car aged over 10 years rose 10.8 percent in a year to £7,704, which is about £751 more than a year earlier (our calculation), according to Cazoo’s Market View for September 2026.
• Cars aged 5 to 10 years rose 3.6 percent to £13,554, while cars under two years old fell 1.3 percent to £29,129 and the overall average slipped 0.9 percent to £17,484.
• Independent dealers saw the sharpest rise by seller type, up 9.9 percent in a year to £14,186, against £22,707 at franchised dealers and £16,833 at car supermarkets.

The used car market has split in two. Cazoo’s Market View for September 2026, published on 1 October 2026, shows the average advertised price of a used car in the UK at £17,484. That is up 0.4 percent on August but down 0.9 percent on a year earlier, when the figure was £17,650. On the surface, used cars are slightly cheaper than they were last autumn.

Look at the age bands and the story changes. Cars over 10 years old are 10.8 percent dearer than a year ago, while the newest cars are cheaper. For a buyer on a tight budget, the older end of the market is where prices are climbing fastest.

The Cheapest Cars Are Rising Fastest

Cazoo’s Market View tracks advertised prices and stock across the UK used car market. For September 2026, it reports these average prices by age, with the change on a year earlier:

• Under two years old: £29,129, down 1.3 percent
• Five to 10 years old: £13,554, up 3.6 percent
• Over 10 years old: £7,704, up 10.8 percent

Working back from those percentages gives a sense of what the changes mean in pounds. These figures are our calculation, not numbers Cazoo published. A car over 10 years old cost about £6,953 a year ago, so the buyer now pays about £751 more. A car aged 5 to 10 years cost about £13,082, which makes the rise about £472. A car under two years old cost about £29,513 a year ago, so it is about £384 cheaper.

The overall average sits between those extremes. The £166 fall from £17,650 to £17,484 is the net of cheaper nearly new cars and dearer older ones. A buyer who only watches the headline figure would miss that, and a buyer shopping for a car over 10 years old would be working from the wrong number.

Cazoo’s chief marketing officer, Lucy Tugby, said dealer stock levels rose month on month and year on year across all three car retailing sectors in September, yet buyer demand for older, more affordable cars helped dealers maintain competitive pricing.

Independent Dealers Raised Prices Most

The same report splits prices by type of seller. In September 2026, the average advertised prices were:

• Franchised dealers: £22,707, up 0.9 percent on the month
• Car supermarkets: £16,833, up 0.6 percent on the month
• Independent dealers: £14,186, down 0.1 percent on the month but up 9.9 percent on a year earlier

Independents carry the older, cheaper stock, so their jump of 9.9 percent matches the 10.8 percent rise in cars over 10 years old. Working back, the average independent price was about £12,908 a year ago, so the rise is about £1,278 (our calculation).

Stock levels are not the cause of the squeeze. Cazoo reports an average of 59 vehicles per dealer in September, up from 58 in August and 56 in September 2025. Car supermarkets held 221 vehicles each on average, franchised dealers 63 and independents 44. Independent dealers have the smallest stock by a wide margin, which gives a buyer fewer cars to compare at a single forecourt.

What Is Changing in the Mix

Cazoo’s figures also show a slow shift in what people look at. Electric vehicle listings on its platform rose 17.6 percent in a year and 2 percent in the month. Electric cars took 4.3 percent of ad views in September 2026, up from 2.4 percent a year earlier. Hybrid ad views reached 7.5 percent, up from 5.8 percent, and hybrid stock rose 2.7 percent in a year.

Petrol still dominates at 51 percent of listings, down from 52.8 percent, with diesel at 29.9 percent, down from 30.8 percent. Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Vauxhall were the most viewed brands, and the Volkswagen Golf was the most searched model.

The report does not say why older cars are rising faster than new ones, and this article does not guess. What the data shows is that demand for older, cheaper cars is holding dealer prices up even as stock grows.

Can You Avoid Paying More for an Older Used Car?

You cannot change the market, but you can change how you buy within it. These steps cut the risk of overpaying for a car that is already getting dearer.

Widen the age range. Cars aged 5 to 10 years rose 3.6 percent against 10.8 percent for cars over 10 years old. A car just under the 10-year line costs more in pounds but has risen less in price, so compare a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old of the same model before you settle.

Compare at least three similar listings. Advertised prices are asking prices. Look at the same model, age, mileage and fuel type across dealers and private sellers. If one car is priced £500 or more above the others with no clear reason, ask why before you make an offer.

Use the free MOT history check on GOV.UK. Enter the registration number and you can see every MOT pass and failure, the recorded mileage at each test, and any advisories. A big gap in mileage or repeated advisories for the same fault are warning signs on an older car.

Run a vehicle history check before paying a deposit. It shows whether the car has outstanding finance, has been written off or is recorded as stolen. A car with outstanding finance can be taken back by the lender after you have paid the seller in full.

Know your rights when buying from a dealer. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. You have a short-term right to reject a faulty car within 30 days. In the first six months, a fault is presumed to have been there at the point of sale unless the dealer can show otherwise. Private sales carry far fewer protections, so the stakes are higher if you buy from an individual.

Negotiate. With stock per dealer up on last year, dealers have cars to move. Ask about the price, then ask what is included: a fresh MOT, a service, a warranty period, or new tyres. Independents have the biggest price rises in the data, so a polite request for a discount costs nothing.

Budget for repairs. A car over 10 years old will cost more to keep running than a newer one. Set aside money for wear items such as brakes, tyres and a battery, and have an independent garage or breakdown organisation inspect the car before you buy.

Finally, check the age band you are really shopping in. If you had planned to spend £7,000 on a car over 10 years old, the data suggests that budget now buys less than it did last September. Either raise the budget, accept more miles, or look at a slightly younger car where prices have risen less.

Cazoo’s next Market View will show whether the older-car rise continues into October. For now, the September data shows that the cheapest cars on sale are getting dearer while the newest are getting cheaper.

Sources

• Cazoo, Market View, September 2026 (published 1 October 2026), as reported by Car Dealer Magazine, 1 October 2026, and Motor Trade News, October 2026. Includes the quote from Lucy Tugby, chief marketing officer at Cazoo.
• UK Government, Consumer Rights Act 2015, rights when buying goods from a trader, gov.uk.