Used car market picks up as Tesla leads the charge

The Tesla Model 3 was the most searched-for used electric car in February, according to online used car marketplace heycar’s latest Retail Insights Report.

Its monthly analysis saw the smallest Tesla model rank ahead of the Audi Q4 and Audi e-tron during February 2025, with interest in second-hand Model 3s picking up pace following a traditionally slow January.

The report also showed that the average number of days in stock for used cars dropped from 43.4 days to 34.4 days, with Tesla being one of the fastest-selling brands at 25.3 days, behind only Volvo at 22.6 days.

Dermot Kelleher, Chief Marketing Officer for heycar, said: “Things may well change in the coming months, but demand among used EV buyers for Tesla was strong in February, with the brand experiencing one of the lowest days in stock.

“We’ve recently seen a lot more used Tesla models coming onto the market – a trend we expect to continue as leasing contracts come to an end – and this means wider availability of the cars at more accessible price points.

Demand for SUVs shows no sign of abating, either, as the bodystyle remains the most popular among Britain’s used car buyers – nine of the top 15 cars searched for on heycar in January 2025 were SUVs, with the Nissan Qashqai and Audi Q3 the two most searched-for cars in the UK, ahead of the Audi A1.

“Buyers continue to favour models that offer a strong all-round value package,” added Kelleher. “While there is a strong bias towards premium brands and image, it’s in the context of family practicality and size, price and equipment. The Qashqai continues to be the go-to model for ticking all of those boxes and maintains top spot as heycar’s most popular car.”

Interest in EVs increased during February, and although luxury brands such as Tesla, Audi and Mercedes-Benz attracted the most interest, the Hyundai Kona Electric, MG ZS EV, MG4 and Nissan LEAF also generated significant interest, demonstrating that price sensitivity plays a key role in generating interest, particularly among first-time EV buyers.