12:08 pm, January 3, 2023
Auto Trader saw a huge Boxing Day bounce as consumers flocked back to its site searching for used cars.
Visits to the platform increased 12.4 per cent on Boxing Day 2021 in what the firm says points to ‘positive retail trends’.
Traditionally, Christmas Day sees a lull in traffic, but it rises rapidly on Boxing Day as consumers use their time off to search for new cars.
Auto Trader also launched a multi-million pound marketing campaign on the day to capitalise on the trend which saw 2.2m consumers visit its platform on December 27.
The news comes as the firm delved into its data for 2022 to reveal its fastest selling, most viewed and most advertised cars of the year.
It found the Ford Fiesta was the most advertised used car on its site with around 108,000 unique listings during the year.
‘On the day Ford announced the end of the iconic range in October, there was a seven per cent increase in people looking for one on the marketplace,’ said Auto Trader.
The fastest selling car was the Toyota Yaris Cross which took an average of just 16 days to sell. Five of the fastest selling cars were electric.
Fastest Selling Used Cars in 2022
Source: Auto Trader 2022 searches
- Toyota Yaris Cross – 16 days
- Kia EV6 – 18.5 days
- Hyundai Ioniq5 – 20.5 days
- Peugeot 206 SW – 21 days
- BMW i4 – 22 days
- Mercedes EQA – 24 days
- Peugeot 206 – 24 days
- Ford Transit Custom – 24 days
- Seat Toledo – 24 days
- Vauxhall Grandland X – 25 days
EV search volumes rose 29 per cent on 2021 with petrol still dominating, taking a 54 per cent share of all clicks.
The most viewed advert of the year was a Bugatti Veyron priced at £1.7m – it received 289,000 views.
While in second place was a Ford Ka, priced at just £2,000, which had 260,000 views. The reason? It was covered in fur and made to look like a cat…
Most Viewed Adverts 2022
Source: Auto Trader 2022 searches
- Bugatti Veyron (£1.7m) – 289k views
- Ford Ka (£2k) – 260k views
- Porsche Cayenne (£2.5k) – 245k views
- Nissan Skyline GTR (£189k) – 206k views
- Bugatti Chiron (£2.5m) – 179k views
- Ferrari 348 (£54k) – 152k views
- Pagani Huayra (£2.6m) – 149k views
- Vauxhall Astra (£800) – 144k views
- Bugatti Chiron (£2.3m) – 141k views
- Lamborghini Reventon (£1.4m) – 127k views
The most unusual car for sale was a black 1995 Cadillac Seville, said Auto Trader.
The Japanese import has been converted into a Buddhist hearse complete with an ornate gold and silver structure.
‘On sale for £8,000, it’s been four months now, and despite over 42,000 advert views, and national media coverage, it remains unsold,’ said Auto Trader.
Record high used car prices
Auto Trader said the average price of a used car was at record highs in 2022 – at £17,548. This compares to £15,204 in 2021, £13,538 in 2020, and £12,999 in 2019.
Speaking about the bounce in traffic seen after Christmas, chief operating officer Catherine Faiers said it points to positive trends as we enter the new year.
‘It’s very positive to see such an immediate response in consumer engagement following the launch of our marketing campaign,’ she said.
‘Reassuringly, what we’re seeing on our marketplace reflects the broader retail trend, with the latest retail figures indicating high-street footfall on Boxing Day was up 40 per cent on last year.
‘Given the tricky economic climate this year, this performance marks a solid close to the year and should give the market some confidence as we enter 2023.’
Auto Trader also revealed it now attracts some 68m visitors a month to its platforms including its website and mobile apps.
Some 4.2m used cars were advertised on the platform in 2022 and an incredible 72 cars were viewed every second.
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