8:15 am, March 12, 2025
Online sourcing platform Dealer Auction has revealed that the Mini Hatch gave dealers the highest profit potential in the sub-£10,000 retail bracket in February 2025.
The latest edition of its Retail Margin Monitor showed the premium supermini offered dealers an average return of £2,050, followed by the Ford Kuga (£2,025) and BMW 1 Series (£1,975). The Nissan Qashqai was the fastest seller, retailing in 28 days on average with an average margin of £1,750.
It was a competitive top 10 overall, with just £50 separating the last five positions. There was also plenty of variety compared to January 2025; only four vehicles retained their spot in the chart. Most notably, the previous month’s top profit-maker, the Mazda CX-5, dropped out.
Dealer Auction’s marketplace director, Kieran TeeBoon, commented: ‘While February 2025 looks like a major shake-up, it could in fact be a return to the “norm”. When we look more closely, the latest data actually bears more resemblance to the 2024 annual round-up. Could January 2025 have been the anomaly? Time will tell!’
It was a similar trend for data for models retailing above £10,000, which also bore major similarities to the 2024 round-up.
While January 2025 saw Land Rover models failing to make the top two spots for the first time since 2023, order was restored in February. The Discovery Sport topped the chart with an average retail margin of £3,850, followed by the Range Rover Evoque at £3,375.
Interestingly, the Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage appeared in both the under- and over-£10,000 categories, highlighting their widespread appeal.
TeeBoon commented: ‘This overlap emphasises the Kuga and Sportage’s strong demand across different buyer segments, budgets and preferences. This versatility is a real advantage for dealers – whether it’s an affordable older model or a more recent higher-spec version, they continue to attract steady interest and turn over well.’
While the tables shuffled substantially in the model stakes, brand-wise February was much more consistent.
In the top 10 makes under £10,000, 90% of the same brands stayed in the chart from January, the only change being Mazda, which dropped out of the brand chart, allowing Volvo to enter.
BMW continued to rule the roost at the top of the chart; its average profit of £2,100 was followed by Mini (£1,975) and Audi (£1,925).
In the top 10 brands with models above £10,000, Land Rover came top with an average retail margin of £4,200, followed by BMW (£3,350) and Volvo (£3,300).
TeeBoon concluded: ‘The UK’s used car market is resilient, boasting six consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth. But with so many different forces at play, it’s no time to be complacent. By using all the data available and the tangible evidence of the most profitable makes and models, dealers can truly set themselves apart.’
Top 10 Models by Retail Margin (For models retailing at <£10,000)
1. Mini Hatch
- Average Retail Margin: £2,050
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 34
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 76
2. Ford Kuga
- Average Retail Margin: £2,025
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 33
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 84
3. BMW 1 Series
- Average Retail Margin: £1,975
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 31
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 81
4. Peugeot 2008
- Average Retail Margin: £1,925
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 32
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 84
5. Ford Mondeo
- Average Retail Margin: £1,875
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 32
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 77
6. Kia Sportage
- Average Retail Margin: £1,825
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 33
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 81
7. Honda CR-V
- Average Retail Margin: £1,775
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 34
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 77
8. Vauxhall Insignia
- Average Retail Margin: £1,770
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 31
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 79
9. Nissan Qashqai
- Average Retail Margin: £1,750
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 28
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 89
10. Renault Captur
- Average Retail Margin: £1,725
- Average Auto Trader Days to Sell: 37
- Average Auto Trader Retail Rating: 70
Top 10 Makes by Retail Margin (For models retailing at less than £10,000)
1. BMW – £2,100
2. Mini – £1,975
3. Audi – £1,925
4= Volkswagen (Tie) – £1,725
4= Volvo (Tie) – £1,725
6. Nissan – £1,675
7. Toyota – £1,665
8. Renault – £1,660
9. Skoda – £1,655
10. Citroen – £1,650
