6:49 am, May 11, 2026
The used car market strengthened in April with prices rising 1.8% month on month – the fastest monthly increase since November 2021.
That’s according to data from Autotrader’s AI-powered Retail Price Index, which discovered that while used car prices normally rise post-March, April’s uplift outpaced seasonal norms.
Taking a view across the year, however, prices remained flat at 0.0%. Autotrader said the data pointed to ‘shifting demand patterns’ that included growing interest in EVs and older vehicles.
Autotrader recorded 83.8m cross-platform visits in April (up 1.3% year-on-year), with transactions increasing 3% over the same period.
Demand is translating into fast stock turn, said the firm, with used cars currently selling in 27 days on average — unchanged year-on-year.
Used EV prices rose 3% MoM (£23,555) while demand on Autotrader surged 59% YoY, up from 38% in March, marking the highest rate of demand growth in over a year.
Meanwhile, interest in petrol (£14,988) and diesel (£14,597) vehicles softened -6.5% and -18.1% respectively.
This growing demand is converting into faster sales, with EVs selling in 28 days on average (down from 31 days in April 2025) and now accounting for more than one in ten used car transactions.
For the first time, EV supply fell in April, as strong demand saw stock sell faster than it entered the market, particularly among 3–5-year-old models, which are selling in just 25 days on average, making them the fastest-selling segment of the market.
Used cars aged between 10 and 15 years old saw like-for-like pricing rise 8.4% YoY and 2.1% MoM in April — significantly outperforming the wider market – whilst maintaining strong stock turn at 27 days.
Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: ‘April’s data highlights the underlying resilience of the used car market.
‘While wider economic conditions are clearly impacting consumer sentiment about the broader economy, car ownership remains essential for most households, which remain confident in their ability to afford their next car – continuing to support very stable levels of buying demand.
‘Encouragingly, this is translating into stable pricing, steady transaction growth, and a fast-moving market.
‘However, stable pricing shouldn’t mean static strategy – different parts of the market are moving at pace, with demand evolving in different ways across segments.
‘For retailers, the opportunity lies in aligning stock with where demand is evolving — particularly as interest in EVs accelerates, while older, traditionally fuelled cars continue to deliver strong demand, faster stock turn and price growth.
‘Retailers who price accurately and source stock with confidence will be best placed to convert this sustained consumer appetite into profitable sales.’
Top 10 used car price growth – April 2026 vs April 2025
1. Audi RS6 Avant – £66,640 | +18.1% YoY | +1.2% MoM
2. Alfa Romeo Giulia – £27,002 | +17.8% YoY | +0.3% MoM
3. Mercedes-Benz SL – £28,409 | +15.3% YoY | +1.8% MoM
4. Toyota Avensis – £5,218 | +14.9% YoY | +0.4% MoM
5. BMW Z4 – £18,879 | +14.0% YoY | +3.3% MoM
6. Range Rover – £52,997 | +11.9% YoY | +0.4% MoM
7. Land Rover Discovery 4 – £14,129 | +11.6% YoY | -0.5% MoM
8. Jaguar F-Type – £37,572 | +11.4% YoY | +0.7% MoM
9. Bentley Continental – £60,404 | +11.3% YoY | +0.6% MoM
10. Audi A3 Cabriolet – £8,641 | +10.4% YoY | +3.0% MoM
Top 10 used car price contraction – April 2026 vs April 2025
10. Volkswagen ID.5 – £23,037 | -14.9% YoY | +0.1% MoM
9. Mazda MX-30 – £13,924 | -14.3% YoY | +0.4% MoM
8. Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer – £11,618 | -13.3% YoY | -1.7% MoM
7. Vauxhall Mokka X – £7,878 | -12.9% YoY | -1.7% MoM
6. Vauxhall Grandland – £18,129 | -12.7% YoY | +0.3% MoM
5. Vauxhall Grandland X – £9,844 | -11.4% YoY | -1.5% MoM
4. Mercedes-Benz EQC – £25,365 | -11.2% YoY | +0.7% MoM
3. Cupra Born – £18,141 | -11.0% YoY | +1.5% MoM
2. Polestar 2 – £22,438 | -10.8% YoY | +1.3% MoM
1. Renault Arkana – £15,530 | -10.7% YoY | -0.2% MoM
