UK Used Car Prices in 2026: Where the Market Is Heading and How to Read It

The UK used-car market in 2026: what the published data supports

The SMMT counted 7,807,872 used-car transactions in 2025, up 2.2% on 2024 and the third year of growth in a row (SMMT, published 10 February 2026). This post does not quote a UK average used-car price, because we have no figure we can source for the whole market. For what cars listed on autoza.co.uk are asking, see our monthly asking-price report: one marketplace's asking prices, not sale prices and not a UK price index.

That's the headline. The reality, as ever, is segmented. This post sticks to what the published data supports, and points to the official sources for anything it does not.

Segment by segment

Compact SUVs: the holdouts

Compact SUVs are widely seen as the most resilient corner of the used market, because buyers trading up from hatchbacks keep demand for them firm. We do not quote a segment price or a fall here, because we cannot source one: check the live adverts for the model and year you want rather than a segment average.

Family hatchbacks: where the value lives

Family hatchbacks are where many used-car buyers on a budget find value: supply is plentiful and the choice of year, engine and mileage is wide. Compare live adverts for the same year and mileage rather than a segment average. If you can live without the higher driving position, a family hatchback is worth a look.

Used EVs: check the figure before you trust the story

Used-EV prices have moved a lot since 2023, but this post no longer quotes a segment percentage, because we cannot source one. Our used electric cars guide sets out what the published data shows, and the ONS series for second-hand cars (D7IL) is the official measure of used-car price inflation across the whole market. For a particular car, compare live adverts for the same year and mileage.

Premium German saloons

The BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class are widely regarded as the firmest segment, because demand for used premium saloons stays strong. We do not quote a price for them here: compare live adverts for the same year, mileage and specification.

Vans and pick-ups

Vans and pick-ups follow their own cycle, because the buyers are tradespeople and fleets rather than families. We do not quote van prices here: compare live adverts, and remember that van prices are usually quoted ex-VAT.

What each budget actually buys

This section used to carry an indicative price-by-age table that was not derived from any measured source. It has been replaced by figures we can stand behind: what your budget actually buys publishes the median age, mileage and asking price in each price band, computed from live UK dealer stock and refreshed as that stock turns over. The headline finding is that money buys years faster than it buys miles, and that an automatic costs roughly two years of age at the same budget until about £10,000.

Regional variations: what the ULEZ changes

London's ULEZ charges £12.50 a day to drive a non-compliant car inside it, so a pre-2015 diesel is worth less to a buyer who lives or works there than to one who does not. That is a reason to check a car's compliance before paying a London price for it, not a measured regional discount.

Regional price claims are worth treating carefully, including ours. We looked at whether our own live stock could support a regional comparison and concluded it could not: in several UK cities the listings come from so few sellers that a regional median describes one dealer's pricing policy rather than a market. We have no regional used-car price index we can cite instead, so this section previously carried percentages that were not sourceable, and they have been removed rather than restated.

EV versus petrol: compare the individual cars

We do not quote a used-EV-to-petrol price gap in this post, because we cannot source one. What can be checked for a given pair of cars: the live adverts for the same year and mileage, the running costs on our EV versus petrol calculator (which uses the Ofgem cap and the DESNZ pump price), and the ONS second-hand-car price index.

Where to check the current figures yourself

This post previously forecast the second half of 2026, which has now happened, and attributed a used-volume forecast to the SMMT. The SMMT publishes used-car transaction data quarterly but does not forecast used volumes, so that attribution has been removed. For the live position, two primary sources are worth more than any summary: the ONS publishes CPI annual rate 07.1.1B: second-hand cars (series D7IL), which is the official measure of used-car price inflation, and the SMMT publishes actual quarterly used-car transactions. Both update on a schedule and neither requires a subscription. Auto Trader also publishes a monthly Retail Price Index, which it describes as tracking the average asking prices of used vehicles advertised on its platform: asking prices on one marketplace, as ours are.

Negotiation timing and tactics in 2026

We have no source we can cite for the best month to negotiate on a used car, so we do not name one. What does help is comparing similar adverts, how long a car has been listed, and being ready to buy. Cars that have sat unsold are often more negotiable, though on our own stock the typical listing is only days old rather than months, so a long-listed car is the exception rather than something to count on finding. Always pull a full MOT history at gov.uk/check-mot-history and a paid HPI Check before you make an offer.

For a deeper inspection routine, read our UK used-car buying checklist. To spot the most common 2026 forecourt scam, see how to spot a clocked car. And to value your trade-in before you walk on, try our valuation tool.

Browse the UK market

Find dealer stock in the major cities at London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and Bristol, or start a national search at /cars.

Key takeaways

• We do not quote a UK average used-car price; our monthly asking-price report shows what cars listed on autoza.co.uk are asking
• The SMMT counted 7,807,872 used-car transactions in 2025, up 2.2% on 2024
• Check the figure for the individual car: we do not quote a segment average for used EVs
• Premium saloons are widely regarded as the firmest segment
• The ULEZ makes a non-compliant older diesel worth less to a London buyer