Friday, 29 August 2014
Ford Focus tops the chart
Open-topped motoring has continued to attract customers, according to Glass’s league of fastest selling used cars, although interestingly the three convertibles in the top 10 are mid-sized cars rather than roadsters
Top of the list, and spending an average of just 24.9 days on the forecourt, is the Ford Focus convertible. A conspicuous absence of larger premium-badged models among the fastest sellers reinforces the view that value for money is a key driver for most buyers.
Glass’s league of fastest selling used cars – best performing
Manufacturer Model Average selling time (days)
Ford Focus 24.9
Chevrolet Orlando 25.7
Toyota Prius 26.7
Aston Martin Vantage 28.2
Land Rover Evoque 28.8
Vauxhall Zafira 31.3
Peugeot 308 31.5
Citroen Nemo 31.6
Fiat 500 33.1
Honda FR-V 33.2
Second place is held by the Chevrolet Orlando, which leads the way for the family sector. Glass’s Chief Car Editor Rupert Pontin commented, ‘This car is super value for money and is in fairly short supply – a situation that will not get any better now that Chevrolet is withdrawing from the UK.’
Along with the convertibles, the mix of family-orientated cars with niche appeal in the top 10 seems to suggest that buyers are looking for variety. Particularly surprising to Rupert is the Toyota Prius in third spot. ‘It’s a very competent car, and seeing it ranked so highly may hint at growing acceptance of hybrid technology. This is good news for the environment, if it truly heralds a greater understanding.’
Of the Range Rover Evoque, in fourth position, he said, ‘These are highly desirable and in short supply, so buyers are falling over themselves to get hold of one. Even if they can find one for sale, trade buyers have to pay a fortune for it. As a result, late-plate examples are retailing at close to their cost new – or for even more in the case of some colours and specs.’
At the bottom of the pile, taking 81.7 days on average to sell, is the Mitsubishi Mirage. Rupert Pontin explained, ‘We’re told it’s due to volume in the market as a result of ‘bodyshop car’ deals and pre-registration activity. This is actually an attractive car, but in every other way it lags behind its rivals. The only way to move it will be to reduce the price and see what customers are prepared to pay.’
Another city car, the Skoda Citigo, has dropped into the slowest 10, while the Seat Mii previously occupying second-last place has escaped. Rupert hopes the problem is simply due to a blip in volume, as these cars are generally in demand. A second Skoda model, the Rapid Spaceback, also appears in the slowest 10 – despite its positive public and trade reception. It is likely that good deals on new cars are taking customers away from high-priced, late-plate, low-mileage used examples. For Subaru, with both its Outback and Forester in the lower reaches, relatively high running costs and a lack of empathy with the brand could be factors.
Glass’s league of fastest selling used cars – worst performing
Manufacturer Model Average selling time (days)
Audi A8 66.8
Skoda Rapid Fastback 66.9
Nissan Micra 69.0
Skoda Citigo 69.9
MINI Mini Paceman 71.8
Subaru Forester 72.3
Renault Scenic 73.6
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class 73.9
Subaru Outback 81.0
Mitsubishi Mirage 81.7
Most remarkably, as far as Rupert Pontin is concerned, Audi has a car in the slowest 10 sellers for this month! ‘This is a rarity indeed, and it’s likely to be a short-term appearance for a brand that usually dominates the top end of the table. Volume of product, due to aggressive contract hire deals three and four years ago, is the issue here. Perhaps a valuable lesson will be learnt – although I’m not so sure!’