Fastest-selling automobiles of 2024: Quickest takes lower than a fortnight

Selling your car can be an arduous task.

Writing an advert description, taking photos, dealing with phone calls from tyre kickers and making the time to allow for potential buyers to visit and test drive can take up plenty of your hours.

But not if you own one of the fastest selling motors, we can exclusively reveal.

The quickest-selling model in the first half of the year was a French hybrid crossover that – on average – is advertised for less than a fortnight before a buyer is found, according to the nation’s biggest used car marketplace, Auto Trader.

On the other hand, if you own a particular exotic model from Italy’s greatest supercar brand, expect it to be sat in your garage for almost half a year before an interested party takes it off your hands.

Auto Trader has exclusively provided us with the facts about the fastest and slowest-selling car models in the opening six months of 2024.

This is based on the 900,000-or-so vehicles advertised on its site on a daily basis.

By measuring how quickly each vehicle is removed from its platform after an ad was first set live, the company has worked out which are the 10 easiest to shift models. 

It reveals that the average sale time for a second-hand car across all age groups and fuel types between January and the end of June was 30 days. 

The fastest-selling age group is 3-to-5-year-old cars, at 29 days.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the motors that appear more difficult to shift are nearly new models – those under 12 months old. They are on sale for an average of 34 days.

As for fuel types, used petrols still fly off second-hand forecourts fastest in an average of 29 days. That said, there are plenty of diesels being snapped up in no time, according to the top 10 list of fastest-selling models below.

Plug-in hybrids are generally the fuel type that takes the longest to find buyers at 34 days.

As for vehicle segments, in-demand SUVs are sold on 29 days from being advertised, while convertibles take the longest at 41 days.

Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s data and insight director, said: ‘The used car market got off to a roaring start this year, and thanks to very robust levels of demand, it’s managed to sustain its momentum ever since. 

‘This is reflected in the additional 40 million visits to our platform over the first half of the year, and the fact used cars have been selling at a near record pace. 

‘We’ve seen some general trends over the period, but it’s at a more granular level the picture really becomes more telling, highlighting just how nuanced the market, and people’s tastes, are. 

‘Broadly, petrol cars have been selling the fastest, but a look under the bonnet reveals that used electric models aged 3-to-5-years old have been flying off forecourts the fastest. 

‘That’s because they’re now broadly at price parity with their petrol counterparts – clearly the sweet spot for many buyers eager to make the switch.’ 

Below is the list of 10 fastest-selling cars of 2024 so far. Scroll to the bottom to find out which models have taken the longest time to shift this year.

FASTEST-SELLING USED CARS OF 2024

10. Mercedes-Benz GLB – 16 days

If you’re in the market for a posh seven-seat SUV, then the Mercedes-Benz GLB should tick your boxes.

Auto Trader says year-old diesel models are very easy to sell, taking just 16 days on average in the opening six months of 2024.

9. Mazda MX-30 – 16 days

We, admittedly, are a little surprised to see the MX-30 make it into the top 10 fastest-selling cars of the first half of 2024. That’s because the electric SUV has a relatively limited range of just 165 miles.

However, used EV prices have dropped dramatically in recent years, meaning second-hand buyers are likely picking up bargains. And they’re snapping-up 3-to-5-year-old MX-30s in an average of 16 days.

8. Ford Ka – 16 days

 Here’s a blast from the past. Ford’s second-generation Ka model – launched in 2008 – had a very unique feature that set it apart from other city cars. It was sold with a diesel engine.

And it seems used buyers are trying to get their hands on the few available. Despite being 10 to 15 years old, Ka oil burners are listed for only 16 days before a buyer is found.

7. Mercedes-Benz GLB – 15 days

If you thought Mercedes’ luxury GLB SUV sold fast with a diesel engine under the bonnet, examples with the petrol-hybrid drivetrain sell even quicker.

Auto Trader says the greener version of the premium seven-seater takes only 15 days on average between adverts being placed and then taken down due to a buyer being found.  

6. Cupra Formentor – 15 days

Cupra – the sporty spin-off of Seat – has been selling the Formentor SUV for some years. And it seems Britons can’t get their hands on second-hand examples quickly enough.

Petrol-engined variants aged between 3 and 5 years were purchased, on average, 15 days after being advertised for sale in the first half of 2025, Auto Trader says. 

5. Seat Leon – 15 days

If you want a family-size hatchback with a green plug-in hybrid powertrain that’s cheaper than a VW Golf GTE, then the Leon PHEV is a very good option.

Examples 3 to 5 years old are being snapped up relatively fast in the opening six months of the year, with the average Leon purchased 15 days after it has been listed for sale.

4. Seat Tarraco – 14 days

Another seven-seat SUV that’s proving popular among used car buyers is Seat’s Tarraco diesel, which launched back in 2019.

Early examples of this oil-burning family model are being purchased – on average – a fortnight after they’ve been listed on Auto Trader.

3. Lexus UX – 14 days

Lexus, like parent company Toyota, have invested heavily in hybrid technology. It means its luxury models often come with greener powertrains.

The UX, its compact SUV, is proving popular among used car buyers in Britain this year, with examples of 5 years old being bought 14 days after they were advertised in the months of January to June.

2. Volkswagen Passat – 12 days

The new car market might be dominated by SUV, but used car demand suggests there’s plenty of life in family saloons like the VW Passat.

Despite many brands ditching saloon models from their showrooms, second-hand buyers are jumping on available 1-to-3-year-old Passats 12 days after they’ve been put up for sale.

1. Peugeot 3008 – 12 days

Despite AutoTrader’s data showing that year-old motors take the longest to sell, one definitely bucking that trend is Peugeot’s 3008 hybrid.

The used car platform names it the fastest-selling model of the first half of 2024, with hybrid-powered examples bought 12 days on average after they’ve been put on the market.