How long do used cars take to sell? UK days to sell report, September 2026
In September 2026, the typical used car type priced by UK dealers on DealerPricing sold in a median of 28 days from being advertised. The figure covers 344 car types and 83,171 adverts marked sold on UK dealer websites in the 90 days before each search. 66% of car types sold in a median of 30 days or less.
Data to 30 September 2026, published 17 October 2026
- Median days to sell, September 2026
- 28 days
- Data to
- 30 Sep 2026
- Car types
- 344
- Sold adverts
- 83,171
September 2026 at a glance
Every line below is read from the tables on this page.
- Half of the car types dealers priced sold in a median of 23 to 34 days. The typical type had three in four of its cars sold within 56 days.
- The headline median was 28 days, against 27 days in August 2026 (+1 day).
- By fuel, electric sold quickest at 21 days and diesel slowest at 29 days.
- By age, cars 11 years old or more sold quickest at 25 days and cars 4 to 6 years old slowest at 29 days.
- By asking price, under £5,000 sold quickest at 24 days and £10,000 to £14,999 slowest at 30 days.
- By body type, hatchback sold quickest at 26 days and estate slowest at 34 days.
- Among makes with enough data, Ford sold quickest at 23 days and BMW slowest at 34 days.
| All car types | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All car types | 28 days | 23 to 34 days | 344 | 83,171 | +1 day |
Days to sell by fuel type
Fuel type as recorded for the searched car. Hybrid means a petrol or diesel car recorded with an electric motor.
| Fuel type | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 27 days | 23 to 32 days | 184 | 55,037 | +1 day |
| Diesel | 29 days | 25 to 37 days | 121 | 18,223 | -2 days |
| Electric | 21 days | 19 to 27 days | 27 | 8,277 | Not enough data in August |
Not enough data in September 2026 to publish: Hybrid (petrol or diesel with electric).
Days to sell by age
Age is the edition year minus the year of manufacture.
| Age | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3 years old | 28 days | 23 to 42 days | 29 | 12,816 | Not enough data in August |
| 4 to 6 years old | 29 days | 24 to 38 days | 49 | 11,054 | +2 days |
| 7 to 10 years old | 28 days | 24 to 34 days | 130 | 37,402 | No change |
| 11 years old or more | 25 days | 22 to 33 days | 136 | 21,899 | -1 day |
Days to sell by asking price
The band is the median asking price of comparable cars on sale when the dealer searched, not the sold price.
| Typical asking price | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under £5,000 | 24 days | 20 to 29 days | 54 | 11,308 | +1 day |
| £5,000 to £9,999 | 26 days | 24 to 30 days | 111 | 34,618 | -1 day |
| £10,000 to £14,999 | 30 days | 26 to 34 days | 55 | 14,802 | +1 day |
| £15,000 to £19,999 | 28 days | 23 to 33 days | 32 | 9,209 | -3 days |
| £20,000 to £29,999 | 28 days | 23 to 39 days | 21 | 7,029 | Not enough data in August |
Not enough data in September 2026 to publish: £30,000 or more.
Days to sell by body type
SUV includes SUV coupes and SUV estates.
| Body type | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | 26 days | 23 to 31 days | 153 | 48,056 | No change |
| SUV | 27 days | 23 to 33 days | 110 | 28,223 | -1 day |
| Coupe | 33 days | 28 to 38 days | 21 | 2,360 | Not enough data in August |
| Estate | 34 days | 28 to 42 days | 20 | 1,433 | Not enough data in August |
Not enough data in September 2026 to publish: Convertible, MPV, Saloon, Van or pick-up.
Days to sell by gearbox
Automatic includes semi-automatic, dual-clutch and CVT gearboxes.
| Gearbox | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | 27 days | 23 to 31 days | 186 | 53,941 | +1 day |
| Automatic (incl. semi-automatic and CVT) | 29 days | 24 to 38 days | 158 | 29,230 | -2 days |
Days to sell by make
Makes with enough data this month, quickest first.
| Make | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | 23 days | 22 to 27 days | 32 | 23,052 | -1 day |
| Mini | 28 days | 24 to 34 days | 29 | 5,749 | -5 days |
| Volkswagen | 29 days | 23 to 34 days | 31 | 7,517 | +2 days |
| Mercedes-Benz | 29 days | 26 to 35 days | 30 | 7,557 | Not enough data in August |
| Audi | 31 days | 25 to 36 days | 40 | 4,852 | No change |
| BMW | 34 days | 26 to 38 days | 29 | 4,383 | +2 days |
Days to sell by model
Models need at least 10 car types (years, engines and gearboxes of that model), so only the most priced models appear. Quickest first.
| Model | Median days to sell | Middle half of car types | Car types | Sold adverts | Change on August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 23 days | 22 to 26 days | 12 | 13,824 | No change |
| Ford Focus | 23 days | 21 to 28 days | 10 | 5,312 | Not enough data in August |
| Mini Hatch | 24 days | 22 to 31 days | 18 | 5,027 | -5 days |
| Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 28 days | 26 to 29 days | 11 | 4,255 | Not enough data in August |
| Audi A3 | 33 days | 26 to 35 days | 11 | 949 | Not enough data in August |
How this report is made
What the data is, the dates it covers, the sample sizes, what “sold” means and what the figures cannot tell you.
What the data is
When a dealer prices a car on DealerPricing by its registration, we look up every advert for the same make, model, year, fuel, gearbox and body type (and engine size) that was marked sold on UK dealer websites in the previous 90 days, and how many days each advert was live before it sold. That gives a national days to sell figure for that car type. This report gathers those figures from the searches dealers ran in September 2026.
No supplier was asked for anything new to make this report: it uses only results already stored from dealers' own searches.
Dates and sample sizes
Searches run from 1 September 2026 to 30 September 2026. Because each search looks back 90 days, the sales behind this edition run from about 3 June 2026 to 30 September 2026.
344 car types, with 83,171 sold adverts behind them. Every table shows its own number of car types and sold adverts.
What "sold" and "days to sell" mean
An advert counts as sold when it is taken down from the dealer's website after being listed. Days to sell is the number of days the advert was live, from first seen to taken down. Cars sold privately or at auction are not included, and a few adverts are taken down for other reasons (the car was moved to another site or withdrawn).
How each figure is worked out
Each car type counts once a month, using the latest search for it, however many dealers priced it. A car type needs at least 10 sold adverts behind it. The figure in each table is the median of the car types' median days to sell, and "middle half" is the range the middle 50% of car types fall in.
- A fuel, age, price, body, gearbox or make group is shown only with at least 20 car types, from at least 5 different dealer accounts, with at least 500 sold adverts behind them.
- A model is shown only with at least 10 car types of that model, from at least 5 dealer accounts, with at least 500 sold adverts.
- Smaller groups are listed as "not enough data" and no figure is given.
- Searches from DealerPricing's own staff, demo and test accounts are left out.
Limitations
- It covers the car types dealers chose to price on DealerPricing, which lean towards part exchanges and trade buys, many of them older cars. It is not every used car on sale in the UK.
- Each car type's figure is national, but the mix of car types changes from month to month, so a change on the previous month can come from a different mix as well as from the market.
- Each search looks back 90 days, so neighbouring months share many of the same sales and month-on-month changes are small and smoothed.
- The price band is the median asking price of comparable cars on sale when the dealer searched, not the price the cars sold for.
- Days to sell is measured from adverts on dealer websites; private sales and auctions are not in it.
All editions
Each month's headline figure. Earlier months stay here when a new edition is added.
| Month | Median days to sell | Car types | Sold adverts |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 28 days | 344 | 83,171 |
| August 2026 | 27 days | 260 | 65,956 |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to sell a used car in the UK?
In September 2026 the typical used car type priced by UK dealers on DealerPricing sold in a median of 28 days from being advertised on a dealer website. Half of the car types sold in a median of 23 to 34 days. The figure covers 344 car types and 83,171 sold adverts.
What does days to sell mean?
Days to sell is the number of days a car's advert was live on a dealer website before it was taken down as sold. Dealers also call it days on forecourt. The median is the middle figure: half of cars sold faster and half slower.
Which used cars sell fastest?
By fuel, electric car types sold quickest in September 2026 (median 21 days). Among makes with enough data, Ford was quickest (23 days) and BMW slowest (34 days). The tables on this page give every group with enough data.
Do cheaper used cars sell faster?
In September 2026, car types with a typical asking price under £5,000 sold in a median of 24 days, against 30 days for £10,000 to £14,999. See the asking price table for every band.
Is this every used car sold in the UK?
No. It covers the car types UK dealers priced on DealerPricing that month. For each of those car types the figure is national (every matching advert marked sold on UK dealer websites in the previous 90 days), but car types nobody priced are not included, and private and auction sales are not counted.
How often is this report updated?
Monthly, early in the following month. This edition has data to 30 September 2026 and was published on 17 October 2026. Earlier editions stay on this page.
Can I see days to sell for one particular car?
Yes. DealerPricing subscribers see the days to sell, the number of similar cars sold in the last 90 days and the number on sale now for any registration they price, alongside trade and retail valuations.
Can I quote these figures?
Yes. Please credit "DealerPricing used car days to sell report, September 2026" and link to https://www.dealerpricing.co.uk/used-car-days-to-sell.
See also
Days to sell for the car in front of you
Subscribers see days to sell, cars sold in the last 90 days and cars on sale now for any registration, next to trade and retail valuations.