The Jaecoo 7 offered car dealers the highest potential margin at Carwow auctions in Q3, averaging £2,916 before fees and preparation costs.
Audi led the brand rankings, with an average potential margin of £2,695, followed by Lexus at £2,596 and Mazda at £2,558.
Carwow compared actual auction selling prices with cap retail valuations between July and September 2026. The analysis covered Grade 1 vehicles and measures the potential spread between buying and retail values, rather than achieved dealer profit.
Jaecoo has been a huge sales success, but has also been experiencing some reliability issues, according to a recent What Car? survey.
SUVs dominate model rankings
The Volvo XC40 ranked second behind the Jaecoo 7, with a potential margin of £2,676, followed by the Kia Sportage at £2,672.
The Audi Q3 placed fourth at £2,660, while the BMW 3 Series completed the top five at £2,617.
Eight of the 10 highest-ranked models were SUVs. Audi and Lexus have featured among the top three brands for three consecutive quarters.
Chris Healey, head of commercial at Carwow, said Audi and Lexus’s consistent rankings made them attractive options for dealers sourcing premium stock.
He said the Jaecoo 7’s performance reflected customer demand and the affordability of auction stock: “Having already topped our enquiry tables for new cars, its strong performance in the used market is no surprise as dealers snap up models that are less than two years old.”
Healey expected that performance to continue as emerging brands became more established in the UK and developed stronger residual values.
Carwow said its auctions give dealers access to more than 25,000 vehicles a month and have supplied more than 244,000 vehicles to dealer forecourts over the past two years.
Read AM’s Jaecoo 7 test drive →
Models with the highest potential margins
| Rank | Model | Potential margin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaecoo 7 | £2,916 |
| 2 | Volvo XC40 | £2,676 |
| 3 | Kia Sportage | £2,672 |
| 4 | Audi Q3 | £2,660 |
| 5 | BMW 3 Series | £2,617 |
| 6 | Nissan Qashqai | £2,477 |
| 7 | Tesla Model Y | £2,442 |
| 8 | Mercedes-Benz GLB | £2,368 |
| 9 | Mercedes-Benz GLA | £2,190 |
| 10 | BMW 1 Series | £1,994 |
Brands with the highest potential margins
| Rank | Brand | Potential margin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audi | £2,695 |
| 2 | Lexus | £2,596 |
| 3 | Mazda | £2,558 |
| 4 | Tesla | £2,516 |
| 5 | Peugeot | £2,508 |
| 6 | Kia | £2,477 |
| 7 | Nissan | £2,355 |
| 8 | Honda | £2,347 |
| 9 | Renault | £2,337 |
| 10 | Volvo | £2,335 |
Source: Carwow auction analysis, July to September 2026. Potential margins reflect the difference between auction selling prices and cap retail valuations for Grade 1 vehicles. Buyer fees and preparation costs are excluded.