Older, higher-mileage used cars continued to attract dealers in Q3 as buyers sought value and potential retail margins.
Dealer Auction’s figures show average stock mileage rose to 67,766 miles, from 66,098 in Q2, while average vehicle age held at 7.7 years.
The platform said demand for these vehicles reflected dealers’ focus on securing stock offering strong retail potential. Its outlook for Q4 points to a continued emphasis on value, reliability and returns.
The average sold price across the platform was £6,301.
Vehicles sold through natural auctions took an average of 2.92 days to sell, while sale prices averaged 98.3% of CAP Clean valuations.
Land Rover recorded the highest average estimated retail margin by brand at £5,014. The Range Rover Evoque led the individual model rankings for estimated retail margin at £4,654.
These figures indicate potential retail margins rather than confirmed dealer profits.
The Range Rover Velar also displaced the Jaguar F-Pace at the top of Dealer Auction’s best-buy rankings, which compare trade price, estimated margin and speed of sale.
The Volvo XC40 finished second, with the F-Pace taking third place.
Alternative fuel vehicles accounted for almost 10% of sales during the quarter.
The Nissan Qashqai Hybrid moved from fourth to second in the platform’s CAP Clean performance rankings, remaining the only alternative fuel model to feature.
Kieran TeeBoon, marketplace director at Dealer Auction, said: “Q3 2026 has demonstrated the strength and resilience of the used car market, with strong dealer engagement, healthy stock availability and opportunities continuing across the platform.
“As we look ahead to Q4, we expect demand to remain focused on value, reliability and vehicles that can deliver strong returns.”
Dealer Auction sent more than 14.5 million stock alerts during the quarter, while the total retail value of vehicles traded through the platform increased to £153.5 million.
The company expects demand for value-focused stock and growing interest in alternative fuel vehicles to remain key trends through the final quarter of 2026.
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