Media Post: We know the cars you want to buy… What about the cars you want to sell?
We know the reason you’re really here is to talk about the best cars on the market – the trusted brands and models that the British public love enough to buy in their thousands – but we recently came across some interesting data telling us the other side of the story; the cars Brits are selling on.
In the UK, the best-selling cars are well documented. The Ford Fiesta has dominated the sales charts for years, and the VW Golf has doubled its own sales in the past few months to claim second place. Vauxhall’s Corsa and Astra take third and fourth, while the Ford Focus is the final model to make the top 5.
However, knowing the cars’ popularity is one thing – but what about those that are fast losing favour?
Using data from the car-buying service We Buy Any Car, we’ve discovered the top 5 cars that drivers are most keen to get rid of*. Here are the cars most frequently bought by the company.
- Ford Ka
A car with a badly spelled name was never going to be a big-hitter. Certainly a model that people are attracted to for its price rather than its design or driving quality, the Ka has the cute factor but, in all honesty, little else going for it. This soon becomes apparent to drivers of the car, making it the fifth most commonly sold car in the UK.
- Vauxhall Corsa
Drivers hoping to get rid of their Corsa are not necessarily won over enough by the ‘cheap to buy, cheap to run’ aspect of the model. While online reviews suggest that it provides a reasonable drive, we were struck by the averageness of the car; no outstanding features, and nothing to surprise the driver. It’s just, very much, an average car. The number of people eager to sell it on in search of a better model seems to suggest the same thing.
- Ford Fiesta
Despite being the most popular car to buy – it’s currently at first place in the UK – this car is being flogged to We Buy Any Car quicker than any other. Maybe its reported transmission problems are to blame – or perhaps it’s more to do with its Lynx-wearing, driving-school connotations.
- Ford Focus
Again, this is a pretty standard car that – despite being a popular seller – is really nothing special. While being well-recognised for its good handling, cabin quality pales in comparison to its nearest competitors, and most (if not all) extra features are add-ons. As a result drivers are desperate to sell their Focus so they can move onto their next (and better) ride.
- Renault Clio
Clios have been around forever, it seems. So much so, that they’ve slipped out of the top 5 cars bought in the UK – meaning people are losing their Clios much quicker than they’re buying them. While still popular with first-time drivers, their size and quality gets quite old, quite quickly. Drivers wanting to impress – or indeed, just have a little bit more luxury in their lives – are therefore getting rid of their Clios fast, making it the most commonly sold model in the UK. … Next!
So, of the top 5 sold, only the Golf and the Astra manage to remain in the hands of their buyers. Which car do you regret buying? And where do you draw the line between economical buy, and a straight-up mistake? Let us know in a comment!
*Data provided by webuyanycar.com and is based on total cars bought by the company in 2014.
