Research: Which cars sell quick (and which go slow)?

Thousands of used cars appear on classified ad portals every day, from small hatchbacks to luxurious SUVs. Even the rarest models eventually find new owners, but the average time this takes may vary.

We were curious which vehicles sell the quickest, so we turned to our history reports. This time, we looked at Romania, Lithuania, Poland, the UK, Hungary, and Czechia – a combination of Central, Eastern, and Western European markets. Some of the findings are surprising.

Economy class cars are the quickest to sell

If you own a hatchback, you’ll spend less time selling it than other car body types. City commuters love small cars as they’re cheap to buy, offer good fuel economy, and require less space than bulky trucks or multi-purpose vehicles.

Crossovers or small SUVs are also popular among second-hand vehicle buyers. However, every country has a favorite.

Small cars are popular in Poland and Hungary. Poles are crazy about the Fiat Seicento, which takes only 13.7 days on average to sell, whereas Hungarians prefer the Suzuki Swift (18.1 days).

Lithuanians, Brits, and Romanians like bigger vehicles. Romanians are fans of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, which typically finds a new owner in 25.7 days. All of the top 5 fastest-selling cars in Romania come from Japan: Honda, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi.

Lithuanians also love Japanese cars. And they love them so much that you can sell a Honda HR-V in 12.5 days, which is quicker than any other car across all the countries we looked at. Skoda Kodiaq is the fastest-selling model in the UK (19.5 days). Whereas, in Czechia, the top spot is surprisingly occupied by the Dacia Dokker (25.9 days), which comes not only as a passenger car but also as a panel van.

It takes over 2 months to sell some vehicles

Nobody wants to wait for too long until someone buys their car. In an ideal world, you get rid of one vehicle and get another on the same day. However, this may only work if you trade your car in to a dealership. If you're selling or buying online, the process will probably require some patience.

This is especially true if you live in Romania and own a Porsche Taycan. While this car may be a dream come true for many die-hard auto enthusiasts, it takes 66.9 days on average to find a new home.

In general, luxury and premium class cars are harder to sell, as only a tiny fraction of drivers can afford to spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for a vehicle.

Porsche cars have difficulties finding new owners in the UK as well, where the 911 and Boxster are the worst-selling vehicles (48.4 days on average). The Jaguar F-Pace is another great car that takes long to sell – 42.6 days to sell in Poland.

The Opel Grandland X (60.9 days in Hungary), Volvo V90 (52.2 days in Lithuania), and BMW 6 series (65.6 days in Czechia) are also expensive cars that only few can afford. Premium-class car buyers are usually willing to wait longer for a vehicle they like. They often search for their desired model in another country.

In Eastern Europe, many luxury cars come from Western countries, where the selection of these models is larger.

Popular cars aren’t necessarily easier to sell

While one might presume that selling popular models is easier, this is not always the case. For instance, it takes 31 days to sell the Volkswagen Golf in Romania. The supply of Golfs is high, therefore sellers need to show some patience until they find a buyer. The situation is similar in Lithuania (21.5 days), Poland (26.1 days), the UK (25.3 days), Hungary (34.1 days), and Czechia (46 days).

Some cars are used as taxis and have a good reputation. Such is the case of the Toyota Prius in Lithuania, which sells in 17.1 days.

In all countries mentioned, selling electric cars takes longer than “regular” cars. While the sales of used EVs are growing, their popularity is still much lower than traditional vehicles.

Whether you can sell your car fast depends on its engine, technical specifications, condition, and even color. There's little doubt that you’ll sell a black Volkswagen Passat quicker than a yellow one, or a well-maintained model faster than one damaged by corrosion.

Above all, keeping your car in good condition will help it sell quicker… and so will giving your potential buyers a vehicle history report to look at.