Used cars: Models that sell for 60% more than six months ago

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Owners of some cars could make thousands of pounds extra if they take advantage of a recent boom in used motor values and sell their vehicles today, research shows. 

With new car supplies low and orders placed today not expected to arrive for up to a year, the second-hand market is going through a ‘bonkers’ period of demand that has pushed average prices of used models 21 per cent higher than they were a year ago.

This is Money, using exclusive data provided by cap hpi, can reveal which 20 older cars have risen in value most in the previous six months, with used Toyota Auris hybrids and Vauxhall’s Zafira family MPV accelerating in price by almost 60 per cent.

A shortage of semiconductor chips needed for the latest new cars means manufacturers simply can’t make them quickly enough to cope with demand.

Such is the difficulty for drivers to get their hands on some brand new motors for the next 12 months that hoards have turned to the used market instead.  

This has been a growing trend ever since the pandemic first struck, with values of second-hand cars rising for 18 consecutive months. 

It means used motors are now – on average – more than £2,000 more expensive than they were this time last year. 

The average value of a second-hand car listed on Auto Trader last month was £16,067, up from £13,829 in September 2020 – an increase of 21.4 per cent annually.

Cap hpi, which specialises in vehicle valuations, says the average price rise for a ‘nearly-new’ used cars between August and September was £862, based on three-year-old motors with 30,000 miles clocked.

‘Value increases have broken records pretty much every month since car showrooms reopened following the initial lockdown,’ explained Derren Martin, head of valuations at the company.

‘It was aspirational cars going up in value last year: sports cars, convertibles and luxury models. 

‘This was because people had saved money during lockdowns and had decided to throw some caution to the wind when restrictions eased, buying cars that made them happy.

‘This year, it has been ‘normal’ models – those that sell in high volume – that have been in demand, and with usually fairly low residual values it means there has been plenty of room for their values to go up.

‘Dealers are really buying anything because there is such a shortage of cars but incredibly high demand.

‘We’ve even had reports of double the number of buyers to the number of cars being sold to the trade at auction.

‘Unfortunately for the buying consumer, the higher costs paid by dealers will be passed on, meaning it will only force second-hand car prices up.’

While this isn’t particularly good news for anyone in the market for a replacement car, it is for owners who want to sell. 

And because demand is high for mainstream models, there are plenty of owners to benefit. 

The second-hand buying frenzy has sparked value increases for some unlikely motors, including Vauxhall’s Zafira MPV. 

‘The Zafira has gone up by £5,000 in the last six or seven months,’ Martin explains.

‘Figures like that are really hard to comprehend but it’s due to demand being strong and a constraint on new car supply.’

While such increases are surprising, even for industry insiders, drivers are warned that even if they do sell for a profit, they face having to pay a premium for a replacement motor bought used – or endure weeks or months at the back of bursting order books for new vehicles. 

Do you own one of these 20 cars? They’ve all gone up in value by more than £3,300 in the last six months  

We asked cap hpi to provide a list of models that are currently seeing the biggest rise in value in the last half year.

The data is based on three-year-old vehicles with an average of 30,000 miles on the clock.

All cars listed have seen values increase by around 48 per cent and more, with some priced around 60 per cent higher than they were in March 2021.  

20. Vauxhall Astra (2015-2020)

Vauxhall’s popular family hatchback creeps into the list of big movers over the last six months.

Used values for the previous-generation car have risen by almost 48 per cent, which means the average value of a three-year-old example with 30,000 miles on the clock is more than £3,300 higher than it was in March.

19. Skoda Yeti (2009-2017)

The Yeti was discontinued in 2017, with Skoda switching its SUV range to a more typical design. That said, the Yeti’s quirky looks and practical layout means it has a strong fanbase, which has kept residual values high ever since production ended.

Cap hpi says a three-year-old model with average mileage has gone up in value by more than £5,000 in the last six months. 

18. Jaguar XF (2015- )

Luxury models aren’t the cars that usually top lists for holding their value well. Expensive to begin with, they depreciate rather quickly.

However, Jaguar’s XF is the one motor to represent the executive-car category in this list, with average values of three-year-old examples rising by 48.2 per cent between March and September. That translates to an extra £7,000 in an owner’s pocket. 

17. Mini Cooper (2018- )

The shortage of semiconductor chips is hitting UK car makers hard, including Mini’s Plant Oxford, which was forced to halt production earlier this year due to the lack of components.

It means build numbers of the current Mini Cooper are behind, which is forcing used values higher. Owners willing to sell today can expect to pocket £5,350 more than they would have done in March.

16. Ford Kuga (2012-2020)

Ford recently introduced a new version of its Kuga SUV, with sleeker looks and the addition of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

However, the previous-generation car, with its more traditional boxy dimensions and heaps of interior space, remains a popular choice among Britons. Those who already one will be pleased to hear the average value of a three-year-old example has risen by 48.8 per cent in the last half year. 

=14. Mini Cooper S (2018- )

Mini’s answer to a hot hatchback, the Cooper S, is bettering the standard Cooper when it comes to increasing residual values in recent months.

Owners of this nippy motor would pocked an additional £6,187 if they sold now compared to six months ago, based on cap hpi’s data for three-year-old cars with 30,000 miles on the clock. 

=14. Kia Soul EV (2014-2019) 

Cap hpi told us that few electric cars feature in this list because their used values are already so high. Yet the previous-generation Kia Soul EV clearly had some room for movement in 2021.

The average price of a three-year-old second-hand example with up to 30,000 zero-emission miles totted up has risen by almost 50 per cent in the previous six months. With an official range of 132 miles, it falls quite some way short of the current Soul EV (280 miles).

13. Nissan X-Trail (2015-2019)

With demand for big SUVs going strong, the Nissan X-Trail is one model that is seeing second-hand values rise this year.

Owners could sell a three-year-old X-Trail with 30,000 miles for £5,650 more than they would have done back in March, with average values for these off-roaders rising 49.6 per cent. 

12. Nissan Qashqai (2018-2021)

The Nissan Qashqai has been the most popular SUV in the UK ever since it first hit the market in the mid-2000s. Despite there being plenty on the road – and a new model hitting showrooms this year – values of second-hand examples are going up.

A three-year-old Qashqai with 30,000 miles tallied up in that time has risen in value over the last six months – on average – from £12,000 to almost £18,000.

11. Renault Kadjar (2015-2019)

The Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai are mechanically very similar, sharing the same platform and engines as part of the partnership between Renault and its Japanese sister brand. 

It’s not much of a coincidence to see values for the French compact SUV rising at a similar rate to the Qashqai, with there clearly being appeal for second-hand motors of this type. This has pushed used Kadjar prices higher by 50.4 per cent in the last six months, based on three-year-old examples. 

10. Peugeot Partner Tepee (2008-2018)

A good option for those with small families and also a very popular model via the Motability schemes, with the van-turned-mini-MPV capable of taking wheelchairs with some adaptation. 

Diesel variants have seen a boom in value in recent months, with a three-year-old Partner Tepee worth just over £8,000 in March and now selling for over £12,000. 

9. Volvo V40 (2012-2019)

Volvo might have binned its V40 a couple of years ago, essentially replacing it with the compact XC40 SUV, but it’s still an accomplished motor for anyone in the market for a traditional family hatchback.

Owners who bought one new three years ago and driven around 30,000 miles will be pleased to hear values have climbed by 52 per cent in the last six month, adding over £5,000 in monetary terms.

8. Toyota Prius Hybrid (2015-2019)

The original poster car for greener motoring, the Prius is still going strong today. Those living in cities will know that the hybrid Toyota remains the top choice for ride hailing firms, with the car providing good reliability and low running costs in urban areas.

It’s the conventional hybrid that we’re focussing on here (not the plug-in hybrid), with cap hpi saying the value of a three-year-old used example with 30,000 miles racked up has grown from just under £11,600 in March 2021 to a fraction under £17,800 by September.

7. Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (2016-2020) 

Another used hybrid soaring in value is Hyundai’s Ioniq, which, like the Toyota Prius, is a large family car boasting eco credentials for those who live in built-up areas.

With more drivers considering alternative fuel vehicles, the Ioniq has seen a huge surge in value in the last six months. In March, you should have expected to pay around £10,000 for a good second-hand example from 2018 with 30,000 miles on the clock. In September, used prices rose to £15,680 – a 53.5 per cent increase. 

6. Ford Galaxy (2015-2020)

If you drive a Ford Galaxy – especially a black one – you’ve likely been mistaken for an Addison Lee employee a few times. But it is the owners of Ford’s big MPV that are getting the last laugh in terms of used values.

A three-year-old diesel Galaxy with 30,000 miles on the clock is worth 54 per cent more today that it was six months ago, such is the demand for big, family-transporting, motors. 

5. Vauxhall Mokka (2012-2020)

There’s a new Mokka in Vauxhall showrooms today, and – in our opinion – its daring looks are far more attractive than this relatively mundane first attempt. Yet there is growing demand for the brand’s initial attempt at a compact SUV on the used market.

Cap hpi data shows that a three-year-old Mokka with average mileage has gone up in value by 54 per cent in the last half year – meaning owners could make £4,500 more selling today than if they offloaded in March. 

4. Vauxhall Combo Life (2018- )

Another used Vauxhall gaining in value in the last half a year is the Combo Life – the brand’s answer to a van-shaped MPV that is mechanically identical to its commercial vehicle.

Values for three-year-old examples are up almost 56 per cent in six months. It means an owner selling today would make £4,500 more on average than if they did in March. 

3. Mercedes-Benz V-Class (2014-2019) 

From a compact MPV to one of the biggest on the market – the V-Class is based on Mercedes’ Vito commercial vehicle, offering seating for up to seven with ample space for luggage in the boot.

Residual values are always high, given the small production outputs and the fact many are bought up by taxi businesses. Yet those who own a V-Class and are willing to sell could make £14,400 more than they would have done in March, with average values of three-year-old examples up 57 per cent.

2. Vauxhall Zafira (2012-2018)

Even cap hpi says it is ‘really hard to comprehend’ that a used Vauxhall Zafira has gone up in value by as much as they have, but that’s the sizable impact the semiconductor chip shortage is having on the wider motor market today.

A three-year-old Zafira would have sold for just over £8,500 around March, but a near-58 per cent rise in value since means some car buyers are paying up to £13,500 for a used one.

1. Toyota Auris Hybrid (2012-2019)

The biggest used-car value riser in the last six months is Toyota’s Auris. It has since been replaced by the Corolla – which is built in Burnaston, but demand for second-hand hybrid versions of the green family hatch have gone sky high. 

Prices being paid for three-year-old versions with 30,000 miles clocked up are up 60 per cent in the last half year, pushing average values from just over £9,600 in March to nearly £15,500 last month.