Demand for second-hand diesel cars is rising: here’s why | Car

In May, the Dutch searched for used petrol cars the most on Gas pedal and Autotrack. More than 57 percent of the searches related to a used car with a petrol engine. Hybrid cars with a petrol engine were the next most sought after, with a share of 22 percent of searches.

The increasing popularity of second-hand vehicles with a diesel engine is remarkable. The Dutch searched for a second-hand diesel in almost 9 percent of the searches entered on Gas Pedal and Autotrack in May. That share has not been this large since August 2022.

The revival in demand for used diesels is probably related to falling diesel prices. The price difference between petrol and diesel at the pump is still increasing, in favor of diesel. This has made diesel more lucrative. According to United Consumers, the average national suggested retail price (GLA) of a liter of Euro95 (E10) is €1.96 and that of a liter of diesel is €1.64.

In May, searches for a second-hand diesel were even more frequent on Autotrack and Gas Pedal than for a used electric car. 8.2 percent of the searches were for a used electric car. LPG cars, diesel hybrid cars and cars that run on natural gas (CNG) accounted for 1.9, 1.4 and 0.7 percent of searches respectively.

Kia sold the most new cars last month. Moreover, with the Picanto, the Koreans owned the most registered new passenger car. Remarkably enough, we do not find Kia in the top 10 of most popular brands on Autotrack and Accelerator. With a share of more than 10 percent last month, Volkswagen was the brand most potential second-hand buyers were looking for, followed by Audi (8.4 percent), BMW (7.9 percent) and Mercedes-Benz (6.2 percent). The places five to ten are successively for Ford (5.6 percent), Toyota (5.1 percent), Peugeot (4.3 percent), Volvo (4.2 percent), Opel (4.1 percent) and Renault (4 percent).

The Volkswagen Golf turned out to be the most popular occasion in May. In 2.2 percent of searches where a make and model were entered, the car searched for was a Golf. In second place we find the Volkswagen Polo (1.7 percent), in third place the BMW 3-series (1.5 percent). The places four to ten are successively for the Audi A3, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-class, BMW 5-series and the BMW 1-series.

Although the car market is bombarded with new SUVs and crossovers, the station wagon is the most popular body style on the Dutch second-hand market. In more than 23 percent of the searches, the Dutch searched for a used station wagon in May. The hatchback was the next most popular body style with a share of 22.4 percent in searches, followed by the SUV (14.6 percent) and the sedan (9.6 percent). Also striking is the interest that the Dutch used car seeker has in MPVs. Nearly 9 percent of searches hunted for a used “space car.”

The Dutch prefer a black car, according to the figures. In 26.9 percent of the searches, compatriots were looking for a black occasion. In second and third place we find white (19.6 percent) and gray (14.6 percent). The first real color is in fourth place (blue, 13.4 percent), followed by red in fifth place.

In more than 14 percent of the searches where a maximum mileage was specified, it concerned a maximum mileage of 100,000. In just under 10 percent of the cases, candidates looked at a used car with a maximum of 150,000 kilometers of experience. In 8.9 percent of the cases, the Dutch opened the hunt for a used car with a maximum of 10,000 kilometers of experience. Searches with an upper limit of 80,000, 50,000 and 120,000 kilometers ended up in places four, five and six. Year of manufacture 2018 was the most common in the searches (11.8 percent), followed by 2019 (9.3 percent), 2020 (9.1 percent) and 2017 (8.8 percent).

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