The used car market is hot, even as new cars languish on dealer’s lots. People still have to have transportation. So, amid worries about the economy and job security, many folks are opting for a high quality used car – or “pre-owned” if you prefer – as a way to stretch their dollars. If you’re helping an auto dealer client come up with a plan to market their used car business, it’s good to know which used cars people most want to buy.
According to the autobytel.com website, which lets consumers research both new and used vehicles and connect to nearby dealers, the most popular searches for used cars are Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
The objective is to bring people to the dealer’s lot, so you have to let them know that your client has what they want. Visiting Smith Ford might not be the first thing to occur to someone interested in a Camry. So, you want to tell them that the used car lot at Smith Ford has five low-mileage Toyota Camrys to choose from.
When they get there, the customer may decide that their family is getting too big for a sedan and end up buying a used Chrysler mini-van. The point is to advertise the most popular used vehicles and make it clear that Smith Ford has a lot more than Fords to choose from on their used car lot.
Even in these cost-conscious times, many people still need, or at least want, a larger vehicle. So, while the Camry and Accord are the most searched used cars at autobytel.com, the top used vehicle search is an SUV, the Ford Expedition. There’s also a pickup and a mini-van in the list. So, your client can try several different approaches to appeal to different types of people shopping for used vehicles.
Here is the top 10 list of “Most Popular Used Vehicles” from autobytel.com:
1. Ford Expedition
2. Toyota Camry
3. Honda Accord
4. Ford Mustang
5. Nissan Altima
6. Chrysler 300
7. Ford Escape
8. Toyota Corolla
9. Ford F-150
10. Honda Odyssey
Are these the top selling used vehicles? Not necessarily. You can find such lists as well, but they tend to consist of several model years of Toyota Camrys and several model years of Honda Accords, with some other names thrown into the mix. We think the autobytel.com list based on consumer searches is interesting because it is a top 10 of what people are interested in. The objective is to hit their hot buttons – get them to come to the dealership. The list above is 10 hot buttons.
