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Europe’s big five automotive markets are experiencing a rollercoaster ride with new-car registrations. But have used-car transactions faced similar struggles in the first half of 2025? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the data.
Used-car markets in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain recorded mixed results in the second quarter of 2025. This reflects ongoing uncertainty in the new-car sector.
Two markets remained stable, with marginal declines, while one experienced a drop in contrast to its new-car market. Two others improved, with one market returning to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Between January and June, all of these used markets were up compared to the first half of 2024. However, with poorer performances compared to the first quarter of 2025, there were mixed volumes across the six months.
UK used-car market grows back
In the second quarter of 2025, the UK’s used-car market registered a year-on-year improvement of 1.7%. In total, 1,996,116 transactions took place, according to data from the SMMT.
This was slightly below the total from the first three months of the year. However, the figures marked the 10th consecutive quarterly growth for the country’s market. This has been bolstered by an ongoing recovery in new-car registrations, which have boosted the supply of used vehicles.
The second quarter got off to a slow start, with a 0.4% improvement in April, with 672,145 transactions. May saw 689,196 units change hands, equating to growth of 2.5%. This was the best result in the three months. June saw 634,775 transactions, a 2.1% rise on the same period in 2024.
Petrol remained the best-selling fuel type between April and June, with transactions up 1.5% to over 1,134,387 units. Diesel declined 4.3% to 664,644 used sales. However, this is better than the 12.9% decline in the new diesel market, suggesting there is still appetite for the powertrain.
Combined, internal-combustion engine (ICE) models made up 90.1% of all used-car transactions in the second quarter. However, this was down by 2 percentage points (pp), with a rise in electrified vehicle sales eroding this share.
Electric on the rise
According to the SMMT, 9.7% of transactions in the second quarter came from full hybrids (HEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). BEVs showed the strongest growth, up 40% with 68,721 all-electric models sold, taking a 3.4% market share.
HEVs saw sales increase by 27.7% to 100,127 units. This gave the powertrain a 5% share of the UK used-car market. PHEV transactions improved by 10.3% with 24,370 units changing hands, leaving them with a 1.2% share of all used sales.
Close to pre-COVID-19 levels
In the first half of the year, the UK’s used-car market was up by 2.2%, with 4,017,106 transactions. Compared to 2019, this was down by just 0.9%. The first quarter of the year saw sales increase only marginally, while the second quarter slumped 1.9%. This is the closest the market has been to 2019 levels since COVID-19.
‘Surpassing the four million half-year milestone for the first time since 2019 shows the UK’s used-car market is building back momentum,’ commented SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
‘That is good news for the industry and for motorists who benefit from more choice and affordability across a range of higher tech, cleaner vehicles, notably in the emerging electric vehicle sector,’ he added.
‘To maintain this trajectory, a thriving new-car market must be delivered across the segments, along with accelerated investment into the charging network to give every driver the ability to switch,’ Hawes commented.
The country’s used-car market is operating in contrast to the new-car sector. The first half of the year saw increases and decreases. In the second quarter, registrations were up by just 0.1%. However, a strong March result and decent deliveries in June meant new-car registrations were up by 3.5% in the first half.
Germany levels out
Germany’s used-car market has remained roughly stable across the year so far. In the second quarter, transactions declined by just 0.1%. 1,637,191 used models changed hands in the month, according to figures from the KBA.
Sales have been on a rollercoaster ride, with three months of growth and three of declines so far this year. The second quarter started off with a 1.8% drop in April, as 570,882 cars were traded. A 3% improvement followed in May, as 544,683 transactions took place. However, June saw figures drop by 1.2%, with 521,626 cars sold.
This meant that in the first half of 2025, Germany’s used-car sector was up by just 0.3%, with 3,273,781 transactions. This was a difference of just 8,985 units in the six months.
However, the country’s new-car market is experiencing a very different performance. Registrations in the second quarter were down by 5%, with the country seeing deliveries in the first half dropping 4.7%.
Italian used-car disparity
Italy experienced the second-biggest disparity between new and used-car market fortunes across the first half of 2025. In the second quarter, used-car transactions increased by 1.7%, with 1,371,835 passenger cars changing hands, according to ANFIA.
April was the best month of the quarter in terms of both volume and growth. 472,999 transactions took place, up 5.7% year on year. With 463,273 transactions, a 3.9% decline in May brought a run of eight consecutive months of improvements to an end. June saw a 3.9% improvement, although the 435,563 transactions were not enough to balance the volume decline from May.
The country’s used-car market ended the first half of 2025 with an improvement of 3.1%. In total, 2,849,751 transactions took place between January and June. This indicates that the Italian public is still drawn to the used-car market.
This was in contrast with the country’s new-car market. It saw a 5.6% fall in the second quarter of 2025, with only April providing any improvement. This meant the first half of the year ended down 3.5%.
France remains stable
As the French new-car market appears to be struggling, transactions of used cars remained stable in the second quarter.
According to Autovista24 calculations of figures from AAA Data, 1,353,506 models changed hands between April and June. This was a 0.3% decline compared to the same period last year. Following a 2% improvement in the first quarter, this suggests the market has stalled.
April was the best month of the second quarter, with 478,129 transactions taking place. This was a 3.1% improvement year on year. May remained stable, with a small 0.3% increase, but June proved damaging, with a 4.1% decline.
So, in the first six months of 2025, three months saw growth and three experienced declines. 2,717,241 transactions took place between January and June, up by 0.9% year on year.
Changes ahead?
In May, the French parliament voted to abolish low-emission zones. However, this is yet to be approved, with both houses of Parliament required to pass the law. In addition, it must also be validated by the Constitutional Council.
According to AAA Data, this has yet to have an impact on vehicles displaying a ‘Crit’Air 3’ sticker or above. These vehicles are restricted from entering certain urban areas, which has hampered their sales in the used-car market. However, ‘Crit’Air 3’ transactions were down by 7% in June. This may change should the potential abolition come into effect.
June also highlighted powertrain trends in France’s used-car market. HEVs achieved the greatest growth, up by 43% in the month, while mild hybrids (MHEVs) saw a 19% improvement. BEV transactions also grew, up by 15%.
Diesel remained the most sought-after fuel type, accounting for 45.7% of all used sales. However, its transactions fell 8%, as did petrol. Combined, ICE vehicles made up 83.6% of the market. Electrified vehicles, made up of HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs, accounted for 11.1%.
The used-car market is in direct contrast to the new-car sector. France has been the worst-performing market of Europe’s big five so far in 2025. It recorded no growth at all in the first six months of the year. Registrations were down by 8.1% in the second quarter, after declining by 7.9% in the first half of 2025.
Spain’s used-car struggles
Unlike France, Spain’s new-car market has flourished so far this year. However, he country’s used-car sector paints a different picture.
In the second quarter, transactions fell by 2.2%, as 511,067 cars changed hands, according to Autovista24’s analysis of GANVAM’s figures. A 12% decline in April and a 4.1% downturn in May undid much of the improvement achieved in the first quarter. The results were saved from further decline by a strong performance in June, with sales up by 11.8%.
According to GANVAM, a total of 163,202 transactions took place in April, with 174,198 sales in May, and 173,667 used cars changing hands in June. This meant 1,027,739 units were sold, up 3% year on year, according to Autovista24 calculations.
The industry association states that sales of passenger cars up to five years old improved by 7% in the first half. This meant they accounted for 26% of the market. Models between eight and 10 years old registered a 13.5% increase through June.
However, the bulk of used-car transactions seem concentrated in models over 15 years of age, accounting for over 41% of sales. This segment saw a 4.6% rise in transactions over the first six months of the year. Such performances are only increasing Spain’s average car parc age.
Diesel leads the way
Diesel vehicles remained the most popular powertrain, with 51.1% of the market, according to GANVAM. However, the total volume was down 0.2% between January and June. Petrol car transactions increased by 3.8% in the first half, representing 36.4% of the total market.
Sales of used BEVs continued their upward trend in the first six months, increasing by 51.9% compared to the same period last year, representing 1.2% of the total market. Sales of used PHEVs also increased by 41.5% in the period.
Spain’s used-car results were vastly different from its new-car market figures. Registrations were up 13.8% in the second quarter of the year, with a 13.9% rise in the first six months of 2025.
Exceptional circumstances have buoyed Spain’s new-car market this year. Government financial aid has supported drivers in the Valencia region. They have been replacing vehicles damaged by severe storms and flooding.
More significantly, the recent reinstatement of the MOVES III incentive scheme has turned around the country’s EV market. Aimed at BEV and PHEV purchases, this scheme provides subsidies up to €7,000.
