The search fiesta for cars
Revealed - 2023’s biggest online trends
cinch, the online car platform, has crunched the numbers and unveiled the most popular car-buying trends of 2023.
The data is based on millions of searches each month on its website.
Whats on your mind?
Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch, says the numbers revealed what the public is looking for when it comes to four wheels, and the brands that pique their interest. Whether they can actually afford to bring their searches to their driveway is another question altogether. But the results provide insight into “car buyers’ most-wanted car models, brands, colours and features”.
“The now-discontinued Ford Fiesta proved to be an evergreen choice for UK motorists, clinching the title of most-popular car for a second consecutive year.
“In the EV/hybrid used car market, Tesla’s Model 3 came out on top. And the overall most popular brand on cinch was Audi – jumping up from fourth spot in 2022 to clinch the crown.
“We also saw some surprising spikes in searches related to cultural moments, such as the blockbuster Barbie film and the Rugby World Cup.”
Top 10 most popular used car models of 2023
- Ford Fiesta
- VW Golf
- Ford Focus
- Mercedes A-Class
- BMW 1 Series
- Nissan Qashqai
- Audi A3
- VW Polo
- Range Rover Evoque
- BMW 3 Series
Despite production being discontinued in July after 47 years, the Ford Fiesta has certainly not lost its charm. The Fiesta was the most sought-after vehicle for the second year in a row, with its design, features and affordability all continue to appeal to used car buyers.
The Mercedes A-Class dropped from second most popular in 2022 to fourth place in this year’s list. It was leapfrogged by the much-loved and evergreen VW Golf and Ford Focus. However, these two models are also dodging the shadow of extinction.
The family-friendly Nissan Qashqai gained a couple of positions, climbing from eighth in 2022 to sixth this year. Larger SUV type models continue to gain popularity in the in the style section, despite their less than eco friendly credentials.
Top 10 most popular used car brands of 2023
- Audi
- BMW
- Ford
- Volkswagen
- Mercedes-Benz
- Land Rover
- Vauxhall
- Nissan
- Kia
- Hyundai
The most searched-for car brands this year were used Audis followed by BMW and then Ford. While only fourth most-popular brand last year (2022), the four rings of Audi accelerated to the top and now sit in pole position.
Surprisingly, last year’s most searched-for brand, Mercedes-Benz, dropped into fifth place.
Hyundai deserves a special mention, too. The South Korean brand, known for its reliability and modern styling, is the sole new entrant in 2023’s ‘most popular brand’ list. It replaces MINI, which occupied 10th spot in 2022.
Top 10 most popular used EV/hybrid cars of 2023
- Tesla Model 3
- Toyota C-HR
- Nissan Leaf
- VW Golf
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Hyundai IONIQ
- Toyota Yaris
- BMW 3 Series
- Kia Niro
- Toyota Corolla
As of the end of November 2023, about 950,000 EVs are cruising along UK roads.
Based on the total visits to individual car listings pages on cinch, the most popular electric and/or
hybrid model with used car buyers was the Tesla Model 3. This year it overtook the Toyota C-HR.
While the C-HR has slipped to second place this year, Toyota still has plenty to be proud of. The Japanese brand features three times in cinch’s electric and hybrid list, with the Yaris (7th) and Corolla (10th) also featuring in the top 10.
The Corolla is the only new model to enter the 2023 eco-friendly list, having replaced BMW’s i3 in the popularity stakes.
It’s also worth mentioning the eye-catching Hyundai IONIQ. Jumping from ninth position in 2022 to sixth in this year’s list, the IONIQ has no doubt piqued the curiosity of eco-conscious UK car buyers during 2023.
Top 10 most popular car colours of 2023
- Black
- White
- Grey
- Blue
- Red
- Silver
- Green
- Orange
- Yellow
- Pink
Black was by far the most popular car colour of 2023 on cinch, recording double the amount of searches of white motors (in second place).
Black was the most popular colour searched for, and double that of white.
Sleek, elegant and great at hiding dirt and grime – no wonder it’s a favourite among British drivers. This year’s most searched-for black car models were the Mercedes A-Class, Range Rover Evoque, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Qashqai and VW Golf.
Interestingly, pink became one of the most sought-after colours this year. Perhaps helped by the ‘Barbie effect’, it replaced purple in 10th position on cinch’s list.
Searches for pink cars reached their peak on 10 September, in the same week as the release of the Barbie film on digital streaming platforms.
Top five most popular car features of 2023
- Apple CarPlay
- Parking sensors
- Heated seats
- Sunroof
- Sat-nav
When it comes to in-car tech, entertainment and features, Apple CarPlay comes out top. It conveniently allows drivers to connect their iPhone and get the most out of their infotainment screen. It proved the most filtered-by feature on cinch for a second year running.
Comfort and warmth were also important for drivers in 2023. The luxury of heated seats proved popular with buyers, bumping this feature up from fifth in 2022 to third this year.
Searches for sat-navs dropped from third most searched-for feature in 2022 to fifth in 2023. It is suggested that people are increasingly relying on mobile phones to navigate their route.
Other interesting data
The Land Rover Defender – sponsor of the 2023 Rugby World Cup – received plenty of attention on cinch throughout the tournament, especially during England matches.
Searches for the 4×4 were 41% above the 2023 daily average on the day of the England v Samoa game on 7 October – no doubt helped by pitch-side advertising boards and TV commercials.
There was another spike in searches for the Defender on the day of the England v South Africa semi- final (21 October) – 28% above the 2023 daily average.
Meanwhile, in April VW announced it was ceasing the production of internal combustion engine Golfs when the current Mark 8 cycle ends.
In response to the news, many Brits flocked to the cinch website to look for hybrid and electric versions of the popular hatchback.
Three weeks following the announcement, searches for hybrid/electric Golfs were 88% higher than the 2023 weekly search average.
In September, the VW Group announced it would focus on growing its CUPRA brand in the next few years. At the same time, the SEAT brand will disappear. More and more drivers were searching for CUPRA cars, up by 245% year-on-year. On the other hand, searches for SEAT cars remained flat .
With the hottest June in UK history, searches for convertible cars skyrocketed. June recorded the biggest number of monthly searches for drop-top motors across the year.
The most popular convertible was the Mercedes C-Class, known for its muscular and luxurious silhouette.