Vision with a motor: Russians began to sell old cars en masse
The number of ads for the sale of used cars has been growing since the beginning of the year across the country, sales aggregators told Izvestia. Since the beginning of the year, the growth has been 22%. Most often, Russians try to sell Japanese and German brands — their average cost was 1.4 million rubles. The "Chinese" are also actively selling, moreover, a significant increase in such offers is expected in the secondary market — the warranty periods for cars purchased at the peak of the arrival of such models in Russia are coming to an end. At the same time, the demand for the purchase of used cars has subsided. About why residents of the country began to get rid of used cars is in the Izvestia article.
Why are Russians getting rid of cars
The number of ads for the sale of used cars has increased by 22% since the beginning of 2025, aggregators for the sale of cars told Izvestia. The average cost decreased by only 3% to 1.4 million rubles, the All-Russian automobile website Drom added.
— The volume of the car market has grown due to an increase in the supply of used cars by 14%, — said Sergey Lagurev, an analyst at the service. — Taking into account the fact that the number of ads for new cars has decreased by 21% since the beginning of the year, and the cost has remained at the level of January — 3.7 million rubles.
The increase in supply on the secondary market is shown by cars from all manufacturers. The share of Japanese models increased by 28%. At the same time, the average cost decreased by 4%, to 1.3 million rubles. There have been 20% more used German brands on the market since the beginning of the year. They are offered at a price 2% cheaper than last year - 2.4 million rubles. The number of ads for used Chinese cars increased by 19%, while the average cost fell by 5%. There are 17% more Korean used cars, and they have become 3% cheaper — 1.3 million rubles.
So, in the Urals, Chinese and Japanese models have the most ads — 27% and 25%, respectively. In Siberia, the volume of "Chinese" willing to sell increased by 29%. In the south, this figure is highest for Japanese models — 28%, and German — 26%. The volume of offers in the Far East has also increased by 33%, most often these are Japanese brands.
By the end of May 2025, the increase in the number of offers for the sale of used cars compared to January amounted to 25%, confirmed Sergey Ignatov, head of Key customer relations at <url>.
— The increase is due to the large number of ads from private sellers, — he explained. — Their share on our platform has increased from 71% to 80%, while the share of dealers has decreased from 22% to 14%. European, Japanese and Korean brands retain more than 70% of the supply volume. In this regard, the situation remains stable.
The number of ads for Chinese cars is also growing, and it has increased to 5% in five months. The list of the most popular brands has remained unchanged for a long time, with Lada, Kia, Hyundai, Ford, and Toyota among the top five.
"The average cost of a used car in 2025 is slightly above 1.5 million rubles, its average age exceeds 12 years, and the average mileage is more than 160 thousand kilometers," he added.
Which models of used cars are popular
In January-June 2025, the number of ads for the sale of such cars increased by 16.2% compared to the same period last year, the Avito Auto press service reported.
"Lada cars were most often sold this year — they accounted for more than one fifth of the total supply (21.3%). Toyota (7%), Kia (6.2%), Hyundai (6.1%) and Volkswagen (4.8%) also entered the top 5 in terms of the number of ads. Among the models, three Lada models accounted for the most ads — Granta, Priora, Kalina. Among foreign cars, Ford Focus and Hyundai Solaris were most often sold," they said.
The main peak of ad placements in the first half of 2025 occurred in April, said Denis Remizov, CEO of Carlink.
— Most often in January they tried to sell cars of the brands Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Polo and Renault Logan, — he said. — In February, these were Lada Largus, Skoda Octavia and Ford Transit. By May, Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Octavia and Ford Focus entered the top three.
The number of ads for used cars from other European countries and American models increased by 13%, Drome added. The average cost dropped to 1.3 million rubles. The least supply growth occurred in the North-West (+16%), the Central Federal District (+15%) and the Volga Region (+11).
— Sellers who are interested in selling cars faster are forced to lower prices, — said Sergey Lagurev. — In the summer, during the holiday season, car sales always decline, so the downward trend may continue, especially given the increase in supply that has been observed since the beginning of the year. However, popular models are likely to be unaffected by this trend due to the demand for them.
Many car owners who purchased new cars in 2017-2021 are now deciding to upgrade their cars, Avito Auto added.
"Thus, a large number of four- to eight—year-old cars are entering the market," they added. "However, they face serious competition for the attention of buyers: users of the platform often view new cars and used cars at the same time."
In addition, the average sales period is growing, that is, more cars are on sale at a time, Sergey Ignatov added.
— One of the reasons for the increase in time is that private sellers are slow to respond to changes in the market situation, — says the expert. — Many hope to sell their car at a price above the market, while dealers sold cars at a loss and recorded losses. Due to the high refinancing rate, they have also become less likely to buy back used cars.
In addition, the secondary segment is affected by the decline in the exchange rate. It may be cheaper to bring a car from Europe or Asia now than to choose one on the domestic market.
Why is the number of ads growing?
In parallel with the 22% increase in supply, the opposite trend has clearly emerged — a 30% decrease in customer demand, added Alexey Ivanov, owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network.
"The main reason is the high key rate, which, despite the reduction to 20%, is still very high," he said. — Car loans are expensive, it is more profitable to save money in banks. From here, pent-up demand accumulates, which will "shoot up" with a noticeable reduction in the key rate.
The used car market in the B2B segment is experiencing a period of stagnation, Denis Remizov added. The level of overstocking in sellers' warehouses remains high, especially in banks and leasing companies.
"One of the good reasons is the increase in vehicle seizures under car loans and leasing agreements," he explained. — According to market participants, there are about 50 thousand units of various equipment in the portfolios of financial organizations: passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks and special equipment.
According to him, additional pressure is exerted by the discrepancy between the price expectations of sellers and the capabilities of professional buyers. With a wide range of cars of the same type, the market is not ready to overpay, especially in conditions of limited demand.
"Corporate clients who have updated their fleets tend to sell outdated vehicles as soon as possible in order to avoid the cost of maintaining them," the expert added. — At the same time, companies are increasingly resorting to an independent assessment of the cost of equipment in order to establish an adequate market price and increase the likelihood of sale. The problem of demand for used cars is particularly acute — it has noticeably decreased compared to last year, which affects the turnover of inventory.
In the current situation, it is logical to assume a reduction in prices in the struggle for the client during the summer, Alexey Ivanov believes.
— It's already happening. So, in Moscow, prices on the secondary car market fell by 4%, in the Northern capital — by 7%, the expert added. — Among used cars, the largest groups are "Japanese", "Germans" and "Koreans".
Gradually, the share will grow due to the "Chinese", whose three-year warranty period is coming to an end, and the owners are in a hurry to get rid of them. Their massive influx into the secondary market is expected during the year.
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