The unforgettable old: Russians have already bought about a million used cars since the beginning of the year

Russians have started actively buying used cars — in less than three months, citizens have already purchased about a million such cars. In 2025, the number of used cars sold has become a record, and this year the figure may be even higher, analysts polled by Izvestia believe. The trend was formed due to the fact that prices for new cars were rising faster than household incomes. Against this background, T-Technologies announced the purchase of <url>. Where the market will move in the near future is in the Izvestia article.

Why is the demand for used cars growing?

The used car market has exceeded the new car segment in Russia by five times. In the first two months of this year, Russians bought 848.9 thousand used cars. For new vehicles, the number of transactions was only 160.6 thousand, according to Autostat data.

In 2025, the number of used cars sold turned out to be a record in the entire history of observations (since 2007), and this year the growth continued. In less than three months, Russians have already bought about a million old cars, experts interviewed by Izvestia estimated. This is not explosive growth, but it is steady and important because it comes against the backdrop of a much weaker new car market, said Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global.

The increase in demand for used cars in the country is due to the limited availability of new cars and their high cost, said Dmitry Baranov, a leading expert at Finam Management Management Company. According to him, Russians began to actively look towards used cars in 2023 due to external restrictions, the withdrawal of some foreign car brands from the domestic market and the shortage of new foreign cars.

At the beginning of 2026, the demand for used cars is supported by the revision of the recycling fee, the completion of sales of new car stocks and difficult car loan conditions, the expert noted.

Many Chery models, for example, have stopped being supplied altogether, said Alexey Ivanov, the owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network. Sales of new foreign cars as a whole fell by 20% in the first two months of this year. In such a situation, the secondary market naturally intercepts demand.

The trend was formed due to the fact that prices for new cars grew faster than household incomes, Vladimir Chernov added. The average price of a new car exceeds 3.5 million rubles, while a used car costs about 1.5 million rubles, said Irina Frank, CEO of Frank Auto. In conditions of high inflation and limited incomes of the population, this gap becomes a key choice factor.

She added that the high key interest rate, which the Central Bank has kept at a record high of 21% for more than six months, also played a restraining role. While the share of credit transactions in the primary market is 57% (largely due to subsidies), only about 8% of buyers take out loans in the secondary market.

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How the deal with <url> can affect the market

Against this background, T-Technologies announced the purchase of the <url> portal for 35 billion rubles. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026 after receiving all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, the company noted. T-Technologies estimated the additional effect of the purchase at more than 45 billion rubles over three years.

The presentation for investors also revealed the results of IFRS for 2025. Revenue for the first time in the company's history exceeded 1 trillion rubles, an increase of 49% compared to the previous year, to 1.4 trillion rubles. At the same time, the total number of ecosystem customers reached 54 million. For the whole of 2025, 149 rubles of dividends will be paid per T share, which is 20% more than in 2024, they said.

The deal fits well into the current market situation. It is the segment of used cars that remains the most widespread and stable right now, said Vladimir Chernov from Freedom Finance Global. The group wants to build a full-fledged car ecosystem.

With a monthly audience of more than 30 million users and a presence in 43% of all car transactions in the country, the portal is part of the infrastructure of the entire car market. Integration with <url> will allow to form a vertical: car selection, credit, insurance, maintenance — all in one contour, Alexey Ivanov explained.

— We will seriously strengthen our business with the platform economy, which increases customer loyalty and develops our ecosystem. This will have an effect on all our other business lines," said Stanislav Bliznyuk, President of T-Technologies.

If the products are linked into a single logic, this can significantly facilitate the user experience in the market, noted investment banker Evgeny Kogan.

The purchase of the platform will provide the group with a further strengthening of its position in the automotive business, said Evgeny Kipnis, senior analyst at Alfa Bank. Especially at a time when this segment is becoming less of a priority for the largest competitors — in particular, VTB reduced its portfolio by the end of 2025 and is likely to continue in 2026.

In addition, digital platforms are becoming the main sales channel — 85% of buyers start searching for a car on the Internet, Irina Frank added. For "T-Technologies" purchase of "Auto.ru" opens up opportunities for financial integration. There is a shortage of available credit solutions in the segment of used cars, and the new owner will be able to offer the market comprehensive products (lending, insurance, history verification) in a single window. The effect for the market will be further digitalization of transactions, increasing their transparency and, probably, increased competition between major players, the expert believes.

The stated synergistic effect of 45 billion rubles over three years looks achievable, if we take into account not the one-time profit of the classifieds themselves, but the cumulative effect of the ecosystem, said Vladimir Chernov. At the same time, according to Alexey Ivanov, with such a large customer base and cross-selling potential, the estimate is rather conservative.

In 2026, the demand for used cars will continue to grow, experts say. Their sales can reach a record in five years and amount to about 6.3–6.5 million, Vladimir Chernov believes. Car loans will recover, but not dramatically. Reducing the interest rate to 15% is a positive signal, but banks are still cautious about the quality of the borrower.