They went back to their old ways: used car sales increased by 12% in a month

Sales of used cars in April increased by 12% compared to March, Izvestia found out. The growth was observed in all federal districts. To a greater extent in the Central and Volga regions — by 29% and 23%, respectively, and to a lesser extent in the Far East — by 5%. Most often, motorists bought models such as Kia Sportage, Hyundai Creta, Audi A6, Skoda Octavia, Renault Duster, Volkswagen Golf, Lada Granta. Experts explained what was happening by the high cost of new cars and car loans — against this background, demand is concentrated in the segment of up to 1 million rubles, in which virtually only used cars are represented.

How the demand for used cars has grown

Sales of used cars increased in April in all federal districts of Russia, according to data from the aggregator "Drom". The trend was most noticeable in the regions of the Central Federal District (+29% compared to March) and the Volga Federal District (+23%). In the Far East, this figure was 5%, in Siberia — 8%, in the Urals — 9%, and on average in the country — 12%.

Korean, European and American brands were most often bought. In particular, demand for Kia Sportage, Hyundai Creta, Audi A6, Skoda Octavia, Renault Duster, Volkswagen Golf and Chevrolet Lacetti increased by 23-25%. Demand for domestic cars has also increased by 13%. The share of budget car sales of up to 1 million rubles was 69%, and the 1-1.5 million segment — 17%.

At the same time, the supply of used cars remained virtually unchanged in April — according to <url>, it increased by only 1% compared to March. Kia Rio, Lada Granta, Hyundai Solaris, Ford Focus, Lada Priora and Toyota Camry became the most popular models on this site.

"The growth in actual sales is due to a general revival in demand in the market, as well as a shift in consumer interest away from the new car segment," they explained. "In addition, the vast majority of the supply of cars worth up to 1 million rubles is concentrated in the secondary market."

<url> believes that there is no reason to expect further significant sales growth in the secondary market.

"If the macroeconomic indicators do not change, then in 2026 the volume of the used car market will remain at the level of 6 million units," the company said.

Why has the demand for used cars increased?

The April 12% increase in used car sales is a natural market reaction to current economic conditions, Alexey Ivanov, owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network, told Izvestia.

"The cost gap between new and used cars continues to widen, and the high cost of loans makes the secondary market the main purchase scenario for a significant portion of consumers," he explained.

According to the expert, now a new car, even in the basic segment, costs 2.5–3 million rubles, while car loan rates remain high. Against this background, demand naturally concentrates in the segment of up to 1 million rubles, which accounts for most of the transactions.

— For many customers, this is not a question of preferences, but of accessibility, — said Alexey Ivanov. — The growing interest in Korean and European models with mileage is also understandable. Kia, Hyundai, Skoda and Volkswagen retain the reputation of cars with an understandable maintenance cost, a developed spare parts market and predictable operation.

With limited official imports, high-quality cars of these brands are becoming more and more in demand on the secondary market. The behavior of buyers is also changing — the market is becoming more rational and mature.

— Customers have become more attentive to choosing a car, they check the operation history and technical condition more often, and they take longer to make a purchase decision, — said Alexey Ivanov.

He added that the supply of high-quality used cars is growing slower than demand, so some popular models have already significantly increased in value compared to the beginning of the year.

"If the current imbalance persists, the pressure on prices in the mass segment will continue," the expert believes.

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The risks of buying used cars

Cars older than five years, as a rule, have a mileage of 60-100 thousand km, said Nikita Rodionov, technical director of the international franchise network of car service Fit Service.

"On such runs, not only standard maintenance is already required, but also repairs and replacements of certain car parts," he said. — The older the car, the more parts and assemblies will be worn out. The older the car, the more thorough the inspection should be at a professional car service. It is important not only to inspect the exterior of the body and engine compartment, but also to perform in-depth diagnostics of the engine, transmission, suspension, and electronics.

The selection of a used car should begin with checking the digital footprint: analyzing electronic reports that may show discrepancies in real and "drawn" mileage, indicate serious accidents, extensive repairs at car services, and accurate maintenance.

— In addition, it is important to check the legal purity of the car: whether it is in pledge or in arrest, whether registration is possible, — Nikita Rodionov pointed out. — The selection stage is very important, despite the fact that it takes place behind a laptop screen, completely remotely. You haven't seen the car yet, but you already know a lot about it and its owner.

Among the pitfalls of the first stage of verification, he named the discrepancy between mileage in reports and on the odometer, various legal restrictions, discrepancies in the number of owners, and serious accidents.

The expert advised dividing the further stage of checking the machine into two parts — an external self-inspection, for example, with a thickness gauge and diagnostics in a professional service station.

— Sellers of used cars most often try to hide many different brewing internal problems: engine and transmission wear, the need for serious repairs in the chassis, serious problems in the fuel or electronic systems of the car, — said Nikita Rodionov. — Anything that requires significant costs can be hidden.

The expert urged to be extremely cautious about ads for the sale of cars significantly below the market price. Good cars tend to be above the market.