Used vehicle market remains resilient amid seasonal slowdown

The Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA), in partnership with AutoGrab, have released the April 2025 Automotive Insights Report, highlighting a seasonal softening in the used car market driven by April’s run of public holidays – and a marked rise in dealer market share compared to the same time last year.

The Ford Ranger was the most popular used vehicle in April 2025 with 4823 sales, followed by the Toyota Hilux (3738), Toyota Corolla (2657), Toyota RAV4 (2155), Mitsubishi Triton (1977), Toyota Camry (1963), Hyundai i30 (1886), Mazda CX-5 (1834), Nissan Navara (1608), and the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (1592).

“April is always impacted by public holidays, but what stands out is the year-on-year growth in dealer engagement,” AADA chief executive James Voortman says.

“Dealers are driving a notable uplift in both stock and sales, clear evidence they’re actively stepping up to meet market demand,” he says.

“Electric vehicles remained a standout segment, defying broader trends with a 7.1% rise in listings and an 8.4% increase in sales compared to March. The EV used vehicle market is showing encouraging signs which, as a result should support a stronger residual valuation price supporting dealerships confidence in retailing and lenders having a better sense of risk,” AutoGrab chief commercial officer Saxon Odgers says.


Key insights from April include:

• Used vehicle listings decline: National listings dipped to 310,054, down 0.6% month-on-month.
• Sales volume drops: Total transactions fell to 182,827, an 8.8% decline compared to March, with notable drops in the ACT (-18.3%), NSW (-12.7%) and VIC (-11.7%).
• Dealer share surges year-on-year: Dealers accounted for 52.5% of listings and 45.4% of all used vehicle sales in April, a substantial increase of 12.9% and 10.5% respectively compared to April 2024. The figures underscore dealers’ growing prominence in the online marketplace, driven by better digital tools, structured inventory management, and consumer trust in dealer-backed transactions.
• Days to sell improved marginally: Vehicles took an average of 49.7 days to sell, a slight improvement from 51.3 days the previous month, indicating a modest uptick in turnover efficiency.

The April 2025 Automotive Insights Report offers an in-depth view of market trends, sales activity, and vehicle turnover across the country, providing intelligence for dealers, consumers, and policymakers.