Are used car dealers really quiet? - a Car Dealer Magazine survey

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1. In your own words, what is really happening in the used car market at the moment?

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2. What type of dealership do you represent? (Required.)

Independent used car dealer

Franchised dealer

Car supermarket

Online retailer

Auction, remarketing or car-buying business

Other

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3. Approximately how many used vehicles do you normally hold in stock? (Required.)

Fewer than 10

10–24

25–49

50–99

100–249

250 or more

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4. Where is your business primarily based? (Required.)

Scotland

North East

North West

Yorkshire and the Humber

East Midlands

West Midlands

Wales

East of England

London

South East

South West

Northern Ireland

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5. What price bracket best describes most of your used stock? (Required.)

Under £5,000

£5,000–£9,999

£10,000–£14,999

£15,000–£24,999

£25,000–£39,999

£40,000 or more

No single dominant price bracket

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6. How would you describe your used car trading during July 2026? (Required.)

Exceptional

Good

Steady or ticking over

Poor

Disastrous

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7. Compared with July 2025, were your used car sales in July 2026: (Required.)

Up significantly

Up slightly

About the same

Down slightly

Down significantly

Not sure or not directly comparable

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8. How has trading been during the first part of August 2026? (Required.)

Stronger than July

Broadly similar to July

Weaker than July

Too early to tell

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9. Compared with a normal summer, what are you currently seeing? (Required.)

	Much stronger	Slightly stronger	About normal	Slightly weaker	Much weaker	Not sure
Enquiries and leads	Enquiries and leads Much stronger	Enquiries and leads Slightly stronger	Enquiries and leads About normal	Enquiries and leads Slightly weaker	Enquiries and leads Much weaker	Enquiries and leads Not sure
Forecourt or showroom visits	Forecourt or showroom visits Much stronger	Forecourt or showroom visits Slightly stronger	Forecourt or showroom visits About normal	Forecourt or showroom visits Slightly weaker	Forecourt or showroom visits Much weaker	Forecourt or showroom visits Not sure
Customer conversion	Customer conversion Much stronger	Customer conversion Slightly stronger	Customer conversion About normal	Customer conversion Slightly weaker	Customer conversion Much weaker	Customer conversion Not sure
Finance applications	Finance applications Much stronger	Finance applications Slightly stronger	Finance applications About normal	Finance applications Slightly weaker	Finance applications Much weaker	Finance applications Not sure
Stock turn	Stock turn Much stronger	Stock turn Slightly stronger	Stock turn About normal	Stock turn Slightly weaker	Stock turn Much weaker	Stock turn Not sure

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10. Which factors do you believe are affecting the used car market at the moment? (Required.)

Normal summer seasonality

School holidays

Hot weather

The World Cup

Pressure on household finances

High finance payments or borrowing costs

Strong new car offers

Discounts from Chinese car brands

Increased interest in electric vehicles

Shortage of desirable used stock

High retail prices

Customers delaying purchases

Poor lead quality

Increased competition

Other

Question Title

11. Which types of vehicles are currently performing best for you? (Required.)

Cars priced below £5,000

Cars priced between £5,000 and £10,000

Small petrol cars

Family SUVs

Premium or prestige cars

Performance cars

Convertibles and sports cars

Diesel vehicles

Hybrids

Plug-in hybrids

Electric vehicles

Vans

Nearly-new vehicles

No particular category is outperforming

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12. What is currently putting the greatest pressure on your profitability? (Required.)

Lower sales volumes

Reduced margins

Rising preparation costs

Warranty and aftersales costs

Advertising costs

Finance-related changes

Stock funding costs

Falling trade values

Staffing and overhead costs

Profitability is not currently under pressure

Other

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13. How confident are you about used car trading for the remainder of August and September? (Required.)

Very confident

Fairly confident

Neither confident nor concerned

Fairly concerned

Very concerned

Very confident

Fairly confident

Neither confident nor concerned

Fairly concerned

Very concerned

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14. What are customers telling you, and what changes have you made in response?

(You could mention affordability, finance, fuel costs, electric cars, new car offers, customer confidence, stock choices or changes to pricing and advertising)

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15. May Car Dealer quote your comments? (Required.)

Yes, using my name and dealership

Yes, identifying my dealership but not me personally

Yes, but anonymously

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16. Name

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17. Job title

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18. Dealership name

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19. Email address

Your details will only be used to verify your response or contact you about your comments. They will not be published without permission.

Are used car dealers really quiet? - a Car Dealer Magazine survey

Question Title

* 1. In your own words, what is really happening in the used car market at the moment?

Question Title

* 2. What type of dealership do you represent? (Required.)

Question Title

* 3. Approximately how many used vehicles do you normally hold in stock? (Required.)

Question Title

* 4. Where is your business primarily based? (Required.)

Question Title

* 5. What price bracket best describes most of your used stock? (Required.)

Question Title

* 6. How would you describe your used car trading during July 2026? (Required.)

Question Title

* 7. Compared with July 2025, were your used car sales in July 2026: (Required.)

Question Title

* 8. How has trading been during the first part of August 2026? (Required.)

Question Title

* 9. Compared with a normal summer, what are you currently seeing? (Required.)

Question Title

* 10. Which factors do you believe are affecting the used car market at the moment? (Required.)

Question Title

* 11. Which types of vehicles are currently performing best for you? (Required.)

Question Title

* 12. What is currently putting the greatest pressure on your profitability? (Required.)

Question Title

* 13. How confident are you about used car trading for the remainder of August and September? (Required.)

Question Title

* 14. What are customers telling you, and what changes have you made in response?

Question Title

* 15. May Car Dealer quote your comments? (Required.)

Question Title

* 16. Name

Question Title

* 17. Job title

Question Title

* 18. Dealership name

Question Title

* 19. Email address

1. In your own words, what is really happening in the used car market at the moment?

2. What type of dealership do you represent? (Required.)

3. Approximately how many used vehicles do you normally hold in stock? (Required.)

4. Where is your business primarily based? (Required.)

5. What price bracket best describes most of your used stock? (Required.)

6. How would you describe your used car trading during July 2026? (Required.)

7. Compared with July 2025, were your used car sales in July 2026: (Required.)

8. How has trading been during the first part of August 2026? (Required.)

9. Compared with a normal summer, what are you currently seeing? (Required.)

10. Which factors do you believe are affecting the used car market at the moment? (Required.)

11. Which types of vehicles are currently performing best for you? (Required.)

12. What is currently putting the greatest pressure on your profitability? (Required.)

13. How confident are you about used car trading for the remainder of August and September? (Required.)

14. What are customers telling you, and what changes have you made in response?

15. May Car Dealer quote your comments? (Required.)

16. Name

17. Job title

18. Dealership name

19. Email address