UK car dealers enjoyed strong September sales, which increased year on year by 11% according to a survey by lead management business enquiryMAX.
It canvassed more than 700 dealers.
The survey data showed the average sale price of a used car dropped from £22,159 in 2017 to £20,369 this year. The average value of part exchange vehicles also decreased, from an average £10,582 to £9,790.
“While the new sector faltered in September it is clear that dealers are seeing a continued profit opportunity in used cars. It is important that all parts of a dealership work together to drive leads,” said David Boyce, managing director of enquiryMAX.
According to Boyce, the strongest leads are generated by customers who have done their research before looking at vehicles. Some 40% buy on the day of making a sales enquiry, and 35% of deals are closed inside 10 days.
Leads from the internet continued to show strong growth, with an increase of 15%, but telephone leads declined 4.3%. However manufacturer leads increased slightly, and were up 3.8%.