The most searched for used cars on Auto Trader

The funky Ford Ka is the most searched for city car by a big margin. It has a cheeky charm and fun driving experience, which make it perfect for urban life and appeals to the young and the young at heart.

1) Ford Ka – 496,128 (Read a Ford Ka review)
2) Mini Cooper – 220,938 (Read a Mini Cooper review)
3) Mini Cooper S – 220,938 (Read a Mini Cooper S review)
4) Volkswagen Lupo - 100,174 (Read a Volkswagen Lupo review)
5) Fiat Panda – 60,492 (Read a Fiat Panda review)

Supermini

The Vauxhall Corsa is just ahead of its rival the Ford Fiesta. The small Vauxhall remains hugely popular with young drivers and those looking to save some cash. Insurance and running costs are among the lowest around and thanks to huge sales, there are lots of used Vauxhall Corsas available at competitive prices.

1) Vauxhall Corsa – 1,478,409 (Read a Vauxhall Corsa review)
2) Ford Fiesta – 1,409,283 (Read a Ford Fiesta review)
3) Renault Clio – 1,244,060 (Read a Renault Clio review)
4) Peugeot 206 – 1,116,629 (Read a Peugeot 206 review)
5) Volkswagen Polo – 903,081 (Read a Volkswagen Polo review)

Hatchback

The Volkswagen Golf isn’t just the most searched for used hatchback – it’s the most searched for car on Auto Trader full stop. More than three million people typed Golf into our search engine this March which just shows how popular hatchbacks are in the UK, and how many people respect the tough Volkswagen Golf.

1) Volkswagen Golf – 3,020,016 (Read a Volkswagen Golf review)
2) Ford Focus – 1,800,224 (Read a Ford Focus review)
3) Vauxhall Astra – 1,653,648 (Read a Vauxhall Astra review)
4) Honda Civic – 1,157,114 (Read a Honda Civic review)
5) Audi A3 – 1,034,388 (Read a Audi A3 review)

Family car

Often it takes top spot, but this month the BMW 3 Series was searched for just a few thousand times less than the Volkswagen Golf. The BMW 3 series is constant hit thanks to its long standing pedigree and desirability. It has a reputation for its fine handling and engines, and it’s one of the only rear-wheel-drive cars in the class.

1) BMW 3-Series – 2,993,016 (Read a BMW 3-Series review)
2) Audi A4 – 1,569,108 (Read a Audi A4 review)
3) Ford Mondeo – 1,056,859 (Read a Ford Mondeo review)
4) Volkswagen Passat – 975,699 (Read a Volkswagen Passat review)
5) Vauxhall Vectra – 898,175 (Read a Vauxhall Vectra review)

MPV

The Ford Galaxy has been given rave reviews in the press since its launch thanks to its space, performance and great handling. The fact three spots in the top five are taken by the Ford Galaxy, Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra - early models were a joint venture and all the same car under the skin – just goes to show its dominance in the MPV class.

1) Ford Galaxy – 277,489 (Read a Ford Galaxy review)
2) Volkswagen Sharan – 158,115 (Read a Volkswagen Sharan review)
3) Chrysler Grand Voyager – 81,488 (Read a Grand Voyager review)
4) Renault Espace – 78,258 (Read a Renault Espace review)
5) Seat Alhambra – 76,296 (Read a Seat Alhabmra review)

4x4

The hottest off-roader according to your searching is the BMW X5, followed by a trio of Land Rovers, the Range Rover, Freelander and Discovery. The BMW X5 blew the opposition out of the water in 2000 when BMW turned their hand to the four-wheel-drive market with remarkable success. BMW realised most people don’t go ‘mud plugging’, so they honed the BMW X5 to feel great on the road while offering the space and stature of a premium SUV.

1) BMW X5 – 478,691 (Read a BMW X5 review)
2) Land Rover Range Rover – 439,466 (Read a Range Rover review)
3) Land Rover Freelander – 437,704 (Read a Freeland review)
4) Land Rover Discovery – 391,284 (Read a Discovery review)
5) Toyota RAV4 – 271,137 (Read a Toyota RAV4 review)

Executive car

It seems you can’t get enough of the Munich carmaker, and the BMW 5-Series is the most searched for executive car, with more than one million searches in March. The styling of the BMW 5-Series was controversial when it was launched, but its sharp-edged look has been a massive success and now it’s a style been adopted for the rest of the BMW range.

1) BMW 5-Series – 1,089,552 (Read a BMW 5-Series review)
2) Audi A6 – 635,378 (Read an Audi A6 review)
3) Mercedes-Benz E-Class – 560,735 (Read a Mercedes E-Class review)
4) Jaguar S-Type – 173,822 (Read a Jaguar S-Type review)
5) Volvo V70 – 172,789 (Read a Volvo V70 review)

Convertible

It should be no surprise the Mazda MX-5 your number one choice of convertible – it is the car which revolutionised the British sports car market after all. Mazda developed the car to appeal to the senses in the same way as cars like the 1960s Lotus Elan, and boy did their work pay off. The Mazda MX-5’s low cost, reliability and huge fun factor have made it our most popular convertible, come rain or shine.

1) Mazda MX-5 – 252,852 (Read a Mazda MX-5 review)
2) Porsche Boxster – 229,648 (Read a Porsche Boxster review)
3) Mercedes-Benz SLK – 189,414 (Read a Mercedes SLK review)
4) Mercedes-Benz SL – 169,878 (Read a Mercedes SL review)
5) BMW Z3 – 124,503 (Read a BMW Z3 review)

Sports car

Those of you with a penchant for speed were searching for an Audi TT last month. The Audi badge, looks, popularity and performance are clearly all getting your mouse fingers clicking – and with more than 2,000 available you should be able to find your perfect example.

1) Audi TT – 543,781 (Read an Audi TT review)
2) Mercedes-Benz CLK – 383,965 (Read a Mercedes CLK review)
3) Porsche 911 – 380,728 (Read a Porsche 911 review)
4) Toyota Celica – 290,136 (Read a Toyota Celica review)
5) Mazda MX-5 – 252,852 (Read a Mazda MX-5 review)

*All Figures refer to the number of used car searches completed in March 2008.