Feature
Best of 2023 at Auto Trader
From the biggest car brands to the biggest selling models, and everything in between, here are the cars you’ve been looking up on Auto Trader in 2023.
Words by: Nimisha Jain
Published on 20 December 2023 | 0 min read
It’s been an exciting 2023 at Auto Trader. This year, we've worked on making your experience bigger and better on Auto Trader - this meant introducing e-bikes on Auto Trader, providing you with more cars to buy as well as lease, giving away free electric cars, and holding various competitions on our social media (spoiler alert: there's more coming your way in 2024).
And just like we’ve had some viral moments this year – from ChatGPT taking over the internet to every wall being plastered with Barbenheimer posters – Auto Trader too has seen some really interesting trends throughout 2023. From the cars you've drooled over, brands you've liked and disliked, and the adverts you've spent hours looking at - we've packaged it all in this article to find out which cars and brands the British public love the most.
And just like we’ve had some viral moments this year – from ChatGPT taking over the internet to every wall being plastered with Barbenheimer posters – Auto Trader too has seen some really interesting trends throughout 2023. From the cars you've drooled over, brands you've liked and disliked, and the adverts you've spent hours looking at - we've packaged it all in this article to find out which cars and brands the British public love the most.
Colour of the year
After looking at all the car advertised on Auto Trader in 2023, we found out that the colour black topped the list as the most popular colour on Auto Trader for the third year running.
The second most popular colour was grey this year followed by white. SMMT also looks at all the new cars registered throughout the year and publishes the most popular colour in the UK for new cars. Last year, grey came out on top of this list followed by black.
The second most popular colour was grey this year followed by white. SMMT also looks at all the new cars registered throughout the year and publishes the most popular colour in the UK for new cars. Last year, grey came out on top of this list followed by black.
Speaking of car colours, we saw a spike in pink cars this year…
Barbie-mania takes over Auto Trader
We all remember the time when everywhere we looked we saw a meme or a story related to Barbie, including our favourite brands, celebrities, social media, and Auto Trader too.
Car enthusiasts on Auto Trader joined in on the hype to get a ‘Barbiecore’ ride. Searches for pink cars on Auto Trader dramatically spiked on the day of the movie’s release, with a whopping 155% uplift compared to the day before the movie premiere. We even listed down the top ten most Barbiecore vehicles that were up for grabs on Auto Trader when the movie released. Vehicles can make a movie even more thrilling. Some of the greatest movies have featured cars and bikes in mind-blowing stunts and drag races. We’ve listed some of our top picks of the best cars on the silver screen. Which ones would you add to the list? Let us know on our Twitter account.
Car enthusiasts on Auto Trader joined in on the hype to get a ‘Barbiecore’ ride. Searches for pink cars on Auto Trader dramatically spiked on the day of the movie’s release, with a whopping 155% uplift compared to the day before the movie premiere. We even listed down the top ten most Barbiecore vehicles that were up for grabs on Auto Trader when the movie released. Vehicles can make a movie even more thrilling. Some of the greatest movies have featured cars and bikes in mind-blowing stunts and drag races. We’ve listed some of our top picks of the best cars on the silver screen. Which ones would you add to the list? Let us know on our Twitter account.
Most popular body type
It comes as no surprise that the hatchback was the most viewed car body shape in 2023 on Auto Trader. While hatchbacks came out on top with a whopping 696 million views on Auto Trader, the least searched-for car type was hearses with just 1,700 views.
The practicality, efficiency, and affordability of a hatchback make it a popular choice amongst British buyers. Learn more about which features make a car a ‘hatchback’ and how it differs from a coupe.
The practicality, efficiency, and affordability of a hatchback make it a popular choice amongst British buyers. Learn more about which features make a car a ‘hatchback’ and how it differs from a coupe.
Most popular car
The iconic Volkswagen Golf was the most popular car in 2023, with the highest number of views on Auto Trader. The VW Golf still has a lot of strong appeal amongst visitors to the Auto Trader website. Buyers have a lot of options when it comes to a Golf with diesel, petrol, mild-hybrid, and full plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engine types to choose from. Overall, the Golf is a comfortable car which is good for city driving.
Read our full expert review about the Volkswagen Golf
Read our full expert review about the Volkswagen Golf
Millions wanted to know what their car’s worth
On Auto Trader, you can use our free Valuations tool to find out what your car’s really worth. This year, we had 2.7 million people use our Valuations tools.
Finding out your car’s value is easy, and only takes a few minutes on Auto Trader. All you have to do is enter your car’s registration number and mileage to get started. We look at millions of vehicles each day to get you the most accurate result and we use independent market data to ensure that the price quoted is fair and correct. We can value all types of cars and of different ages – chances are you’re one of the millions who have already found out their car’s worth with us. But if not, don’t wait any longer as our Valuations tool is free to use, and your car could be worth more than you think. Value your car today.
Finding out your car’s value is easy, and only takes a few minutes on Auto Trader. All you have to do is enter your car’s registration number and mileage to get started. We look at millions of vehicles each day to get you the most accurate result and we use independent market data to ensure that the price quoted is fair and correct. We can value all types of cars and of different ages – chances are you’re one of the millions who have already found out their car’s worth with us. But if not, don’t wait any longer as our Valuations tool is free to use, and your car could be worth more than you think. Value your car today.
Most sold cars
Perhaps for the last time, the iconic and discontinued Ford Fiesta has been the most advertised car on the Auto Trader platform this year, with around 124,000 separate listings – up 16,000 from the year before. The Volkswagen Golf came in second with 98,000 listings, closely followed by the Ford Focus with 97,000 adverts.
Ford Fiesta is one of the most popular cars in the world and was sold from 1976 to 2023 with a total of seven generations. Its great value, practicality, and versatility have won hearts all over the globe. While you can’t buy a new Ford Fiesta anymore, you can still nab a used Ford Fiesta, with over 10,500 available to buy right now on Auto Trader.
Ford Fiesta is one of the most popular cars in the world and was sold from 1976 to 2023 with a total of seven generations. Its great value, practicality, and versatility have won hearts all over the globe. While you can’t buy a new Ford Fiesta anymore, you can still nab a used Ford Fiesta, with over 10,500 available to buy right now on Auto Trader.
Everyone wants an electric car
The popular Tesla Model 3 was the fastest-selling electric vehicle in 2023 on Auto Trader. Tesla Model 3 was also the most popular electric car with over 3.6 million views on its new and used car adverts on Auto Trader. With a great long-distance driving range and the benefit of being able to use Tesla’s Superchargers, the Tesla Model 3 is a great option for anyone looking to buy an electric car. Read our full expert review of the Tesla Model 3 to learn more.
In terms of new car adverts for electric cars, the MG4 was the most popular new electric car bagging the highest number of advert views in 2023 on Auto Trader. With low running costs, cool looks, and a good driving experience, the MG4 provides an affordable route to owning an electric car. Read our full review here. Electric vehicles are continuing to grow in popularity, and this is only set to continue over the coming years as Brits look to transition ahead of the 2035 ban of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
In terms of new car adverts for electric cars, the MG4 was the most popular new electric car bagging the highest number of advert views in 2023 on Auto Trader. With low running costs, cool looks, and a good driving experience, the MG4 provides an affordable route to owning an electric car. Read our full review here. Electric vehicles are continuing to grow in popularity, and this is only set to continue over the coming years as Brits look to transition ahead of the 2035 ban of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
Free car anyone?
This year we had over five million entrants for our Electric Car Giveaway and out of those, 12 lucky winners won a free electric car on behalf of Auto Trader.
Besides the 12 electric cars that were up for grabs, we also gave away a free e-bike. Since the giveaway started on Auto Trader, we’ve given away 32 electric vehicles to date. You can still enter our Electric Car Giveaway and be our 33rd lucky winner this month. It’s free to enter and only takes a minute to submit your entry and be in the chance to win a free car worth thousands of pounds. Enter today.
Besides the 12 electric cars that were up for grabs, we also gave away a free e-bike. Since the giveaway started on Auto Trader, we’ve given away 32 electric vehicles to date. You can still enter our Electric Car Giveaway and be our 33rd lucky winner this month. It’s free to enter and only takes a minute to submit your entry and be in the chance to win a free car worth thousands of pounds. Enter today.
That’s it from us folks, but we’ve got another exciting year ahead of us and we’re looking forward to all the cars we’re going to find on Auto Trader in 2024
What are your predictions for 2024? Which car do you think will be most popular and will electric cars overtake petrol cars to become the top-selling cars? Let us know your thoughts on our Twitter and Facebook channels. If you’re looking to buy a car, look no further. We’ve got thousands of new and used cars for you to browse through.
What are your predictions for 2024? Which car do you think will be most popular and will electric cars overtake petrol cars to become the top-selling cars? Let us know your thoughts on our Twitter and Facebook channels. If you’re looking to buy a car, look no further. We’ve got thousands of new and used cars for you to browse through.