The most sought-after used cars of 2023

In November this year, the average price of a second-hand car offered on Gaspedal.nl and Autotrack was €24,194. Although the average asking price in November was not as high as earlier this year, it is still a lot of money. Of course, there are also countless used cars that change hands for less than 24 grand. In our Enthusiast Wanted section, for example, we focus on the golden opportunities, the forgotten gems and sometimes even on the relatively dirt-cheap outcasts whose pistons can’t wait to go up and down for an enthusiast for years to come. But what were the most searched for car models in the AutoWeek used car finder this year?

1. BMW 3 Series

In 2021 and 2022, the Volkswagen Golf was the most searched for second-hand car in the AutoWeek used car finder. This year the Golf must acknowledge its superiority in the car that was in second place in those years: the BMW 3-series. The ever-popular BMW tops the used car list this year. The 3-series is of course available in all shapes and sizes and of various ages. After all, the model has been around for several decades, from modest 316i’s to powerful M3’s and from plug-in hybrid 330’s to big diesels. The 3 Series has also been supplied for years not only as a sedan or Touring, but also as a Coupé, Cabriolet and even as a 3 Series GT with a large fifth door. At the time of writing, no fewer than 2,810 examples of BMW’s 3-series can be found in the AutoWeek used car range.

2. Volkswagen Golf

The Golf has been a stable pillar in the car world for years, but this year AutoWeek’s used car empire is leaning more heavily on the 3-series. Yet the Volkswagen Golf comes in a respectable second place. The Volkswagen Golf has also been around for several decades and eight generations have been released over the years. There are petrol and diesel versions, sporty GTIs, GTDs, plug-in hybrid versions and even electric versions. Whether you want a Golf Hatchback, Variant or Cabriolet: there is bound to be something you like among the nearly 4,700 units for sale at the time of writing.

Volkswagen e-Golf

3. Toyota Yaris

The virtually infallible Toyota Yaris may be the occasion for those who are looking for a no-nonsense model with which you can spend the next few years of driving as problem-free as possible. The current model looks more imaginative by Yaris standards, but for its time, the original Yaris Starlet successor with its unique dashboard was also a relatively special newcomer. Toyota’s Yaris have been supplied with 1.0s and 1.3s, among others, and the hatchback has also been available with hybrid powertrains for several years. So nice and economical. And for those who need a lot of space, do not want to spend too much and like the appearance, the Yaris Verso is of course an interesting option. There are currently almost 2,300 Yaris in the AutoWeek used car range.

Toyota Yaris: the youngest next to the oldest.

4.Volvo XC60

Since the Dutch market introduction of the first generation Volvo XC60, more than 26,000 copies have been registered in the Netherlands. It is therefore not surprising that no fewer than 1,350 copies of the Volvo XC60 are for sale in the AutoWeek used car range. The XC60 is an interesting alternative for those who find the X3s and Q5s of this world too German. The current generation XC60 is available with plug-in hybrid powertrains and you will also find dozens of them in our range. The oldest XC60s in the range are of course of the first generation and are for sale from year 2008 onwards.

5.Toyota RAV4

The second SUV in the list is also the second car in Toyota’s top 10: the RAV4. Toyota’s alternative to cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage has been winning the hearts of down-to-earth Dutch consumers since 2000. Lots of car, reliable technology and it is now even available as a plug-in hybrid with more than 300 hp: the RAV4 range is very extensive. The first RAV4 was not only available as a five-door, but also as a four-door. The AutoWeek used car range contains almost 1,300 copies. Of course, these include very young cars, but also examples from the beginning of the RAV4 career. Fun fact: the car that you have known as FunCruiser in the Netherlands since the mid-1990s was actually the first RAV4.

6. Nissan Qashqai

For years you would find one or more Nissan Qashqais on every street corner. The successor to the Almera was difficult to find, especially in its first and second generations. Among the more than 3,000 Qashqais in the AutoWeek used car range you will of course find young examples of the current generation, in this case with mild-hybrid powertrains. We do not come across the e-Power. There are only a handful of current Qashqais on offer. The oldest examples date from 2007, the most affordable of which has a price tag of more than 3 tons and still has to yield just under 4 grand.

7.Volvo XC40

The second Volvo in the list is the first model series in this overview of which only one generation exists. The XC40 appeared on the Dutch market in 2018. Initially only with hybrid petrol and diesel engines and plug-in hybrid powertrains, later the range was enriched with several thoroughly upgraded fully electric versions. The more than 1,700 XC40s in the AutoWeek used car range include very young electric examples, but also T3s, T5s and D4s from its introductory year. Prices start at around €22,000.

8. BMW 5 Series

Are you looking for a leading E-segmenter? Then you quickly arrive at cars such as the Audi A6, the Mercedes-Benz E-class and the BMW 5-series. We do not find the A6 and the E-class in this top 10, but the 5 series does. Just like the 3-series, the 5-series has also been a big name in the car world for years. The 5-series story started in the early 1970s with the E21 and earlier this year we were introduced to the eighth generation, of which the Touring has yet to be unveiled. We no longer find any copies of the E21, but there are still a number of the E28 for sale. Of course, there are more than enough copies of the E39, E60, F10 and G30 in particular – generations four, five, six and seven in succession.

The sixth generation 5 Series (F10, left) next to the fourth (E39, right)

9. Kia Niro

The Kia Niro has been an indispensable part of Dutch sales statistics for years and this was certainly not only due to its fully electric versions. Since the Dutch market introduction of the first generation Niro in 2016, almost 60,000 units have been registered in our country. You will find no fewer than 1,800 of these in our used car range. Eight-year-old hybrid Niros change owners for around 15 grand. The range of first-generation plug-ins is less extensive.

10.BMW X1

BMW is the only brand with three cars in the list of most sought-after used cars. Tenth place goes to the X1, a car that for years was a size larger than the X2. The BMW There is also an electric iX1, a variant that was of course unknown to the first and second generations published in 2009 and 2016 respectively. The oldest X1s in the AutoWeek used car range date from 2010 and change owners from around €10,000.

Did you buy a second-hand car in 2023? And which car was that? Maybe you are planning to purchase another used car in 2024. Do you have a face on something yet?