Second-hand cars with a fuel engine are becoming less expensive

Used cars with a combustion engine have become somewhat cheaper for the first time in 2023. In June, for example, a second-hand car cost an average of €832 less than a month earlier. There are also large price differences between the powertrains. Compared to May, the petrol car is now €928 cheaper, diesels €239 and hybrids even €1,380. The only exception is fully electric cars. Electric used cars have become more than €600 more expensive compared to the month of May.

The price drop is striking, because since June 2022 there has been an average price increase in used cars. For example, in 2022 you still paid an average of €22,108 for a second-hand car, in 2023 that amount has risen to €23,956. “We cannot yet say exactly where the decrease comes from,” says Ingrid Spierts, expert at Gas Pedal.nl. “What we can say is that the decrease is greatest for cars that run on petrol or partly on petrol. This could be because prices at the pump have risen sharply.”

Remarkably enough, against the decline in purchasing power due to inflation, the average search price has risen: “If you look at the average price that consumers search for, you also see a shift. Last year, for example, the Dutch had an average search amount of €18,320. It is now almost 10 percent higher, namely €19,531. It is still too early to say whether the fall in used car prices will also lead to a permanently lower search price.”