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Days of use for diesel used cars are at a historic low
Used cars are selling more expensively than ever, but also faster than ever. This was the result of an analysis by Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT), according to which diesel cars recently only stayed at dealers for an average of 73 days.
Days of use for diesel used cars are at a historic low
In December, used cars sold significantly faster than in previous months. Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT) determined this based on a database evaluation. Used petrol cars lasted an average of 81 days, diesel cars only 73 days. Since this database evaluation began in 2016, used diesel cars have never been sold as quickly as in the last month of 2021. For gasoline engines, the lowest value to date was also 73 days - that was in December 2020. Martin Weiss, Head of DAT Vehicle Valuation: "Since the discussion about diesel began at the end of 2016, used diesel cars have sometimes been available for over 20 days longer than comparable gasoline used cars. Since “Now that this phase is over, since Corona has greatly fueled the demand for individual mobility and there are fewer and fewer used diesel cars available, dealers have been able to sell the few available cars much faster and more profitably than in the past.”
Used car prices continued to soar in December. At 61.6% of the former new list price, three-year-old petrol vehicles were at a record high, used diesel cars also made another significant jump in December and reached 58.7% of their former new list price. “These are partly values that two-year-old used cars could otherwise achieve,” explains Martin Weiss. "We have never experienced anything like this on such a scale that, due to strong demand and limited supply, three-year-old cars are often traded at prices that would otherwise be the case for two-year-old cars. The value level has, so to speak, shifted by a year."
Inflation also plays a role in the high price level, but prices are most clearly regulated by supply and demand. This exceptionally high price level is expected to stay with us well into 2022. "The availability of sought-after young used cars remains scarce, as fewer new vehicles were registered with car rental companies, dealers or even manufacturers than usual in 2021. In 2022, prospective buyers would have liked to have purchased these as young used cars," summarizes Martin Weiss.