- What Car? picked the best second-hand models across 8 used car categories
The best second-hand car to buy this year is a particularly sensible option, according to a panel of road-testing experts.
What Car? has revealed the winners and highly-commended motors in its annual Used Car of the Year Awards – and the standout model is something of a measured and rational selection from Volvo’s suite of practical vehicles.
The motoring magazine’s used car gong for 2024 has gone to the Swedish brand’s XC40 SUV.
It narrowly beat a wide selection of electric vehicles, which have become far more appealing to motorists having suffered massive depreciation in their first year and tumbled in value to more affordable prices on the second-hand market.
A sensible second-hand selection: What Car? has handed the 2024 Used Car of the Year Award to the Volvo XC40 SUV. Find out which other models were recommended by its team of experts
Second-hand car prices have been softening in recent months having spiked to record high levels following new vehicle supply shortages post-pandemic.
The latest Auto Trader Retail Price Index for September shows the average used car value falling to £16,450 – down 8.4 per cent on the same month in 2023.
But while this recent market stability may be good news for the used car buyer in general, it hasn’t made it any easier for drivers to choose the best option for their next motor.
What Car?’s annual Used Car of the Year Awards is designed to help motorists make the choice by highlighting the best used models across eight classes, ranging from hatchbacks to SUVs, with an overall winner chosen from the category winners.
Its pick of the bunch this year is the Volvo XC40, which also scooped the ‘best used SUV’ category.
It was praised by the judging panel for its high-quality interior, superb refinement and family-friendly practicality.
This was enough to stave off competition from a number of electric cars, namely the Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.3 and Kia e-Niro, which all offer tempting price tags given the sizable fall in residual value seen for EVs, which tend to dramatically fall in value in the first 12 months of ownership.
An exclusive study for This is Money by Cap Hpi earlier this year revealed the significance of the first-year impact on EV residual values.
In seven comparisons with petrol or hybrid equivalents, the battery model tended to depreciate far more rapidly in the first 12 months -so much so, in fact, that they fell to a lower price than the internal combustion engine option.
An exclusive comparison of residual values for EVs versus petrol equivalents earlier this year found that a higher-priced electric car would depreciate far more in the first year than a comparable combustion alternative – so much so that the battery versions would be cheaper to buy after 12 months
Commenting on the XC40’s recommendation as the best second-hand motor to buy, What Car? used cars editor Mark Pearson, said: ‘The task of picking out one winner can often be a daunting one for our panel, but this year the voting was unanimous.
‘The XC40 is the supreme all-rounder. It’s a reliable and desirable car that does almost everything exceptionally well, which means you can buy it with your head as well as your heart.
‘It’s supremely versatile too because you can have it as a petrol, diesel, mild hybrid or fully electric car.
‘It’s the way it excels in so many areas, as well as the variety of options it offers the used car buyer, that gave it the victory.
‘The fact that this immensely appealing family SUV should also be such great value when bought used just sealed the deal for us.’
Other winners included the recently disconitnued Audi TT (2014-2024), Honda Jazz (2020-present), Peugeot 5008 (2017-present) and BMW 330e (2019-present).
In addition to the Used Car of the Year and the eight category winners, What Car? named a number of alternative cars to consider in each category, with these excelling in areas that might be of particular interest to used buyers.
Here’s the full list of winners and highly-commended alternatives across the eight different vehicle segments:
What Car?’s 2024 Used Car of the Year winners and runners-up
The Volvo XC40 was praised for its ‘high-quality interior, superb refinement and family-friendly practicality’
OVERALL USED CAR OF THE YEAR 2024: Volvo XC40
The Honda Jazz won the top honour for used hatchback models
BEST USED HATCHBACK
Honda Jazz (2020-present)
Also consider:
BMW 1 Series (2011-2019)
Volkswagen ID 3 (2020-present)
Skoda Citigo (2012-2020)
The Tesla Model 3 beat all its ICE rivals to take the award for best used exec car
BEST USED EXECUTIVE CAR
Tesla Model 3 (2019-present)
Also consider:
Audi A4 (2015-present)
BMW 3 Series (2019-present)
BMW 5 Series (2017-2023)
Despite plenty of competition, Skoda’s versatile Octavia won best second-hand estate
BEST USED ESTATE
Skoda Octavia Estate (2013-2020)
Also consider:
Mercedes E-Class Estate (2016-2023)
MG5 (2020-present)
Toyota Corolla Touring Sports (2019-present)
Ford Puma is a recommended used SUVs
BEST USED SUV
Volvo XC40 (2018-present)
Also consider:
Ford Puma (2019-present)
Kia Sportage (2021-present)
What Car? says to look not further than a Peugeot 5008 if you need a used 7-seater
BEST USED 7-SEATER
Peugeot 5008 (2017-present)
Also consider:
Audi Q7 (2015-present)
Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer (2018-2022)
In the highly-competitive used electric SUV ranks, Kia’s e-Niro came out top
BEST USED ELECTRIC SUV
Kia e-Niro (2018-2022)
Also consider:
Mercedes EQC (2019-2024)
Skoda Enyaq (2020-present)
BMW’s 330e was voted best used hybrid
BEST USED HYBRID
BMW 330e (2019-present)
Also consider:
Volkswagen Golf GTE (2015-2019)
Volvo XC90 T8 (2015-present)
The last-generation Audi TT – discontinued this year – is What Car?’s pick of the used sports cars for 2024
BEST USED SPORTS CAR
Audi TT (2014-2024)
Also consider:
BMW 4 Series Convertible (2021-present)
Ford Fiesta ST (2013-2017)
Mercedes-AMG C63 (2019-2024)
