The fastest (& slowest) selling cars on the market in 2018

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Hanna Horvath, CFP®

Hanna Horvath, CFP®

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ & Managing Editor, Growth

Hanna Horvath is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and managing editor for growth at Policygenius. She helps produce the Easy Money newsletter, and owns all growth initiatives for Easy Money. She recently passed her exam to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in November 2020.

Hanna's work has appeared in NBC News, Business Insider and Inc. Magazine. She is regularly quoted in top media outlets, including CNBC, Best Company and HerMoney. She has also appeared on the Money Moolala podcast and All's Fair podcast.

Prior to Policygenius, Hanna wrote for KNBC in Los Angeles and WNBC in New York. When she isn't writing, she's (often) running, (usually) cooking and (sometimes) doing photography.

Published September 28, 2018|3 min read

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Buying a car is a major purchase, especially if it’s your first time. If you are on a tight budget, buying a used car may be for you.

The average time it takes for a late-model (model year from 2015 to 2017) used car to sell is 46.4 days — but not every car sells that quickly (or slowly), according to a report by ISeeCars.com.

The automotive research firm ranked the fastest- and slowest-selling used cars in the first half of 2018. At the top of the slowest list was the Porsche Cayenne, a luxury SUV priced at more than $60,000, while the fastest-selling car was the Toyota Prius C, selling for $15,000. The 10 slowest-selling cars stayed on market for an average of 65.3 days, while the 10 fastest-selling cars changed hands in an average of 33.9 days.

What makes a car not sell?

Julie Blackley, communications manager of ISeeCars.com, said most of the cars on the slowest-selling list are luxury vehicles or cars branded to a specific audience.

She gave the example of Buick, which holds the number two and three spots on the slowest-selling list.

“Buick has a reputation of having only older customers,” she said. “Branding has an impact on who is going to be purchasing a car.”

Blackley also said luxury vehicles tend to be leased initially, so after the lease ends, “there’s a glut of them in the used marketplace.”

Where the car is made also matters. Blackley said American-made cars sell much more slowly than foreign-made cars, because they're perceived as less reliable. The fastest-selling list had a mix of foreign-made cars, specifically from Japan and Germany, and lower-cost popular models. Blackley also said some luxury cars, like the BMW i3, have such a high depreciation rate that by the time they're presented as a late-model used car, they're much more affordable and will sell quickly.

Deciding what cars will sell quickly

Blackley said she expects the same selling trends to continue going into 2019, but customer tastes can change. Blackley also believes rising gas prices and the effects of tariffs will lead to a surge of customers buying used cars instead of leasing.

Before you buy, think about the additional costs — like auto insurance, which is required in almost every state.

Here is a list of the fastest- and slowest-selling late-model used vehicles in 2018, based on data analyzed by ISeeCars.

Fastest-selling cars

10. Hyundai Veloster Turbo

Days on market: 36 Price: $16,127

9. Honda Accord

Days on market: 35.5 Price: $18,918

8. Toyota Corolla

Days on market: 34.9 Price: $14,406

7. Honda Civic

Days on market: 34.7 Price: $16,261

6. Volkswagen Golf R

Days on market: 34.4 Price: $32,392

5. Chevrolet Volt

Days on market: 34.3 Price: $19,481

4. Toyota Prius

Days on market: 33.4 Price: $18,565

3. BMW i3

Days on market: 33.4 Price: $23,964

2. Tesla Model S

Days on market: 32.4 Price: $70,861

1. Toyota Prius C

Days on market: 29.6 Price: $15,003

Slowest-selling cars

10. Lincoln MKX

Days on market: 62.2 Price: $32,827

9. Ford Taurus

Days on market: 62.6 Price: $19,881

8. Mazda CX-9

Days on market: 62.9 Price: $27,513

7. Cadillac XT5

Days on market: 64.2 Price: $39,778

6. Ford Flex

Days on market: 64.3 Price: $26,109

5. Land Rover Discovery Sport

Days on market: 66.1 Price: $36,827

4. Porsche 911

Days on market: 67.5 Price: $122,124

3. Buick LaCrosse

Days on market: 67.5 Price: $23,753

2. Buick Regal

Days on market: 67.6 Price: $18,906

1. Porsche Cayenne

Days on market: 67.8 Price: $61,136

Ready to purchase? Read our easy guide to buying a car.

Image: martin-dm

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ & Managing Editor, Growth

Hanna Horvath, CFP®

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ & Managing Editor, Growth

Hanna Horvath is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and managing editor for growth at Policygenius. She helps produce the Easy Money newsletter, and owns all growth initiatives for Easy Money. She recently passed her exam to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in November 2020.

Hanna's work has appeared in NBC News, Business Insider and Inc. Magazine. She is regularly quoted in top media outlets, including CNBC, Best Company and HerMoney. She has also appeared on the Money Moolala podcast and All's Fair podcast.

Prior to Policygenius, Hanna wrote for KNBC in Los Angeles and WNBC in New York. When she isn't writing, she's (often) running, (usually) cooking and (sometimes) doing photography.