Vehicle history expert Cartell.ie partnered with Carzone.ie and Completecar.ie to help produce the latest Carzone Motoring Report. Its findings include news from Cartell.ie that Used Vehicle Transactions hit 1 million last year. This is the first time since Cartell started measuring these statistics that that milestone has been achieved. It speaks to the recovery of the market but it also shows consumers were more than prepared to look for a second-hand option when, in the past, they may have opted for a new model.  We expect 2015 to be another bumper year for the Used Vehicle Market with early indications showing year-on-year increases in the region of 10%.

The report says the VW Golf is now the most-searched car on the Carzone site overtaking the 3 Series BMW which was seen as a mark of market aspiration more than an indicator of high numbers of transactions. The Golf is currently the second most popular vehicle in Ireland in May 2015 – based on our latest snapshot of the used market. The colour black is still the most searched-for colour. Interestingly, based on our own research we know black is not the most popular colour in the Irish fleet though – that award goes to the colour silver – but black is the clear favourite for buyers of premium cars in Ireland and it is now second overall – closely followed by the colour blue- (blue was actually more popular than black in January 2015).

Says Completecar.ie:

No matter the colour, it would appear we are using our cars for more than just driving. Respondents to the ‘Favourite driving moment’ aspect of the Carzone.ie survey admitted, with surprising regularity, to having nookie in the car. Other admissions include breaking down at an Autostrada toll booth in Italy and causing a 200-car tailback, driving over a Garda’s foot at a check point and taking a wrong turn en route to Athlone and ending up in Cork.”