1.2m cars to change hands by year’s end

Over 1m used cars will have changed hands in Ireland by the end of the year, a new study shows.

In the region of 303,750 were sold during the first three months of 2015, an increase of 11% on the same period last year, according to the fifth Carzone.ie Motoring Report.

Based on the rate for the first quarter, the total number of used car transactions for the year could exceed 1.2m.

The twice-yearly report tracks trends in both the new and used car markets. Data has been compiled using the 100m searches carried out on Carzone.ie during the past year, vehicle transactions listed on Cartell.ie, and a survey of more than 1,400 motorists nationwide.

Once again, the results reveal that German car marques remain most popular among Irish car buyers, with the Volkswagen Golf topping the list as most searched for used car model on the market. The BMW 5 Series ranks in second place, followed by the BMW 3 Series, Ford Focus, and the Audi A4.

Volkswagen is now the most searched for marque, overtaking BMW following 2m VW searches on Carzone.ie in 2014 alone.

The Carzone.ie Motoring Report shows that the new car market is also buoyant, with 96,282 new cars registered in 2014, representing a 29% increase from 2013.

Figures for new car registrations for the first three months of 2015 reveal another 30% increase.

Searches carried out on Carzone.ie indicate that 2008 is still the most searched for model year.

There is no change in the colour preference of Irish motorists when searching for a car, with 24% choosing black, followed by white, silver, and blue.

The report also points to significant financial concerns among motorists, with the top three concerns for motorists being fuel costs, the price of road tax, and the cost of insurance.

Although marginally more petrol vehicles changed hands in 2014 (51%) than diesel, those importing vehicles clearly favoured diesel, as it accounted for 83% of imports.

Turning to driver testing, the Carzone.ie Motoring Report revealed that 89% of Irish drivers learned to drive by the age of 24, though 43% claim to have learned by the age of 18.

The report shows that most learner drivers are taught by a qualified driving instructor (41%), while parents are responsible for teaching 29%. Almost 13% taught themselves how to drive.