In the race to get cars sold and off the lot, new SUVs and Tesla are leading the pack. iSeeCars published a study revealing a slightly surprising list of new and used vehicles that are selling the quickest. The study examined over 9 million transactions from March to June to see which cars spent the least amount of time on the lot before being sold.
Leading the new car list was the Chevy Trailblazer, followed by a host of other SUV models. 11 of the top 12 fastest-selling new cars were SUVs. The days for new cars to sell has increased tremendously since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with new car shelf-life spiking by 67.3 percent.
“The effective demand for these vehicles has slowed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and downturns in the economy,” said iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly, “but the change was much more dramatic for new vehicles than for used vehicles.”
| Top 12 Fastest-Selling New Vehicles – iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Vehicle | Days to Sell (Avg.) |
| 1 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | 19.0 |
| 2 | Kia Telluride | 25.7 |
| 3 | Kia Seltos | 31.3 |
| 4 | Honda CR-V Hybrid | 35.2 |
| 5 | Hyundai Palisade | 39.0 |
| 6 | Mercedes-Benz GLB | 40.5 |
| 7 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 41.7 |
| 8 | Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | 42.5 |
| 9 | Subaru Crosstrek | 44.7 |
| 10 | Lexus GX 460 | 46.1 |
| 11 | Buick Encore GX | 46.6 |
| 12 | Subaru Forester | 47.3 |
| Average for All New Vehicles | 96.9 | |
Among fast-selling used cars, Tesla made more than one appearance on the list. The Model 3 topped the list with an average of 29.3 days until being sold, along with the Model X and Model S both making the top ten.
“The Tesla Model 3 began making deliveries in 2018, and because it’s so new to the marketplace there is a low inventory of used versions,” said Ly. “The Tesla Model 3, which was the automaker’s least expensive vehicle, had the highest number of preorders of any car ever produced, and the long wait time helped further drive the high demand for the vehicle which has been sustained in the secondary marketplace.”
While the used car market has not been impacted by the pandemic as much as the new car market, the average time to sell a used car has still increased by 37.5 percent.
| Top 10 Fastest-Selling Used Vehicles – iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Vehicle | Days to Sell (Avg.) |
| 1 | Tesla Model 3 | 29.3 |
| 2 | BMW X6 | 43.0 |
| 3 | Subaru BRZ | 44.5 |
| 4 | Toyota Yaris | 44.8 |
| 5 | Honda Civic | 47.4 |
| 6 | Tesla Model X | 47.6 |
| 7 | INFINITI Q60 | 49.4 |
| 8 | Honda Accord | 50.0 |
| 9 | Toyota Corolla Hatchback | 50.2 |
| 10 | Tesla Model S | 50.7 |
| Average for All Used Vehicles | 68.9 | |
IHS Markit recently showcased a study revealing that the average age of vehicles on the road today is 11.9 years, higher than the average vehicle age over the past 20 years.
Related: The Average Vehicle Age on the Road Today Keeps Climbing – Why?
The dominance of SUVs continues as reflected by the fastest-selling new vehicles. The 
range of consumers is widespread as features such as a spacious interior, numerous storage options, and towing capabilities appeal to almost any buyer.
Among other notable finds by the study, the BMW X6 is the fastest-selling used SUV with an average of 43 days to sell. The Toyota Tacoma is the fastest-selling new pickup truck on the market with an average of 72.6 days to sell and the Honda Ridgeline is the faster seller among used pickups with a selling time of 51.7 days.
Did you enjoy this article from Josh Isley? Read other articles from him here.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date or catch-up on all of our podcasts on demand.
While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for all the latest auto industry news from CBT News.
This has been a JBF Business Media production.
