2018 was a bit of a strange year for the automotive industry. There was an uptick in the number of light-duty pickups and SUVs sold, but car sales were down an average of 15% across all manufacturers. Despite that, Mark Lines reported that overall new vehicle sales were up 0.3% for 2018. That’s not a great percentage, but certainly better than a decline.
However, the real winners for vehicle sales in 2018 were used car dealers. Edmunds reports that Q3 used vehicle sales were up by 5% from the same period in 2018, with a total of 10.2 million sales for the quarter. This is especially significant, considering that used car prices are the highest they’ve been since 2005.
The reason used car dealers seem to be winning out is a simple – the Internet. With improved data, shoppers now have the power to analyze nearly every aspect of a used car before they even see it.
Some shoppers never see the car at all before buying. There was a sharp increase in buyers using online dealers to purchase used cars. This meant that shoppers weren’t limited to buying cars close to where they live, unlike in previous years. Instead, shoppers can now complete their purchase completely online and then have the vehicle shipped to their location. If you’re in the market for a used car, know that this is becoming more common, and you can take advantage as well.
Wondering which models online dealers shipped the most of? Following are the top five models that used car dealers shipped in 2018.
1. Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry was, bar none, the used car winner for 2018. It sold a combined total of over 343,000 used units in 2018. Despite taking a strong lead in 2018, overall sales were still down from 2017. Features that had shoppers scrambling to claim a Toyota Camry include:
- A used price of about $20,500
- MPG rating of 28 City / 39 HWY
- 203 HP at 6,600 RPM
- Safety features including a pre-collision system, lane departure alert, and automatic high beams
2. Honda Civic
The Camry beat the Civic, but not by much. The Honda Civic still sold over 325,000 units for used dealers in 2018. The Civic has always been a popular car model, particularly because it features:
- An average used priced of $17,250
- MPG rating between 31 and 32 City / 40 and 42 HWY
- Between 158 HP at 6,500 RPM and 174 HP at 6,000 RPM
- Safety features like collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control systems
3. The Honda Accord
It sold a combined 291,000 units between 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 models. Some of the biggest features that drew shoppers to the Honda Accord include:
- An average asking price of $17,000 for a used model
- An MPG rating between 25 to 30 City / 35 to 38 HWY
- 192 hp at 5,500 RPM
- Great safety features including a collision mitigation braking system, blind-spot information system, and adaptive cruise control.
4. Toyota Corolla
The Corolla came nowhere near the popularity of the Camry, but it still sold a more than respectable 280,000 units in 2018. Combined with the sales of the Camry, Toyota sold more used car units than any other manufacturer in 2018. Features include:
- An average asking price of $13,500, the cheapest of any other model on this list
- An MPG rating between 28 and 30 City / 35 and 40 HWY
- Between 132 HP at 6,000 RPM and 140 HP at 6,100 RPM
- Safety features like a pre-collision system, lane departure alert with assisted steering, and dynamic radar cruise control
5. Chevrolet Impala
Last, but certainly not least, the Chevy Impala held its own in a crowded market. Even though it couldn’t come close to competing with the others on this list in terms of sales, it’s not completely the Impala’s fault. Chevy produced nowhere near as many Impalas as other manufacturers did comparable cars, and sales data has been slow to come in. It may very well turn out that the Impala did even better than what we think.
As it stands, the Impala sold close to 56,500 units in 2018 (that we know of). It’s most prominent features include:
- $16,000 asking price for a used model
- MPG rating between 19 and 22 City / 28 and 30 HWY
- Between 197 HP at 6,300 RPM and 305 HP at 6,800 RPM
- Safety features including a lane change alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward collision alert
