Index
The used car buyer profile in 2026: real data
Price rules, but it is not the only factor
The decision process: longer and more informed
What the buyer looks for in the vehicle
How the buyer reaches the dealership
Why the 24% who wanted a brand new car end up buying used
The used electric car buyer: a different profile
What all this means for the sales process
Dealcar and managing the customer's buying process
Frequently Asked Questions
The used car buyer profile in 2026: real data
80% of future car buyers in Spain already intend to purchase a used vehicle, according to the coches.net + GANVAM 2026 Study presented at the GANVAM Espacio VO. This is the figure that best summarises the state of the market: the used car has stopped being the second option and has become the main choice for most Spanish buyers.
The average budget for purchasing a used vehicle in 2026 stands at €16,883, showing an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. This average budget defines the type of car most of the market is looking for: vehicles between 3 and 8 years old with reasonable mileage and a C environmental label or higher.
The average price of used cars aged between 2 and 5 years fell by 4.2% in the first half of 2026, down to €19,435, according to the GANVAM-DAT Index. This drop in prices in the nearly-new used car segment, combined with the buyer's growing average budget, is expanding access to more recent vehicles for a larger number of buyers.
Price rules, but it is not the only factor
Price continues to be the most decisive factor for 28% of buyers, followed by safety (10%), brand (10%) and fuel type (10%). This means that nearly three out of four buyers have other factors that are equally or more important than price in their decision.
For the dealership, this data has a specific implication: competing solely on price is a strategy that works for 28% of the market and leaves out the remaining 72%. A buyer who values safety or a documented history may pay more for a lease-return car with official maintenance than for the same model with an unknown history. A buyer who values the brand may prefer a dealership specialised in that segment, even if it does not have the lowest price.
The 2026 Motor Study by the Cetelem Observatory places the vehicle's lifespan ahead of price and total cost of ownership as central factors in the decision. This confirms that the buyer is making a long-term calculation: not just how much the car costs, but how much it will cost to run it.
The decision process: longer and more informed
The 2026 Motor Study notes that buying a car has ceased to be an immediate decision to become a strategic process, conditioned by price, uncertainty and the need to minimise risks.
In practice, this process has several distinct phases. The first is the online exploration phase: the buyer defines their budget, researches which models fit and starts saving favourites on portals. This phase can last weeks and is completely invisible to the dealership.
The second is the active contact phase: the buyer starts asking questions on WhatsApp, calling dealerships or filling in forms. This is the moment they appear on the sales representative's radar. This phase usually lasts between 5 and 15 days, depending on the price of the vehicle and the buyer's profile.
The third is the closing phase: the buyer physically visits one or two dealerships, negotiates and decides. Most sales are closed during the visit, but the visit only happens if the previous phases generated enough trust.
For the dealership, the implications are clear: the first contact is rarely the close, the follow-up between the first contact and the visit is where the sale is won or lost, and the speed of response in the first hours is decisive for the buyer to continue the conversation with that dealership and not another.
Read also how to structure a dealership's sales funnel to avoid losing leads.
What the buyer looks for in the vehicle
Almost half of used car buyers opt for nearly-new used cars (between 1 and 5 years old), the segment most valued by users for its balance between price and remaining lifespan. Only 1 in 10 chooses a pre-owned car less than a year old.
Pre-owned cars coming from leasing and fleets have become the engine of the market, with a growth of 14% so far this year. This trend reflects the professionalisation of the sector: the buyer looks for guarantees and a documented history.
This preference for a documented history has direct implications for sourcing. A lease-return car with full official maintenance not only sells faster: it also generates fewer objections during the sales process because the buyer has more certainty about what they are buying.
The environmental label is another growing factor. The implementation of Low Emission Zones (ZBE) already influences the decision of 58% of buyers. For cars with a B label or no label, this percentage translates into a segment of buyers who directly rule them out before making contact.
Read also how ZBEs and emissions regulations affect stock value.
How the buyer reaches the dealership
The contact process for used car buyers in 2026 is mostly digital in the early stages. Specialised portals are the main discovery channel: most buyers start on coches.net, AutoScout24, Wallapop or Milanuncios before contacting any dealership directly.
Google searches play an increasing role, especially for buyers looking for a specific model with particular features. Google VLA (Vehicle Listing Ads) intercepts those searches with the dealership's vehicle listings directly in the results, generating high-intent leads who arrived looking for that exact model.
Check how to sell cars with Google VLA and intercept high-intent searches.
WhatsApp is the preferred contact channel once the buyer has identified the car they are interested in. The preference for messages over calls is especially marked in buyers under 40: the call comes after a conversation via message, not as a first contact.
Integrate WhatsApp with your CRM at dealcar.io/whatsapp-crm-concesionario.
The physical visit remains the step prior to closing in the vast majority of transactions. The buyer who visits the dealership already has a high level of interest: they arrive because something they saw online generated enough trust to invest their time in travelling.
Why the 24% who wanted a brand new car end up buying used
24% of buyers intended to get a brand new vehicle, but ultimately purchase a used one. This is one of the most useful insights for independent dealerships because it identifies a segment of buyers who did not start out looking for a used car but ended up buying one.
This movement from brand new to used is mainly driven by price. The average planned expenditure by Spanish drivers intending to buy a car in the next 12 months reaches €29,905, an economic effort level that makes some of those buyers recalculate their decision when they see what they can get in the used market with that budget.
For the dealership, this buyer has a specific profile: they have a larger budget than the typical used car buyer, value warranty and history, and are probably comparing a brand new car with a nearly-new used car under 3 years old. The most effective sales pitch for this profile is not the price but the relationship between price and objective quality of the vehicle.
The used electric car buyer: a different profile
42% of potential buyers already consider second-hand as an entry route to electric vehicles, with an average declared budget of €20,415 compared to the €41,983 average cost of a brand new electric car.
51% of potential buyers state that public subsidies would be decisive in their decision. With the Auto+ Plan approved in July 2026, this segment has an additional argument that the dealership can use as a closing lever.
Check the analysis of used electric car demand and the Auto+ Plan.
The used electric car buyer has a more informed and demanding profile than those looking for petrol or diesel: they arrive with data on real range, charging costs, and battery status that they have researched beforehand. The battery's SoH (State of Health) argument and the manufacturer's residual warranty are the elements that carry the most weight in their decision.
What all this means for the sales process
The buyer behaviour data for 2026 points to three specific adjustments in the sales process of an independent dealership.
The first is response speed. A buyer who is comparing two or three dealerships simultaneously (common in the active contact phase) tends to continue the conversation with the first one to respond in a useful, and not just quick, manner. The automated response acknowledging receipt is the first step; the human response with specific information about the vehicle they asked about is what determines if that conversation continues.
The second is structured follow-up. Most buyers do not close on the first contact. Without a system that records the history of each lead and prompts when to follow up, most of these opportunities are lost due to a lack of subsequent contact.
The third is the quality of the stock presentation. An informed buyer who arrives having researched for weeks immediately spots if the car description is generic, if the photos are old or if the price has not been updated in weeks. Investing in improving the presentation of each vehicle yields a direct return on the conversion rate from visits to sales.
Read also how to improve ad performance on the main portals.
Dealcar and managing the customer's buying process
Dealcar centralises the history of each lead (entry channel, viewed vehicles, WhatsApp conversations, visits) in a single CRM. The sales representative knows before the visit which car the buyer is interested in, what budget they have, and what objections they have raised. This allows for a sales conversation tailored to the buyer's actual decision-making process, rather than a generic vehicle presentation.
Discover how Dealcar's CRM works at dealcar.io/crm-leads-automocion or request a demo at dealcar.io.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long on average does a used car buyer in Spain take to decide?
The 2026 Motor Study by the Cetelem Observatory confirms that the decision process has become longer and more strategic. In sector practice, most closes occur between 2 and 6 weeks after the first contact, with variation depending on the vehicle's price: cars under €10,000 close faster than those over €20,000.
Which factor is more important for the used car buyer: price or trust in the seller?
They are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Price is the initial filter that determines which cars enter the buyer's comparison, but trust in the dealership is what sways the decision when there are two or three similar options in price. A dealership with positive reviews, quick response, and a well-communicated delivery process can close at a slightly higher price than the competition.
Does the used electric car buyer require a different sales process?
Yes. They arrive with more technical information than a combustion engine buyer, especially value the battery's SoH and the manufacturer's residual warranty, and usually have more questions about charging costs and compatibility with their parking situation. The sales conversation time is typically longer, and the close usually requires more technical data than in a petrol or diesel sale.
Index
The used car buyer profile in 2026: real data
Price rules, but it is not the only factor
The decision process: longer and more informed
What the buyer looks for in the vehicle
How the buyer reaches the dealership
Why the 24% who wanted a brand new car end up buying used
The used electric car buyer: a different profile
What all this means for the sales process
Dealcar and managing the customer's buying process
Frequently Asked Questions
The used car buyer profile in 2026: real data
80% of future car buyers in Spain already intend to purchase a used vehicle, according to the coches.net + GANVAM 2026 Study presented at the GANVAM Espacio VO. This is the figure that best summarises the state of the market: the used car has stopped being the second option and has become the main choice for most Spanish buyers.
The average budget for purchasing a used vehicle in 2026 stands at €16,883, showing an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. This average budget defines the type of car most of the market is looking for: vehicles between 3 and 8 years old with reasonable mileage and a C environmental label or higher.
The average price of used cars aged between 2 and 5 years fell by 4.2% in the first half of 2026, down to €19,435, according to the GANVAM-DAT Index. This drop in prices in the nearly-new used car segment, combined with the buyer's growing average budget, is expanding access to more recent vehicles for a larger number of buyers.
Price rules, but it is not the only factor
Price continues to be the most decisive factor for 28% of buyers, followed by safety (10%), brand (10%) and fuel type (10%). This means that nearly three out of four buyers have other factors that are equally or more important than price in their decision.
For the dealership, this data has a specific implication: competing solely on price is a strategy that works for 28% of the market and leaves out the remaining 72%. A buyer who values safety or a documented history may pay more for a lease-return car with official maintenance than for the same model with an unknown history. A buyer who values the brand may prefer a dealership specialised in that segment, even if it does not have the lowest price.
The 2026 Motor Study by the Cetelem Observatory places the vehicle's lifespan ahead of price and total cost of ownership as central factors in the decision. This confirms that the buyer is making a long-term calculation: not just how much the car costs, but how much it will cost to run it.
The decision process: longer and more informed
The 2026 Motor Study notes that buying a car has ceased to be an immediate decision to become a strategic process, conditioned by price, uncertainty and the need to minimise risks.
In practice, this process has several distinct phases. The first is the online exploration phase: the buyer defines their budget, researches which models fit and starts saving favourites on portals. This phase can last weeks and is completely invisible to the dealership.
The second is the active contact phase: the buyer starts asking questions on WhatsApp, calling dealerships or filling in forms. This is the moment they appear on the sales representative's radar. This phase usually lasts between 5 and 15 days, depending on the price of the vehicle and the buyer's profile.
The third is the closing phase: the buyer physically visits one or two dealerships, negotiates and decides. Most sales are closed during the visit, but the visit only happens if the previous phases generated enough trust.
For the dealership, the implications are clear: the first contact is rarely the close, the follow-up between the first contact and the visit is where the sale is won or lost, and the speed of response in the first hours is decisive for the buyer to continue the conversation with that dealership and not another.
Read also how to structure a dealership's sales funnel to avoid losing leads.
What the buyer looks for in the vehicle
Almost half of used car buyers opt for nearly-new used cars (between 1 and 5 years old), the segment most valued by users for its balance between price and remaining lifespan. Only 1 in 10 chooses a pre-owned car less than a year old.
Pre-owned cars coming from leasing and fleets have become the engine of the market, with a growth of 14% so far this year. This trend reflects the professionalisation of the sector: the buyer looks for guarantees and a documented history.
This preference for a documented history has direct implications for sourcing. A lease-return car with full official maintenance not only sells faster: it also generates fewer objections during the sales process because the buyer has more certainty about what they are buying.
The environmental label is another growing factor. The implementation of Low Emission Zones (ZBE) already influences the decision of 58% of buyers. For cars with a B label or no label, this percentage translates into a segment of buyers who directly rule them out before making contact.
Read also how ZBEs and emissions regulations affect stock value.
How the buyer reaches the dealership
The contact process for used car buyers in 2026 is mostly digital in the early stages. Specialised portals are the main discovery channel: most buyers start on coches.net, AutoScout24, Wallapop or Milanuncios before contacting any dealership directly.
Google searches play an increasing role, especially for buyers looking for a specific model with particular features. Google VLA (Vehicle Listing Ads) intercepts those searches with the dealership's vehicle listings directly in the results, generating high-intent leads who arrived looking for that exact model.
Check how to sell cars with Google VLA and intercept high-intent searches.
WhatsApp is the preferred contact channel once the buyer has identified the car they are interested in. The preference for messages over calls is especially marked in buyers under 40: the call comes after a conversation via message, not as a first contact.
Integrate WhatsApp with your CRM at dealcar.io/whatsapp-crm-concesionario.
The physical visit remains the step prior to closing in the vast majority of transactions. The buyer who visits the dealership already has a high level of interest: they arrive because something they saw online generated enough trust to invest their time in travelling.
Why the 24% who wanted a brand new car end up buying used
24% of buyers intended to get a brand new vehicle, but ultimately purchase a used one. This is one of the most useful insights for independent dealerships because it identifies a segment of buyers who did not start out looking for a used car but ended up buying one.
This movement from brand new to used is mainly driven by price. The average planned expenditure by Spanish drivers intending to buy a car in the next 12 months reaches €29,905, an economic effort level that makes some of those buyers recalculate their decision when they see what they can get in the used market with that budget.
For the dealership, this buyer has a specific profile: they have a larger budget than the typical used car buyer, value warranty and history, and are probably comparing a brand new car with a nearly-new used car under 3 years old. The most effective sales pitch for this profile is not the price but the relationship between price and objective quality of the vehicle.
The used electric car buyer: a different profile
42% of potential buyers already consider second-hand as an entry route to electric vehicles, with an average declared budget of €20,415 compared to the €41,983 average cost of a brand new electric car.
51% of potential buyers state that public subsidies would be decisive in their decision. With the Auto+ Plan approved in July 2026, this segment has an additional argument that the dealership can use as a closing lever.
Check the analysis of used electric car demand and the Auto+ Plan.
The used electric car buyer has a more informed and demanding profile than those looking for petrol or diesel: they arrive with data on real range, charging costs, and battery status that they have researched beforehand. The battery's SoH (State of Health) argument and the manufacturer's residual warranty are the elements that carry the most weight in their decision.
What all this means for the sales process
The buyer behaviour data for 2026 points to three specific adjustments in the sales process of an independent dealership.
The first is response speed. A buyer who is comparing two or three dealerships simultaneously (common in the active contact phase) tends to continue the conversation with the first one to respond in a useful, and not just quick, manner. The automated response acknowledging receipt is the first step; the human response with specific information about the vehicle they asked about is what determines if that conversation continues.
The second is structured follow-up. Most buyers do not close on the first contact. Without a system that records the history of each lead and prompts when to follow up, most of these opportunities are lost due to a lack of subsequent contact.
The third is the quality of the stock presentation. An informed buyer who arrives having researched for weeks immediately spots if the car description is generic, if the photos are old or if the price has not been updated in weeks. Investing in improving the presentation of each vehicle yields a direct return on the conversion rate from visits to sales.
Read also how to improve ad performance on the main portals.
Dealcar and managing the customer's buying process
Dealcar centralises the history of each lead (entry channel, viewed vehicles, WhatsApp conversations, visits) in a single CRM. The sales representative knows before the visit which car the buyer is interested in, what budget they have, and what objections they have raised. This allows for a sales conversation tailored to the buyer's actual decision-making process, rather than a generic vehicle presentation.
Discover how Dealcar's CRM works at dealcar.io/crm-leads-automocion or request a demo at dealcar.io.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long on average does a used car buyer in Spain take to decide?
The 2026 Motor Study by the Cetelem Observatory confirms that the decision process has become longer and more strategic. In sector practice, most closes occur between 2 and 6 weeks after the first contact, with variation depending on the vehicle's price: cars under €10,000 close faster than those over €20,000.
Which factor is more important for the used car buyer: price or trust in the seller?
They are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Price is the initial filter that determines which cars enter the buyer's comparison, but trust in the dealership is what sways the decision when there are two or three similar options in price. A dealership with positive reviews, quick response, and a well-communicated delivery process can close at a slightly higher price than the competition.
Does the used electric car buyer require a different sales process?
Yes. They arrive with more technical information than a combustion engine buyer, especially value the battery's SoH and the manufacturer's residual warranty, and usually have more questions about charging costs and compatibility with their parking situation. The sales conversation time is typically longer, and the close usually requires more technical data than in a petrol or diesel sale.
