October 2025 – It was speed and profit all in one package this September! Dealer Auction’s latest Retail Margin Monitor, the industry’s leading monthly profit report, revealed that the used Mazda CX-5 SUV sold in a speedy 24 days on average – not only improving on August’s average of 25 days but also clocking the fastest average monthly sales since May 2023 (when the same model achieved an average of 23 days to sell). While it appeared sixth in the top 10 for profit in the sub-£10,000 retail bracket, with an average margin of £2,450, it was only £200 off the top spot.
Elsewhere, the top 10 showcased a mix of consistent and breakthrough models. The Vauxhall Mokka X secured a second consecutive top spot with a retail margin of £2,650, while the BMW 3 Series took third place (£2,560) for the third month in a row, with every month seeing a gradual growth in profit. Consistent performer the Ford Kuga continued to prove its profit power in fourth place (£2,550). Autotrader recently identified that the growth in fleet sales over recent years has intensified competition for the best cars due to fewer cars returning to the market via traditional routes like part-exchanges.1 SUVs are popular fleet models, which could help explain the consistent popularity of models like the Mokka X, CX-5 and Kuga.
But to buck the trend, there was a welcome return for the Citroën Grand C4 Picasso in September. Having not charted in the top 10 since summer 2023, this fantastic MPV secured second place with a retail margin of £2,625. There was also a completely new addition with the Volvo V40, with the classic estate car appearing in ninth place.
Dealer Auction’s Marketplace Director, Kieran TeeBoon, commented: “Having reported on the retail margins for nearly three years, this month’s line up is one of the most diverse we’ve seen since we launched. Newer entries are gaining great momentum, while other models are standing out through their consistent delivery of efficiency and key features that customers value the most. Brands like Mazda and BMW are building on sales and profit success; this sustained performance allows dealerships to offer the variety today’s car buyers are looking for and deliver on producing cars that match up with current car sale trends.”
As we turn our attention to the top 10 models retailing above £10,000, the Volvo XC90 returned to the top of the chart for the fourth time this year with an average margin of £4,750! The Land Rover Discovery Sport dropped into second place (£3,975), followed by the Range Rover Evoque (£3,425).
Despite the change in order, Land Rover have achieved the highest profits at brand level, topping both the sub-£10,000 bracket and plus-£10,000 bracket in September.
TeeBoon concluded: “Despite areas facing sourcing challenges for the used car market and growing uncertainty towards politics and the economy, the used car market is still healthy with strong demand, speed of sale, retail prices and customer confidence. It will be interesting to see how fleet sales continue to shape the market and which vehicle segments rise in demand as a result.”
Source:
1 FleetNews (2025) Growth in fleet sales creates ‘sourcing challenges’ for used car market. Available at: Growth in fleet sales creates ‘sourcing challenges’ for used car market | Fleet remarketing (Accessed: 6 October 2025).
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About Dealer Auction
Dealer Auction is the UK’s leading digital remarketing platform. We give buyers and sellers more choice, better insight and greater margins. Dealer Auction is an independent company, created through a joint venture between Cox Automotive and Auto Trader. For more information, visit www.dealerauction.co.uk.
Launched in January 2022, Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor tracks the potential retail margin that can be achieved on vehicles bought via Dealer Auction’s open network. We track models meeting two key criteria: more than 20 units sold with a retail price of less than £25,000. We then compare the sold price for each model with the Auto Trader market average to reveal the potential margin. For the brand table, we compare models with more than 50 units sold. We crunch the numbers at the start of every new month.
Notes:
The average ‘Auto Trader Retail Rating’ uses three key metrics to determine the consumer demand for the vehicle:
- Average days to sell – Calculated for the whole of the UK and then adjusted for the variations Auto Trader have observed locally in your area.
- Live market supply – Comparing the national supply level for the vehicle over the last seven days with the usual level of supply Auto Trader have seen in the market over the last six months.
- Live buyer demand – Analysing how many people are currently searching for the vehicle on Auto Trader, comparing consumer search behaviour over the last seven days against the level of interest over the last six months.
