Key Headlines
- National used and demonstrator vehicle sales rose 1.3 per cent in August to 243,514 vehicles, the second consecutive monthly increase.
- Sales of one-to-five-year-old used vehicles increased 5.4 per cent nationally, with Victoria narrowly beating NSW for the strongest growth among the five largest states.
- Victoria recorded 14,148 sales, up 6.7 per cent, while NSW remained Australia’s biggest market with 16,956 sales, up 6.6 per cent.
- Used EV sales jumped 19.4 per cent in August.
- The Ford Ranger was the best-selling one-to-five-year-old used vehicle in seven of eight states and territories, with the Toyota RAV4 taking top spot in the ACT.
1. Market Snapshot
Australia’s used vehicle market continued its recovery in August, with sales rising for the second consecutive month and most states recording stronger activity.
New data from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) and AutoGrab shows 243,514 used and demonstrator vehicles were sold nationally in August, up 1.3 per cent on July.
The near-new market was even stronger, with sales of one-to-five-year-old used vehicles increasing 5.4 per cent nationally to 58,090.
2. State versus State
The August data provides a clear snapshot of how Australia’s used vehicle markets are performing against each other.
New South Wales remained the largest market, with 16,956 one-to-five-year-old used vehicles sold during the month.
Victoria was the fastest growing of the five largest states, with sales increasing 6.7 per cent compared with July.
3. Ford Ranger Dominates State Markets
The Ford Ranger is the best-selling 1- to 5-year-old used vehicle in 7 of 8 states and territories and has held first place in every mainland state since June. The exception is the ACT, where the Toyota RAV4 outsold the Ford Ranger 27 to 19. The Toyota Hilux is second in 5 markets; in the Northern Territory the two utes together account for 20.4% of sales.
4. Chinese-Made Cars Among Australia’s Fastest-Selling Used Vehicles
Chinese-made vehicles are making a strong impression in Australia’s used car market, accounting for five of the eight fastest-selling models across the states and territories in August.
The BYD Shark 6 was the fastest-selling used vehicle nationally, taking an average of just 27.9 days to sell, while the BYD Atto 3 was Victoria’s fastest seller at 27.7 days.
Interestingly, fast-selling vehicles did not always command strong retained values. The MG ZST, for example, took just 23.2 days to sell in Queensland but retained 60.7 per cent of its original value. By contrast, the Suzuki Jimny, the best-retained model nationally, took 58.3 days to sell.
5. General Market Statistics
- 243,514 vehicles sold in August, a 1.3 per cent increase on July.
- 422,509 vehicles listed for sale in August, a 3.5 per cent decrease month on month.
- Dealer share fell back to 40.9 per cent of sales.
- Average days to sell slightly decreased to 51.5 for August, after last month’s high-water mark.
6. Reaction
“Australia’s used vehicle market continued to build momentum in August, but the state-by-state numbers show there is no single story playing out across the country,” said AADA CEO James Voortman.
“Victoria may have taken the title for fastest-growing major market, but NSW is still comfortably the biggest, with almost 17,000 one-to-five-year-old vehicles changing hands in August. Queensland, WA and South Australia also recorded solid growth, while Tasmania and the territories went backwards.”
“The Ford Ranger’s dominance of the used market is pretty remarkable, it was the top-selling one-to-five-year-old vehicle in seven of the eight states and territories. The ACT was the one market to buck the trend, where the Toyota RAV4 managed to beat the Ranger.”
“Used EV sales rose 19.4 per cent in August outpacing the movements in all other fuel types, albeit that EVs continue to make up a significantly smaller segment of the used market than petrol and diesel vehicles,” said AutoGrab Chief Commercial Officer Saxon Odger.
“Looking at 1-5-year old cars, five of the eight fastest-selling used vehicles across the states and territories in August were Chinese-made. The BYD Shark 6 was the quickest nationally at 27.9 days and retained 92.1 per cent of its original value.”
New car sales in Australia increased by 6.18 per cent in June compared to the same month last year, potentially driven by consumers taking advantage of end-of-financial-year discounts. Year to date, sales remain down by 1.42 per cent on the same period in 2024.
Key highlights include:
➡️ Chinese brand BYD continues to grow in popularity, recording a dramatic 367.9 per cent increase in sales, with 8,156 units sold in June 2025 compared to 1743 in June 2024.
➡️ Utes and SUVs once again dominated buyer preferences, taking all ten spots in the list of top-selling new vehicles.
➡️ While Chinese carmakers are on the rise, Toyota remains the market leader, selling 20,225 vehicles in June, reflecting continued brand loyalty in Australia. Toyota was followed by Ford (10,103 units) and Mazda (9,405 units).
The AADA has assessed VFACTs and EVC Top 10 Makes & Models YTD, ranking them by volume. The AADA has also analysed new vehicle sales figures by state for the month of June, as well as fuel types and market segments.