Top 10 most searched for cars in 2017

The BMW 3 Series is the most searched for car in the UK for the seventh year running, according to Auto Trader – the UK’s largest online marketplace for new and used cars.

The 3 Series was searched for more than 40 million times on Auto Trader in 2017, closely followed by the Volkswagen Golf, which has sat in second position for nine years running.

The annual Top 10 listing indicates the nation’s enduring interest in premium models, with BMW and Mercedes-Benz featuring five times in the list.

Auto Trader’s Top 10 most searched for cars in 2017

RANK	MAKE	MODEL
1	BMW	3 SERIES
2	VOLKSWAGEN	GOLF
3	MERCEDES-BENZ	C CLASS
4	FORD	FOCUS
5	BMW	1 SERIES
6	BMW	5 SERIES
7	FORD	FIESTA
8	AUDI	A3
9	MERCEDES-BENZ	E CLASS
10	VAUXHALL	ASTRA

In a year dominated by the demonisation of diesel, the results were also broken down to reveal the most searched for diesel, petrol, hybrid and electric cars in 2017.

Again, the BMW 3 Series was the most searched for diesel car, followed by the Volkswagen Golf and BMW 5 Series respectively. The Volkswagen Golf tops the list of the most searched for petrol cars, in a list which is dominated by family car favourites, including the Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Honda Civic and Vauxhall Corsa.

The most searched for electric car in 2017 was the Nissan Leaf, followed by the BMW i3 in second place and the Mercedes-Benz B Class in third place. Toyota takes the top two spots in the most searched for hybrid lists, with the Toyota Auris and Prius coming first and second respectively.

Auto Trader’s Top 10 most searched for cars in 2017 (all fuel types)

RANK	DIESEL MAKE AND MODEL	PETROL MAKE AND MODEL	HYBRID MAKE AND MODEL	ELECTRIC MAKE AND MODEL
1	BMW 3 SERIES	VOLKSWAGEN GOLF	TOYOTA AURIS	NISSAN LEAF
2	VOLKSWAGEN GOLF	BMW 3 SERIES	TOYOTA PRIUS	BMW i3
3	BMW 5 SERIES	FORD FOCUS	MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS	MERCEDES-BENZ B CLASS
4	MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS	FORD FIESTA	MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER	RENAULT ZOE
5	MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS	AUDI A3	MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS	VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
6	AUDI A3	BMW 1 SERIES	TOYOTA YARIS	HYUNDAI IONIQ
7	BMW 1 SERIES	MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS	LEXUS CT 200H	KIA SOUL
8	FORD FOCUS	VAUXHALL ASTRA	BMW 3 SERIES	MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER
9	AUDI A4	HONDA CIVIC	TOYOTA RAV4	TESLA MODEL S
10	VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT	VAUXHALL CORSA	VOLKSWAGEN GOLF	VAUXHALL AMPERA

“These results show that British car buyers are very keen on spoiling themselves, with premium manufacturers featuring very heavily in our list of most searched-for cars,” said Ivan Aistrop, Road Test Editor at Auto Trader.

“In fact, if you look at the list of most searched-for diesel cars, you’ll see it contains more premium products than for any other fuel type, suggesting that diesel cars are still desirable for buyers despite recent negative press coverage.

“At the same time, one look at the list of the most searched-for electric cars shows you that the market now offers some really capable and desirable choices, putting us in a great place to take the step towards an all-electric future.”