Cabby-Favorite Prius U.K.’s Fastest-Selling Used Car

LONDON – It looks like the U.K.’s “gig” economy is having an impact on the used-car market, pushing the Toyota Prius hybrid to the top of the list of fastest sellers in April.

The ʼ14 automatic version, the urban favorite among almost every Uber and casual working cab driver, took an average of just 14 days to sell, while its ʼ12 manual gasoline sibling stood an average five days longer on the forecourt.

City cabbing has become one of the most popular casual work roles being adopted in a country where 2016 figures from The Work Foundation of Lancaster University suggest 20% of the workforce is in non-permanent employment and 2.5% is earning only from casual “zero hours” contracts.

The report points out some 3 million workers are employed in this fashion driving cabs such as the automatic Toyota Prius.

Used-car research conducted by Auto Trader reveals the Prius, which also topped the sales table in February, was just ahead of a vehicle from the higher end of the premium scale, the ʼ16 Mercedes-Benz GLA diesel manual CUV, which took an average 15 days to sell in April.

The report also notes Ford took the No.1 spot in six regions, including London (’14 Fiesta gasoline manual), East England (’15 Kuga diesel manual), North West (’12 Fiesta gasoline manual), Northern Ireland (’15 Fiesta gasoline manual), South East (’16 Galaxy diesel automatic) and Yorkshire (’12 Focus gasoline manual).

Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader retailer and consumer products director, says: “2017 has been a strong year so far for Toyota. Both the Prius and the Yaris have excellent reputations for reliability and fuel economy, ensuring a healthy demand in the used-car market and a dependable investment for dealers. 

“As we can see from the range of vehicles making up the top 10 lists across the U.K., there remains a healthy demand for all fuel types of used cars.”