Belgians are buying their cars more than ever on the second-hand market. Thus, each year, there are more used cars (re)registered than new cars. If we assume that the new car market is mainly fueled by leasing, we can say that second-hand vehicles give the most honest picture of what Belgian individuals buy. Although the end of 2024 has not yet been announced, Autoscout24 already has a clear indication of the most popular used makes and models.
Volkswagen remains pure
BMW may have retaken the crown in the new car market, but used Volkswagen remains lord of second-hand goods. During the first three quarters of 2024, 61,338 used VWs were re-registered in Belgium. The German brand thus finds itself far behind the other German brands BMW (48,911 units) and Mercedes (37,317 units). Indeed, in the top 5 (made up of VW, BMW, Mercedes, Opel and Peugeot), it is Volkswagen which is progressing the most, with growth of 4.3% compared to last year.
| Marque | Registrations | Progression 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|
| VW | 61 338 | 4,3 % |
| BMW | 48 911 | 0 % |
| Mercedes | 37 317 | 2,1 % |
| Opel | 36 115 | – 0,2 % |
| Peugeot | 34 591 | – 2,8 % |
If we consider the 20 most popular brands on the second-hand market, we see that some of them have experienced strong growth. At the top of the list is Dacia, whose registrations (T1-T3) increased by 15% compared to last year. Toyota follows closely with an increase of 14.8%, while Nissan and Porsche also do well with an increase of 12.2%. Finally, Kia can also boast a 10% increase. Analyzing the figures, it is not inconceivable that Dacia will manage to slip into the top 5 most popular brands on the second-hand market next year.
1 of 3
The most popular brand on the used market in Belgium is Volkswagen, but does VW also supply the most popular model? Yes, but there is a good reason. With no less than eight generations and 50 years on the clock, there are quite simply a very large number of Golfs on the second-hand market. It is therefore not surprising that the Golf is the most popular used car in Belgium with 21,203 examples. To give you an idea, this means that more than one in three used VWs is a Golf!
| Marque | Model | Registrations | Progression 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VW | Golf | 21 203 | 0,8 % |
| VW | Polo | 15 129 | 2,1 % |
| Opel | Corsa | 13 676 | – 1,7 % |
| BMW | Series 3 | 11 426 | – 4,8 % |
| BMW | Series 1 | 10 716 | – 3,6 % |
VW also takes the silver medal for the Polo. The bronze medal then goes to the Opel Corsa, then BMW completes places 4 and 5 with the 3 Series and 1 Series. The growth of the 1 Series is particularly interesting. Indeed, if the smallest BMW continues its growth next year, it will probably overtake the 3 Series on the second-hand market in 2025…
Fiat is catching up
Although they are not in the top 5, other cars are making solid progress on the used market. What is striking here is that these are mainly compact city cars. Not illogical, since compacts in segments A and B have been replaced by larger (and more expensive) crossovers by the majority of brands. Customers therefore have to find what they want on the second-hand market.
Unsurprisingly, the Fiat 500 recorded a strong increase with 14.7% growth in registrations during the first three quarters of this year compared to 2023. Why? Quite simply because the petrol version ceased to be produced this year and the electric 500 group was also closed due to disappointing figures. The Peugeot 208 (+12.6%) and the Citroën C3 (+10%) also experienced strong growth on the second-hand market. Although there are still 3 months left until 2024 ends, not much is expected to change, but you will find the result on Autoscout24 in January.
