Auto Trader reveals 2017’s most searched for car

The BMW 3 Series retains its title as the most searched for car in the UK, according to online vehicle search provider Auto Trader.

The 3 Series has held this title for seven consecutive years, and was searched for over 40 million times on Auto Trader in 2017, closely followed by the hugely popular Volkswagen Golf, which has sat in second position for nine years running.

The annual top ten 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 ten most searched for cars in 2017

In a year dominated by the demonisation of diesel, the results have been broken down using Auto Trader’s Fuel Type filter to reveal the most searched for diesel, petrol, hybrid and electric cars in 2017. 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.

Auto Trader’s top ten most searched for cars in 2017, broken down by fuel type 

Ivan Aistrop, Road Test Editor at Auto Trader, said: “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.

“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.

The most searched for electric car in 2017 was the Nissan Leaf, followed by the BMW 13 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.