Although the used car market has experienced a period of turmoil in recent years, it continues to grow. Inflation and high interest rates have attracted buyers, as has the limited availability of new cars.
Car preferences differ in different countries: the same model may be in high demand in one country, but not highly appreciated in another. carVertical, an automotive data company, analyzed real historical car reports from 15 countries, including Portugal, with the aim of identifying the most popular models in 2023.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class: the most proven model in Portugal
The more a particular car model is verified on the carVertical platform, the greater the demand for it. This list allows us to identify the vehicles most in demand by buyers.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was the most inspected car in Portugal in 2023 – representing 9% of the total reports generated on the platform, followed by the Volkswagen Golf (7.7%), Renault Megane (6.9%) and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class ( 5.9%) and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (3.9%).
The Portuguese seem to be interested in Mercedes-Benz cars, which have a good reputation in the used car market. Advanced features, high level of comfort and luxurious interior make these vehicles a top choice among buyers.
In total, Mercedes-Benz vehicles represented 26.9% of checks in Portugal, making it the most popular car manufacturer in the country. Renault (13.9%) and Audi (11.9%) are also in demand by used car buyers.
“Mercedes-Benz cars clearly dominate preference among people who are looking for a used car in Portugal but are curious to explore its history. This is particularly important when purchasing an imported car, regardless of the date it was introduced in Portugal,” explained Matas Bosles, Communications Director at carVertical, foreign historical records may reveal unpleasant reasons behind the attractive selling price.
Popular models may have fudged old mileage and damage
Although the most popular models receive a lot of interest in the used car market, buyers should be careful when purchasing these vehicles. Many of the most sought-after cars in Portugal have tampered with mileage and damage history, which can make purchasing them a very expensive issue.
About 0.4% of all Mercedes-Benz C-Classes checked on 'carVertical' had fake mileage and 37.9% of them actually sustained damage. The situation for the Golf is even worse: 1.9% of vehicles with an odometer were tampered with and 49.3% were damaged. In Megane models, 2.1% had the odometer tampered with and 26.2% sustained minor or major damage. The percentage of Class A cars that had odometers changed and damage was 0.6% and 30.6%, respectively. The CL class recorded more damage: 35.6%.
The average damage value for each model is as follows: €7,631 in the C-Class, €7,376 in the Golf, €5,855 in the Mégane, €6,670 in the A-Class and €4,700 in the CL-Class.
The condition of a car depends largely on how the previous owner maintained it. Therefore, before purchasing, it is always better to check the vehicle's history and consult a professional mechanic.
In Europe, buyers prefer BMW, Audi and Volkswagen
In terms of global purchasing trends, the Volkswagen Golf was the most checked car model on carVertical, with a percentage of 4.91%. The BMW 3 Series (4.89%), Volkswagen Passat (3.75%), BMW 5 Series (3.68%) and Audi A4 (3.53%) were among the most popular cars in all countries surveyed.
All of these models have a reputation for being reliable and offering a good balance between performance, comfort and practicality, which is why they are highly sought after across Europe.
BMW was the most popular brand in all countries at 14.7%. Volkswagen comes in second place with 14.3%, followed by Audi with 11.9%.
Audi and Volkswagen are among the ten most popular brands in all countries surveyed.
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