How Far Will People Travel For a Used Car?

With many of us confined to our homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, most businesses can confidently say that they’ve noticed a change in consumer’s buying habits, and used car retailers are no different…

Why are people travelling further for a used car? 

The normalisation of online shopping and click and collect services has set an expectation for at least a portion of the buying journey to be available online - even if you do prefer the in-person approach. AutoTrader reported to Car Dealer Magazine in 2021 that ‘the distance customers are prepared to buy their next car has increased ‘significantly’ during the Covid-19 pandemic’. 

How far are people willing to travel to buy a used car? 

According to AutoTrader, before the pandemic the average distance a buyer would travel to buy a car was around 40 miles, and this increased 25% to 50 miles, even following the reopening of physical premises in April 2021.

In further, separate research conducted by Autotrader in May of 2021, they found that ‘46 per cent of consumers are currently willing to buy from a retailer based over 50 miles away, and more than one in five (21 per cent) were prepared to buy up to 100 miles from their home, 10 per cent up to 200 miles, and 16 per cent over 200 miles.

How have we made it easier to buy a car from further away? 

As a Harrogate-based car dealership that came to life in the aftermath of our many lockdowns, Carlingo has welcomed customers from further afield in person and online - in fact, it’s why our website makes it easy to view cars online before a journey is made.  

Any used car dealership worth its salt will have made sure that, since the mindset shift of consumers during the pandemic, all of their stock is available to view online - this was our first port of call. Thanks to the clear images, descriptions and specifications available to see regardless of the type of car you’re after, we regularly see customers travelling from Leeds and other further-afield places to buy a used car from us. 

We find that our Leeds customers, for example, will travel to us because our choice of hatchbacks, estates and SUV is vast, and our website contains all the information they need to make Carlingo worth travelling the 17 miles.

For example, James was a recent customer who travelled to us from Leeds, purchasing a beautiful new Peugeot 508 from Carlingo. He discovered the car online on our website, chatted to one of our team on the phone, and a test drive was arranged for the next day. Cut to a week later, and James was picking up his new Peugeot. He had this to say about his experience: 

"I'd been looking for a car in the Leeds area for months. Then I found Carlingo who were only 30 minutes down the road in Harrogate. I spoke with Adam over the phone and he reserved the car for me so I could come for a test drive after work. A lovely showroom and an incredible experience - easy peasy and definitely worth the trip. Thanks to Adam and the team at Carlingo."

Find your used next car in North Yorkshire 

If you’re looking for a used car near Leeds, we’re worth the trip up the A61 - promise! Our wide selection of cars from a range of manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Skoda means you’re very likely to find the ideal car, with many featuring upgraded specifications to ensure your next car is truly special.