Highlights:
- The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the new car most likely to be resold, with 28.3% of its owners selling it in the first year — nearly eight times the average rate of 3.6%.
- Luxury vehicles make up all top 10 models ranked for the highest first-year resale rate.
- Porsche is the brand most likely to be resold in the first year, with 16% of its new cars resold by their original owners within 12 months.
- For used car shoppers, these rapidly resold cars present a significant opportunity to buy a low-mileage vehicle well below its original new-car price.
While most car purchases are long-term decisions, some buyers actually sell their new cars within the first year of ownership. New Land Rover Discovery Sports are at the top of the list – with nearly three out of 10, or 28.3%, resold in the first year. This rapid resale trend is monopolized by luxury vehicles, which make up all of the 10 new cars most likely to be resold in the first year, according to the latest iSeeCars study.
iSeeCars analyzed over 18.5 million new cars sold in 2023-2024 to identify which vehicles and brands were resold as used within the first year. The analysis found that the average first-year resale rate for new cars is 3.6%, while resale rates for the top 10 models range from four to eight times higher.
“Multiple factors can contribute to why a new car is resold so quickly,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Owner dissatisfaction is the most obvious cause, but financial hardship and even creative dealer accounting can also drive this number up, with some retailers registering demonstration vehicles as sold to increase sales numbers for their stores and the manufacturer.”
Top 10 new cars resold after a year: All luxury cars
Every model in the top 10 is a luxury brand, suggesting these dealers and buyers are far more likely to sell a new vehicle and quickly have it come back. The Land Rover Discovery Sport has the highest resale rate at 28.3%, followed by the Porsche Macan at 22.2% and three Mercedes-Benz models – the GLB (21.2%), CLA (20.4%), and GLA (16.7%). Two more Land Rovers, the Range Rover Evoque (16.4%) and the Discovery (13.6%), along with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (14%) give these two brands seven of the top eight rankings. The BMW 5 Series is the only BMW to make the top 10, at 13.4%, followed by the Jaguar F-PACE at 13.3%.| New Cars Most Likely To Be Resold Within a Year - iSeeCars Study | |||
| Rank | Model | Early Resale Rate | Average Price New |
| 1 | Land Rover Discovery Sport | 28.3% | $55,188 |
| 2 | Porsche Macan | 22.2% | $77,727 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz GLB | 21.2% | $51,015 |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz CLA | 20.4% | $50,627 |
| 5 | Mercedes-Benz GLA | 16.7% | $48,548 |
| 6 | Land Rover Range Rover Evoque | 16.4% | $58,492 |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 14.0% | $56,370 |
| 8 | Land Rover Discovery | 13.6% | $77,163 |
| 9 | BMW 5 Series | 13.4% | $67,713 |
| 10 | Jaguar F-PACE | 13.3% | $71,210 |
| Overall Average | 3.6% | $46,773 | |
Top 10 brands resold after a year: Luxury nameplates lead again
Porsche is the most resold brand after a year, with 16% of its cars coming back to dealers. The Macan drives most of that top ranking, but the Cayenne is also among the top 20 most resold models. Jaguar is ranked second at 10.7%, followed by Mercedes-Benz at 9.1%, Land Rover at 8.9% and INFINITI at 6.5%.| Car Brands Most Likely To Be Resold Within a Year - iSeeCars Study | |||
| Rank | Brand | % Chance of Being Returned | Average Price New |
| 1 | Porsche | 16.0% | $92,745 |
| 2 | Jaguar | 10.7% | $73,025 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz | 9.1% | $71,746 |
| 4 | Land Rover | 8.9% | $84,756 |
| 5 | INFINITI | 6.5% | $61,192 |
| 6 | BMW | 6.2% | $72,141 |
| 7 | Genesis | 6.1% | $63,793 |
| 8 | Audi | 6.0% | $63,495 |
| 9 | MINI | 6.0% | $40,146 |
| 10 | Maserati | 5.7% | $90,878 |
| Overall Average | 3.6% | $46,773 | |
A new car sold shortly after purchase may be driven by several factors, but one thing is certain: These cars represent excellent opportunities for buyers looking to get a near-new vehicle at well below the new-car price. Buyers should also ensure they are getting the remainder of the new-car warranty when buying one of these slightly used vehicles.
Methodology
iSeeCars.com analyzed over 18.5 million individual new car sales from model years 2022-2025 in 2023 and 2024. Using each car's vehicle identification number (VIN), it was identified whether the car was then re-listed between four months and a year of its sell date on the used car market and then sold. Used cars with fewer than 4,000 miles, models not in production as of the 2024 model year, heavy-duty vehicles, ultra-premium vehicles, and low-volume models were excluded from further analysis.
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