The Hottest New and Used Cars in October

• The Kia Seltos is the fastest-selling new vehicle, taking an average 7.7 days to sell
• Both new and used cars are selling more than a week slower than in September
• Hyundai-Kia vehicles account for 5 vehicles on the fastest-selling new vehicle list
• Honda Insight replaces Tesla Model 3 as the fastest-selling used car after four months; alternative-fuel vehicles are well-represented on both fastest-selling new and used car lists

Analyzing over 250,000 new and used cars sold in October 2021, iSeeCars.com found that overall, the average new car takes 31.7 days to sell and the average used car takes 44.7 days to sell. Both new and used cars are selling slower than in September, where the average for new cars was 24.6 days and the average for used cars was 32.8 days.

“The demand for new and used cars has slowed in October, which is likely the result of increased inventory over September and because elevated car prices may have deterred consumers from buying a car until prices stabilize,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Production halts and restricted inventory continue to beset the auto industry, but we did see an incremental improvement this past month.”

Fastest-Selling New Cars

Four additional models from Hyundai-Kia make the list to further illustrate the shift in public perception for the automotive group that was once viewed as budget-oriented brands. These vehicles include the Kia Telluride, the Kia Carnival, the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, and the Kia K5. “Demand for the often marked up Kia Telluride has outpaced supply since its 2019 launch, and its average new car price of $46,374 exceeds its MSRP of $32,190 to $44,590,” said Brauer. “The Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid just arrived in dealerships and ousted the Tucson traditional hybrid as a fast seller, and the Kia Carnival multi-purpose vehicle attracts consumers who want a functional family vehicle that isn’t a typical minivan. Moreover, sedans like the midsize K5 have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity due to their lower prices and increased availability compared to SUVs.” 

Four Toyota vehicles make the list, with hybrid vehicles accounting for three models. The hybrid vehicles include the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, the Toyota Sienna minivan, and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, while the Tacoma pickup represents Toyota’s non-hybrid vehicles. “The microchip shortage led to a 40 percent decrease in output for the automaker in October, which led to scarce inventory for its vehicles,” said Brauer. “Hybrid vehicles have surged in popularity and have grown in sales faster than electric vehicles, and consumers have embraced the hybrid versions of Toyota’s popular cars and SUVs, leading to their rapid sales rate.”

Three Hondas make the list including the CR-V compact SUV, the CR-V’s hybrid variant, and the Civic compact sedan. “Honda’s volume was reduced by 24 percent in the U.S, which led to limited inventory especially for popular models like the CR-V and the Civic,” said Brauer. “The Honda CR-V Hybrid makes its debut on the fastest-selling list and is likely seeing a sales boost due to elevated gas prices and because of the scarcity of the traditional CR-V and more popular hybrids.”

Three Subarus also make the list including the Crosstrek subcompact SUV, the Outback compact wagon, and the Forester compact SUV. “Subaru’s American sales fell 40 percent in October due to supply-chain shortages leading to scarce inventory levels for its most popular models, which include the Crosstrek, Outback, and Forester.”

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited ranks eighth. “The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is among the new cars with the greatest price hikes over MSRP, and car buyers are willing to pay a premium for the new versions that are difficult to find on new car lots,” said Brauer.

The Chevrolet Corvette is a mainstay on the fastest-selling list, but dropped 13 positions to become October’s fifteenth fastest-seller. “Demand for the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette has exceeded supply since its launch for the 2020 model year,” said Brauer. “While demand remains high for the Corvette, it may have slightly slowed due to the regular dealer markups and the anticipation of the high-performance Z06 version that was recently unveiled.”

The Ford Maverick makes its debut on the list in the sixteenth position. “October was the first full month of sales for the all-new compact pickup truck, and it had a successful debut outselling its only direct competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz,” said Brauer. “Ford has struggled to keep up with demand since it became available and has over 100,000 reservations for the vehicle.”

Two Mercedes SUVs round out the list: the GLS full-size SUV and the GLE midsize SUV. “Mercedes-Benz recently cancelled production of V8 versions of the Mercedes-Benz GLS and GLE for the 2022 model year due to the chip shortage, which likely increased demand for the 2021 model,” said Brauer.

Fastest-Selling Used Vehicles

The Tesla Model 3 ranks third after being the fastest-selling used vehicle for four consecutive months. “The Tesla Model 3 has remained popular since its highly anticipated debut, thanks to impressive technology and performance at a relatively affordable price compared to Tesla’s earlier vehicles,” said Brauer. “A new version of the Model 3’s Standard Range Plus variant is sold out for the remainder of 2021 to further add to the already-high demand for used versions, some of which are being sold at higher prices than new versions .” 

Multiple sports cars and luxury cars make the list, including the Porsche 718 Cayman, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the Subaru BRZ, the BMW 4 Series, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. “Sports and luxury cars were popular throughout the pandemic, and their popularity has continued as consumers have a heightened desire to make purchases that bring them joy,” said Brauer.

Two compact Mitsubishis make the list, including the Eclipse Cross and the Outlander. “These small SUVs do not achieve favorable reliability ratings, but likely resonate with consumers because of their affordability, with the 500x and the Eclipse cross having the lowest average used car price of all used SUVs,” said Brauer.

Fastest-Selling Cars By City 

“As demand continues to outpace supply for new cars, consumers should act quickly if they see their desired vehicle for sale, and buyers will likely need to be flexible on color and trim options for in-demand models,” said Brauer.  

Methodology

iSeeCars.com analyzed over 200,000 new and used car sales (model years 2016-2020 for used cars) from October 2021. The number of days that each car was listed for sale on iSeeCars.com was aggregated at the model level, and the average days on market for each was mathematically modeled. Heavy-duty vehicles, models not in production prior to the 2021 model year, and low-volume models were excluded from further analysis.

About iSeeCars.com

iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $313 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.