1 February 2024 | See disclaimer
Do Aussies prefer SUVs over sedans? And are we heading towards a greener future on our roads?
To better understand the car-buying habits of everyday drivers, we surveyed more than 1,000 Australians about their vehicles and what decisions they’ve made when purchasing them.
We also compared both our data and third-party information to our previous survey of the Latest Australian Car Sales Statistics & Survey from 2022 to explore the trends in the market and understand where Australia is heading for the future.
Quick Stats
New cars saw a record-breaking year of sales in 2023.
SUVs are the most popular type of car owned by Australian respondents in 2024, taking over from sedans in 2022.
More respondents are now driving hybrid cars, while fewer are driving on unleaded petrol.
More than 40% of those surveyed who purchased their car in 2021 or after, said the pandemic made the buying process harder and more expensive.
Car Sales Statistics
In 2023, the combined new and used car market in Australia saw almost 3.3 million cars sold. [1]
Although used cars outsold new cars throughout the year, the new car market had a record-breaking year of sales.
New Car Sales
In 2023, there were more new cars sold in Australia than ever before. The record-breaking year saw more than 1.2 million new cars delivered to drivers in just one year.
While most new cars purchased in 2023 ran on petrol, 16.2% were either hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or fully electric vehicles. [2]
New Car Sales by Fuel Type 2023
Meanwhile, SUVs made up more than half (55.8%) of all new cars purchased in 2023. This was followed by 22.5% of light commercial vehicles and 17.4% of passenger vehicles. [2]
Australians are buying more SUVs than ever before with the total number of sales per year tripling from just over 200,000 in 2010 to more than 600,000 in 2023. [2] [3]
New Car Sales by Class of Car
Used Car Sales
In 2023, there were more than 2 million used cars sold in Australia. Of these sales, 61.1% were made through private sellers, while 38.9% were made through dealerships. [4]
Petrol car sales made up almost two-thirds of the total used car market sales, while diesel was the next most popular in 2023. Meanwhile, green vehicle sales including hybrid, electric and PHEV cars, made up less than 4% of the total used car market share. [4]
Used Car Sales by Fuel Type 2023 ^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
The price of a used car can be measured by its retained value percentage (RV%). This is the percentage of the original recommended retail price that a used car is sold for. It’s used to measure how well a used car has held its value. For example, a used car with an RV% of 30% means the car was sold at 30% of its original sale price when it was purchased brand new. [4]
Throughout 2023, the price of used cars fluctuated in Australia. At its peak in February and March, the RV% of used cars was 75.8% of the original retail price.
This then dropped to a low of 67% in December, which was the cheapest it had been all year. [4]
National Monthly Weighted Average RV% 2023 ^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Australian Car Sales Survey
To better explore the current market of new and used car sales in Australia, Budget Direct surveyed more than 1,000 Australian drivers aged 18 and over.
How did you acquire your primary, everyday car?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Most respondents said they purchased their car on the open market, while one in ten said they bought it from someone they knew.
Meanwhile, almost one in five respondents aged 18 to 27 said they purchased their car from someone they knew, compared to just 5.6% of those aged 58 to 67.
Was your primary, everyday car new or used when you acquired it?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
New cars were more popular than used cars, according to respondents, with just over half saying their car was purchased brand new.
Respondents in New South Wales were the most likely to buy a new car, according to nearly 60% of respondents.
Meanwhile, younger respondents were more likely to own used cars according to almost two-thirds of those surveyed aged 18 to 27. This could be compared to just 39.4% of respondents aged 58 to 67 who said they were used car buyers.
Slightly more people were buying new cars in 2024 than they were in 2022, with responses increasing from 51.8% to 53.5% in two years. [5]
In what year was your primary, everyday car manufactured? ^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
It was most common for respondents to own a car that was built between 2011 and 2020, according to 55.7% of those surveyed.
New South Wales respondents were the most likely of those surveyed to own a car that was built in 2021 or after, while those surveyed in Western Australia were the most likely to own an older car built between 2001 and 2010.
In what year did you acquire your primary, everyday car?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
The majority of those surveyed acquired their car sometime between 2011 and 2020.
Respondents in Western Australia were the most likely to have recently bought their car, between 2021 and now.
Meanwhile, those aged 18 to 27 were the most likely group to have recently bought, according to 43% of respondents.
What best describes your primary, everyday car?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
The SUV was the most popular choice of car for those surveyed, with 30.5% saying that it was their everyday car.
This was closely followed by a hatchback and sedan, while a wagon and ute were some of the least popular choices.
SUVs were the most popular in South Australia and Victoria with around 32% of each state opting for the larger vehicles.
Meanwhile, Western Australia was the most likely state to own a 4x4, according to those surveyed, with one in ten saying that was their primary car.
Owning a ute was much more popular among male respondents, while women were more likely than men to own a hatchback or an SUV.
Hatchbacks were also the most popular car choice among those surveyed aged 18 to 27 as well as those aged 58 to 67.
Meanwhile, used car owners were more likely to drive sedans, while new car owners were more likely to be driving SUVs.
Compared to 2022, preferences have flipped with the SUV now overtaking the sedan as the most popular car among drivers, according to survey respondents. [5]
What does your primary, everyday car use as fuel?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
The large majority of respondents used unleaded petrol in their everyday cars.
Diesel cars were the most common in Western Australia with almost one in five drivers surveyed having a diesel car.
Meanwhile, New South Wales respondents were the most likely of all the states to have a hybrid car, closely followed by Queensland respondents.
Petrol was more common in female respondents, while diesel was slightly more common in male respondents.
When compared to 2022, the percentage of those surveyed who drove on unleaded petrol was slightly down, while the percentage of respondents with hybrid cars was slightly up. [5]
What colour is your primary, everyday car?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Grey or silver cars were the most popular among Australian respondents, with white cars coming in a close second.
Female respondents were more likely to own a blue or white car, while men who were surveyed were more likely to have black, grey or silver.
Blue was the third most popular car for Australian drivers who were surveyed, particularly in the 58 to 67 age range with 16.9% saying they owned a blue car.
How long do you generally keep the same car, or how long do you plan to keep your current car?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Most Australian respondents said they usually kept the same car for five to ten years, according to 40.5% of those surveyed.
Those in South Australia who were surveyed were the most likely to keep their cars for the longest time, with a third of respondents saying they had their car for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the majority of those aged 18 to 27 said they kept their car for one to five years.
Did COVID-19 make it difficult, or more expensive for you to acquire your primary, everyday car?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Three-quarters of those surveyed said the effects of COVID-19 didn’t affect the process or cost of buying their car.
Those surveyed in Victoria were the most likely state to say that buying their car was negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, 41.2% of respondents who purchased their car after 2021 said the pandemic made it harder and more expensive when going through the buying process.
Key Takeaways
New Car Sales Back on the Rise
Our survey found that the majority of respondents said they purchased their car brand new.
In the two years since our previous survey, there was also a slight increase in the percentage of new car owners in 2024. [5]
Although overall there were more used cars sold in Australia in 2023, new car sales had a record-breaking year with more than 1.2 million sold in the year. [1] [2]
SUVs Take Over the Market
SUVs continue to be the most popular type of car for Australian drivers to own in 2024. According to our survey, almost one-third of respondents said their everyday car was an SUV.
Preferences have flipped since 2022 when the majority of respondents said they drove a sedan as their everyday, primary car. [5]
When broken down by new and used cars, 37.8% of new car owners who were surveyed said they owned an SUV, while 31.6% of used car owners surveyed said they owned a sedan.
Meanwhile, across Australia, more people than ever are buying new SUVs with more than 600,000 sales in 2023. [3]
Hope for a Greener Future
While the large majority of respondents still said they drove petrol and diesel cars, there’s a promising increase in the number of hybrid cars on Australian roads.
Our survey found that since 2022, the number of hybrid cars on the road has increased slightly, while petrol cars decreased slightly. [5]
Those in New South Wales were the most likely to own a hybrid car of all the states, with 4.6% of respondents saying they owned one. This was closely followed by 3.2% of Queenslanders surveyed.
Meanwhile, 16.2% of all new cars sold in Australia in 2023 were either hybrid, PHEV or fully electric vehicles. [2]
