According to a January 2026 report on pre-owned car markets, Germany is the best country in Europe to buy a used vehicle. The study by the B2B car company eCarsTrade examined European countries based on resale pricing and vehicle selection.
- Germany has the best market for buying a used car, with reasonable prices around €20K and the largest selection of nearly 1.7M vehicles.
- Buyers can find the cheapest pre-owned cars in Italy, where typical automobiles sell for just €17.60K.
- The Netherlands has become one of Europe’s most popular used car markets, with nearly 45,000 people checking local inventory every month.
The research analyzed three factors across 20 European markets: average used car prices, the number of vehicles available on major platforms, and lookups from potential buyers. Each country received a score from 0 to 100, where higher numbers indicate favorable conditions for purchasing a used vehicle.
Here’s a look at the top 10 countries for buying a used car:
| Country | Car Price Average in € | Number of Used Cars Available (one platform) | Google Search Volume | Best Market for Buyers(Score) |
| Germany | €19.95K | 1.69M | 41.23K | 88 |
| Italy | €17.60K | 981.41K | 25.50K | 81 |
| France | €19.09K | 1.15M | 28.65K | 77 |
| Spain | €18.00K | 617.34K | 30.62K | 68 |
| Poland | €18.50K | 505.26K | 19.47K | 62 |
| Czech Republic | €17.43K | 151.69K | 13.23K | 58 |
| Belgium | €17.65K | 187.38K | 17.36K | 58 |
| Slovakia | €21.86K | 58.35K | 10.29K | 52 |
| Netherlands | €20.51K | 533.39K | 44.11K | 51 |
| Portugal | €18.81K | 132.81K | 18.90K | 49 |
You can access the complete research findings here.
1. Germany
- Average price for a used car: €19.95K
- Inventory: 1.69M vehicles
- Monthly searches: 41.23K
- Market score: 88
Germany is Europe’s best market for buying a used car. The country has the largest selection on the continent, with close to 1.7M vehicles available, giving customers far more options than anywhere else. Prices here are also affordable, with typical cars selling for under €20K. This is €5K cheaper than what buyers would have to pay in other European countries.
2. Italy
Italy comes second, offering the cheapest used cars in Europe. The average vehicle costs just €17.6K here, around €2K less than in Germany. Italy is also one of the biggest pre-owned car markets, with nearly 1 million vehicles currently listed for sale. And demand for them is strong too, with about 25,000 buyers checking local auto platforms each month.
3. France
Next on the list is France, where used cars sell for €19K, right between German and Italian price levels. With 1 million+ vehicles up for sale, France is the second-largest automotive resale market in Europe. It’s also among the most popular choices for purchasing a pre-owned car, attracting around 30,000 potential buyers every month.
4. Spain
Spain takes fourth place as one of Europe’s most active used car markets, with 30K monthly lookups from customers. With an average price of €18K, cars here cost less than in France or Germany. The country also has over 617K pre-owned vehicles on offer, which is about half of Germany’s inventory, but still a good selection.
5. Poland
Poland rounds out the top five with a smaller but growing used car market. Pre-owned automobiles in Poland sell for around €18.50K on average, making it a more interesting choice for customers with lower budgets. The local inventory isn’t small either, with sellers currently offering more than half a million used models.
The auto expert from eCarsTrade commented on the study:
“The US imported nearly 8 million cars last year, and that number keeps growing as buyers look for better deals. But with new tariffs hitting vehicles from Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Korea, those traditional sources are getting more expensive. That’s why buyers need to look into European markets more. When you’re dealing with tariffs that can add thousands to a car’s price, these European alternatives start making financial sense.”