New research has revealed that Australians are increasingly turning to four-wheel-drives when shopping for a used car, while electric vehicles (EVs) are also starting to make their mark on the second-hand vehicle market. The news is dire for fans of manual cars, however, as the numbers show they’re headed the way of the dodo.

Data from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) and AutoGrab has revealed that used car sales increased for the third consecutive month in September 2026, with 258,127 vehicles changing hands nationally. That number represents a 6.0 per cent increase on August and a 20.1 per cent rise compared to June.

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According to the research, four-wheel-drive vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, accounting for 46.2 per cent of all used car sales in September, up from 44.6 per cent in October 2025. That was even more noticeable among utes, with more than 82 per cent of those sold during September featuring four-wheel drive.

Meanwhile, the number of used vehicles advertised for sale declined by 7.7 per cent to 390,184 in September, while the average time taken to sell a used vehicle increased slightly from 51.5 to 52.8 days.

Not only are they setting the new sales charts on fire, but electric vehicles are also becoming a more significant part of Australia’s used car market, with 5417 second hand EVs sold in September, which was a 29.8 per cent increase compared with August. The EV market share increased to 2.1 per cent in September, up from 1.5 per cent in July.

Dealerships accounted for 75.4 per cent of used EV sales during September, which suggests that buyers are turning to known retailers when purchasing a second hand electric vehicle. The figures come during a time of continued high fuel prices, which have further pushed used vehicle buyers to consider more fuel efficient options to save as much as they can at the bowser.

The ADAA also analysed the colours of the used cars we’re buying. Despite plenty of options, white remains Australia’s most popular choice among used car buyers. Of the 10 brands examined, Mitsubishi recorded the highest sales of white vehicles (42.1 per cent), followed by Toyota (39.0 per cent).

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Mazda buyers are more adventurous, with white accounting for just 18.6 per cent of used car sales, followed by grey at 13.5 per cent, red at 9.5 per cent and blue at 9.4 per cent. Black was particularly popular among Mercedes-Benz buyers, accounting for 19.1 per cent of the brand’s used car sales.

ADAA’s research also confirmed the continued decline of manual transmissions, which accounted for just 6.6 per cent of used car sales in September, which is down from 8.3 per cent in October 2025. Manual transmissions represented 15.5 per cent of used ute sales, compared with 18.8 per cent a year earlier, while just 2.0 per cent of used SUVs sold during September featured a manual gearbox.

With four-wheel drives accounting for almost half of all used car sales and electric vehicles steadily gaining ground, Australia’s second-hand car market continues to evolve in some ways, even if buyers continue to favour traditional colours and automatic transmissions.