The Ford Fiesta topped Motors.co.uk’s used car sales for March with 9,436 units sold.

Total cars sold by dealers through the online classifieds site in March was 166,172 - up 8.8% from 152,716 in February.

Dermot Kelleher, director of marketing and business intelligence at Motors.co.uk, said: “With the recent plate change having elevated car sales to a 10-year high, it will come as no surprise to see comparative growth within the used car marketplace too, as many motorists exchange old cars for new models and used car buyers update their previous models.

“What’s interesting is the significant rise in popularity of compact family cars, indicating a major shift in the market for options that are cheaper to run and more fuel efficient. This trend indicates that Britain’s motorists are starting to make more practical and informed decisions about the kinds of vehicles they need rather than want, with more emphasis now being put on affordability than ever before.

“This is an encouraging sign for consumers, who are clearly thinking at length about how they can help reduce the amount it costs for them to drive. Ultimately, by taking their time to make these kinds of decisions and choosing practical options, they will likely save themselves thousands of pounds each year.”

March used car sales MoM% change

1 Ford Fiesta 9,436 14%
2 Ford Focus 8,323 2%
3 Vauxhall Corsa 6,662 5%
4 Vauxhall Astra 6,423 7%
5 Volkswagen Golf 4,183 18%
6 BMW 3 Series 2,830 6%
7 Vauxhall Insignia 2,819 -9%
8 Vauxhall Zafira 2,513 -5%
9 Nissan Qashqai 2,437 -1%
10 Volkswagen Polo 2,303 6%