Lexus tops list of brands offering greatest profit potential in Q1

Lexus topped the list of marques offering the greatest profit potential of all cars sold via Carwow auctions in the first quarter of 2025, with an estimated average dealer margin of £2,896.

The car-changing marketplace looked at the difference between actual selling prices at auction and Cap ‘retail’ valuations to determine potential dealer profit before fees and prep costs.

It identified that used Lexus units averaged the greatest profit potential, ahead of Audi at £2,583 and Jeep in third place with £2,571.

Jaguar and Cupra completed the top five with predicted average profits of £2,560 and £2,432 respectively.

Looking at specific models, a 2022 Range Rover Sport topped the rankings for greatest potential profit in the last quarter, with a predicted margin of £4,356.

Second in the rankings by model was a 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTi with a potential profit of £3,386.

Third place was occupied by a 2019 Audi Q7 (£3,300), followed by a 2021 Volkswagen Golf R in fourth (£3,196) and a 2019 Mercedes EQC in fifth (3,104). 

Sally Foote, Carwow’s chief commercial officer - Sell My Car, said: “Our analysis of Q1 shows strong demand across the used market for premium brands, with a diverse mix of models making it into the top 10 – including two BEVs for the first time in nearly a year.

"With 20,000 vehicles available each month, our auctions are home to great deals which our retailers can then seamlessly advertise to millions of active car buyers across Carwow and Auto Express.”

The  top 10 Carwow most profitable makes for Q1 2025:

1. Lexus £2,896
2. Audi £2,583
3. Jeep £2,571
4. Jaguar £2,560
5. Cupra £2,432
6. Land Rover £2,419
7. Nissan £2,316
8. BMW £2,284
9. Mazda £2,259
10. Tesla £2,252

The top 10 Carwow most profitable models for Q1 2025:

1. Range Rover Sport (2022) £4,356
2. Volkswagen Golf GTi (2020) £3,386
3. Audi Q7 (2019) £3,300
4. Volkswagen Golf R (2021) £3,196
5. Mercedes-Benz EQC (2019) £3,104 
6. Mercedes-Benz GLC (2021) £3,064
7. Kia Sportage (2022) £2,822
8. Tesla Model Y (2020) £2,759
9. Audi Q5 (2017) £2,722
10. Volkswagen Tiguan (2020) £2,702