AA Cars has launched its Used Car Favourites guide for 2026, highlighting 35 cars and vans across seven categories to simplify the second-hand market for buyers. Instead of
AA Cars has launched its Used Car Favourites guide for 2026, highlighting 35 cars and vans across seven categories to simplify the second-hand market for buyers.
Instead of naming an overall winner, the company selected five unranked favourites in each category, giving used car buyers a starting point based on their individual needs. Categories reflect everything from first cars and family transport to long-distance driving, electric cars and working vans.
The selection balances data from millions of buyer searches across 3,000 models with the insights of AA Cars’ motoring experts.
AA Cars’ Used Car Favourites 2026
The categories recognise that there is no single definition of a great used vehicle, with thousands of models, specifications, ages and powertrains available in the UK market.
An Everyday Hero needs to handle the demands of day-to-day life, while a Family Favourite puts practicality and usability higher up the list.
Feel-Good Car celebrates vehicles chosen as much with the heart as the head, while Made for Miles focuses on cars suited to drivers who spend plenty of time on the road.
First Car Favourite highlights models well suited to drivers taking their first steps into car ownership. Electric All-Rounder looks at EVs capable of taking on a broad range of everyday driving, while Right-Hand Van turns the spotlight on used vans for drivers who rely on their vehicle for work.
For the five mainstream categories, AA Cars began with the most-viewed models on its platform, drawn from data covering more than 3,000 models.
While buyer interest provided the starting point, AA Cars’ motoring experts then identified five vehicles that best represented each category, considering factors including practicality, value, usability, desirability and suitability for the job at hand.
For the specialist Electric All-Rounder and Right-Hand Van categories, AA Cars considered buyer interest within their respective markets, recognising that specialist vehicles typically attract different levels of browsing activity from mainstream used cars.
The online platform and marketplace said that combining real buyer interest with clear, category-led guidance ensured its selection of Favourites is informed by real buyer behaviour, not simply a popularity chart.
The launch comes as the UK used car market continues to thrive, with more than four million vehicles changing hands in the first half of 2026 alone.
“The used market gives drivers an incredible amount of choice,” said James Hosking, managing director of AA Cars. “That’s a good thing, but it can also make knowing where to start harder.
“Our Used Car Favourites start with what buyers are actually looking at and add the judgement of our motoring experts to highlight cars with plenty to offer for different needs. That matters because the right used car looks different for everyone. Someone choosing their first car will have very different priorities from a family, a high-mileage driver or someone making the move to electric.
“These Favourites aren’t about declaring one car the winner. They’re designed to give buyers a useful starting point, help narrow down the options and build confidence as they search for the vehicle that’s right for them.”
