Teslas And Hybrids Were Some Of The Fastest-Selling Used Cars In March

Want a used EV or hybrid to battle high gas prices? You may need to act fast.

Photo by: Ralph Hermens

By: Suvrat Kothari

May 5, at 1:30pm ET

Comment

As gas prices remain elevated, the fastest-selling used cars in March were EVs and hybrids.
Buyers scooped up the Tesla Model X and Lucid Air from lots, likely due to high depreciation.
The share of used hybrid sales grew exponentially during the same period.

Electric vehicles and hybrids were among the fastest-selling used cars in March in the U.S., according to a new report from iSeeCars. A large supply of lightly used EVs leased during the early days of the Biden-era tax credits are now returning to dealer lots, making the used EV market more attractive than ever.

The recently discontinued Tesla Model X led the pack as the fastest-selling used car in March, spending an average of just 25.6 days on the market. The Lexus RX350h and Honda Civic Hybrid ranked third and fourth, snapped up by buyers after 27.6 and 29.6 days on the lot, respectively. The Lucid Air came in fifth, followed by the Tesla Cybertruck and Model Y in seventh and ninth.

The results are based on a study of 6.7 million one- to five-year-old used cars sold in the first quarter of 2026.

"Many people assumed the recent spike in gas prices would mean a resurgence in EV demand, but hybrids have proven to be the real benefactor of rising fuel costs," said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. "Hybrids are selling faster, retaining more value, and growing their market share faster than electric vehicles, though Tesla’s EVs are also doing quite well."

Across the board and across powertrains, used cars sold more slowly in Q1 of this year than during the same period last year, iSeeCars said. But the sales pace for used Teslas barely budged.

Rank (iSeeCars data)	20 Fastest-Selling Used Cars March 2026	Average Days On Market
1	Tesla Model X	25.6
2	Lexus RX 350h	27.6
3	Honda Civic Hybrid	29.6
4	Lexus GX 550	31.0
5	Lucid Air	31.6
6	Lexus ES 300h	33.1
7	Tesla Cybertruck	33.3
8	Audi Q5 Sportback	34.2
9	Tesla Model Y	34.6
10	Hyundai Elantra N	38.3
11	Mini Cooper 2 Door	38.7
12	Mazda CX-50 Hybrid	38.7
13	Tesla Model S	39.1
14	Lexus RX 350	39.5
15	Toyota Camry (Hybrid)	39.5
16	Lexus TX 350	39.6
17	BMW Z4	40.0
18	Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid	40.1
19	Toyota Grand Highlander	40.1
20	Volkswagen Golf R	40.4
Total average		58.8

The average cost of gas in the U.S. has hit $4.48, according to AAA, as the conflict in Iran has caused turmoil in the global oil markets. Consumer interest in battery-powered cars has spiked as a result.

Tell us what you think!

View

Comments

Research activity around EVs on the car shopping website Edmunds increased to 11.6% of all site activity in March, similar to the 11.8% observed in September, as buyers raced to take advantage of the expiring EV tax credit.

Cars.com said 52% of shoppers it surveyed were considering EVs or plug-in hybrids due to high gas prices, adding that used EVs were turning over 18 days faster than the same period last year.

The market for new EVs is still suffering from policy whiplash inflicted by the Trump administration and the resulting backtracking of electrification plans from the auto industry. So while other regions see clear EV gains amid the oil crisis, the impact in the U.S. has been more muted. But the secondhand market might be absorbing pent-up interest.

2026 Lucid Air

Photo by: Lucid Motors

In March, used EV sales hit a new record of 43,000 units, a 27.7% year-over-year jump, Cox Automotive said. (During the same month, new EV sales slumped by around 25%.)

That makes sense as lightly used EVs offer a far lower entry price at a moment when car buyers are feeling squeezed. Research also shows that used EVs typically have healthy batteries that are still good for years of usage. And they tend to have better performance and lower maintenance costs than equivalent gas cars.

Still, hybrids may be the bigger story this year. iSeeCars said that the market share of one- to five-year-old hybrids increased nearly 42% year-over-year as gas-only vehicles shed some market share. Hybrid sales broadly have skyrocketed as EVs remain on the back foot.

Toyota alone sold 1.1 million electrified vehicles in the U.S. last year, most of them conventional hybrids. And Nissan is planning to stage its own hybrid comeback in the U.S. this year with the Rogue e-Power to grab a share of this growing pie and challenge Honda and Toyota.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com