The World’s Most Googled Used Car Is a Rugged American Off-Roader
A new report released this month studied 500 used cars to see which were plugged into search engines the most over the last twelve months. The overall results aren’t all that surprising – Honda and Toyota grace the top five, as does Tesla. However, I was perplexed to see the Jeep Wrangler as the most searched used car in the world.
The Jeep Wrangler is the most searched used car in the world, overtaking even the Ford F-150
For context, the insurance comparison group Compare the Market analyzed the global search volumes of dozens of popular makes and models for its Used Car Demand Report. The Australia-based company measured worldwide activity from December 2023 to January 2024.
Since the Ford F-series is historically one of the world’s most popular cars, I was shocked it wasn’t even in the top 40. The fact that the Jeep Wrangler is number one is even more mind-boggling to me.
However, as the Editor-in-Chief of an automotive publisher, I have tools that help me look into search volumes as well. Using one such tool, I can see that in the U.S., “used ford f150” is searched 18,100 times each month. “Used jeep wrangler,” on the other hand, is Googled 49,500 times per month. Wow!
The Ford F-150 was the best-selling new car in the U.S. in 2023, with 726,624 units sold. The Jeep Wrangler moved 155,491 new units in the U.S. last year, which was almost 85K units short of its 240K U.S. record back in 2018. Quite a difference in sales numbers.
On Compare the Market’s global used car search volume list, the first Ford model doesn’t show up until spot nine. It’s the Ford Bronco. The Ford Ranger lands at number 12.
The most searched used cars in the world include 3 American models
For the curious, here are the top 10 most searched used cars in the world, according to the study:
- Jeep Wrangler
- Toyota Tacoma
- Honda Civic
- Honda City
- Tesla Model 3
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda Accord
- Ford Bronco
- Honda CR-V
The ironic thing is that since I owned an old 2001 Jeep Wrangler myself, the more I think about this, the more I understand why “used jeep wrangler” is searched more than other models. It was, by far, one of the most fun cars I’ve ever had. I probably smiled shifting that rag-topped rusty thing more than I ever did with any other car. I remember it often.Â
In the U.S., anyway, Wranglers are everywhere and hyper-beloved by their owners. It’s possible the worldwide search volume could also indicate a healthy dose of enthusiast research, and maybe some “dream-scrolling.”
The global search results can certainly be insightful. Either the study just plum forgot to look at “used ford f150,” which I doubt, or folks just really love buying new F-150s and looking up used Jeep Wranglers.
Additional source: GoodCarBadCar
