Cars owners sell quickest revealed: Tesla tops the list AGAIN but an old favourite proves a keeper

The cars that drivers offload in the shortest amount of time after buying them have been revealed, and it's models from the world's most famous EV manufacturer that are ditched quickest.

Teslas has the shortest ownership periods of any major brand, according to a study.

Vehicle history checking service CarVertical says the average Tesla driver keeps their car for less than two and a half years, based on analysis of hundreds of thousands of background checks conducted on UK motors.

But while the until recently fashionable US car maker hasn't managed to translate that into long-term ownership, two old names that have fallen victim to car-making time have instilled long-term loyalty, the study reveals.

Rover and Saab are the blasts from the past that keep owners hanging on, with the longest ownership periods, knocking luxury brands down the list.

It's the second consecutive year Tesla has topped the chart of fastest-ditched motor brand, though average ownership spells are up on last year - drivers typically sold them after 21 months in 2024, last year's annual report showed.

Short ownership reflects the recent downward spiral suffered by the US brand; Tesla shares have plunged by a third this year as orders for its expensive electric vehicles have plummeted across many major markets, linked primarily to CEO Elon Musk's political exploits as one of Donald Trump's right-hand men on his return to presidency.

While Tesla topped the charts, in second place for the shortest ownership is a brand at the opposite end of the price spectrum - and it's one that's loved by Britons...

CarVertical said Tesla's high turnover rate - which is double that of cars on average - is likely due to 'rapid advancements in EV technology, frequent model updates, and strong resale value, encouraging owners to upgrade sooner'.

However, a number of protests and attacks against Tesla dealerships around the world and a monumental decline in European sales have showcased the unrest felt towards Musk and his involvement in last year's election campaign.

The Tesla and X owner played a significant role in the 2024 United States presidential election by establishing a political action committee in support of Donald Trump for his campaign, making him the election's largest donor with over $250 million.

He joined the POTUS cabinet in February but reports have already been swirling this month that the Tesla boss will stand down from his position within weeks.

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His political involvement correlates to a dramatic decline in demand for his cars, particularly in Europe.

In the first three months of 2025, sales of the company's EVs plummeted 62 per cent in Germany, 41 per cent in France and 25 per cent in Norway, where nearly nine in ten new car purchases are electric.

Yet, Tesla sold 336,681 vehicles during the three-month period - far below the 386,810 recorded in the previous quarter and the 390,000 forecast by analysts.

In the UK, registrations were down just 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2025.

However, the CarVertical report suggests that the 26,144 customers are likely to offload their Model 3 and Model Y EVs before the end of 2027.

That's because the average UK Tesla driver reportedly only keeps their electric cars for 29 months.

Across all cars, the UK average ownership period is 62 months, meaning Tesla buyers keep their EVs for less than half as long as the average Briton.

Tesla's ownership period is also far shorter than any other manufacturer.

Dacia cars are kept for the second shortest amount of time in the UK, being sold by owners on average every 46 months, the report said.

While it means Dacias are generally retained for more than three years, it is surprising to see it second in the order given the brand has generated a strong following of motorists who love its budget-friendly appeal.

Next in the list is Kia, with average ownership spells of 51 months, while Seats and Hyundais make up the top five with drivers typically selling them on after around 4.5 years.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, a couple of defunct car brands have the longest ownership spells.

Rover, which hasn't produced a new model since 2005 after going into administration, has an average ownership period of 128 months, likely as a result of older drivers not wanting to part with their beloved motors.

Saab. which went bankrupt in 2011 and car production ended in 2014, is second in the list with keepers holding onto them for an average of 93 months.

The rest of the list of 10 longest-retained brands included a number of prestige and luxury names, including Ferrari (91 months), Porsche (87 months), Bentley (79.4 months) and Aston Martin (76.9 months).

The analysis by carVertical reveals the late-1980s Mercedes-Benz 560SL has the longest ownership of any car on record, changing hands every 16.2 years as collectors generally stash them away to preserve their value.

It's a similar case for the Jaguar XJS (16 years) and the original Ford Capri (15.8 years).

'These classic models are especially popular among British car enthusiasts, who often cherish and hold onto them for extended periods, contributing to their long ownership cycles,' the history checking provider says.

The study also reported which models typically have the highest number of previous owners in Britain.

Jeep Cherokees have the highest volume of keepers at an average of 6.18, followed by the Mercedes-Benz S500 (5.96) and Toyota MR2 (5.88).

Matas Buzelis, car expert at carVertical, says the number of former owners a vehicle has had is an 'important fact to check' for anyone looking to buy a used car.

'While mileage and service history provide insight into a car’s condition and value, the number of past owners can reveal additional important details,' he told This is Money.

'A vehicle that has changed hands frequently might be costly to maintain or could have persistent mechanical issues.

'Some niche models offer an exhilarating driving experience but may be impractical for daily use due to limited storage space — leading to shorter ownership periods.

'The context clearly matters as some high-end electric vehicles like Teslas are leased as company cars, which naturally results in more frequent ownership changes compared to privately owned vehicles.'