Once upon a time, estate cars were the cars to have. Sensible, practical, and not all drab looking.

However, in the last decade or so they've dropped in desirability as more and more manufacturers roll out cookie-cutter SUVs and crossovers which serve a similar purpose.

Now according to new figures from Auto Trader big-booted 'wagons' are set for a comeback tour, with the two best-selling used cars of last month being estates.

The 2012 Ford Focus Estate, with a petrol engine and manual gearbox took on average just 18 days to leave forecourts, while the diesel-powered 2017 Skoda Superb Estate took an average of 21 days to find a new home.

2017 Skoda Superb Estate

Only three SUVs made it onto the list, with the Kia Sorento, Ford Kuga, and Seat Ateca all featuring. 

Across the country Ford was the best-selling manufacturer on the used market. It took top spot in East England (2016 Ford Kuga diesel manual – 28 days), East Midlands (2012 Ford Fiesta petrol manual – 23 days), North East (2016 Ford Kuga diesel manual – 23 days), Northern Ireland (2016 Ford Kuga diesel manual – 26 days), South East (2018 Ford EcoSport diesel manual – 17 days), Wales (2016 Ford Kuga diesel manual – 31 days) and Yorkshire (2013 Ford Focus petrol manual – 25 days).

2012 Ford Focus Estate UK-spec

"It’s easy to overlook estates in the wake of the surging popularity of SUVs over the last few years, but it shouldn’t come as any surprise to see them take the top spot; they’ve come a long way from the uninspiring models that prioritised functionality over style," said Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s Director of Commercial Products. "Many of today’s estates offer elegant styling, excellent efficiency, and plenty of practicality that can often outperform an equivalent SUV in the real-world."

"The dominance of estates this month highlights just how fluid the market is. The ability to track emerging trends through data management can ensure your forecourt reflects consumer tastes and demands, helping to increase turn of sale and ultimately maximise profits."

The UK’s top 10 fastest selling used cars in May 2019:

Rank

 

Make/Model

 

Description

 

Average Days to Sell

 

Average Retail Price

 

1

 

Ford Focus

 

2012 Ford Focus Estate Petrol Manual

 

18

 

£8,180

 

2

 

Skoda Superb

 

2017 Skoda Superb Estate Diesel Manual

 

21

 

£17,958

 

3

 

Vauxhall Astra

 

2016 Vauxhall Astra Hatchback Petrol Automatic

 

22

 

£10,593

 

4

 

Volkswagen Sharan

 

2016 Volkswagen Sharan MPV Diesel Manual

 

22

 

£17,007

 

5

 

Kia Sorento

 

2016 Kia Sorento SUV Diesel Manual

 

22

 

£19,236

 

6

 

Ford Kuga

 

2016 Ford Kuga SUV Petrol Manual

 

23

 

£13,522

 

7

 

Ford Focus

 

2012 Ford Focus Hatchback Petrol Automatic

 

23

 

£6,262

 

8

 

Smart forfour

 

2016 Smart forfour Hatchback Petrol Automatic

 

23

 

£8,239

 

9

 

Seat Ateca

 

2017 Seat Ateca SUV Petrol Manual

 

23

 

£15,655

 

10

 

Vauxhall Zafira

 

2016 Vauxhall Zafira MPV Diesel Automatic

 

23

 

£10,928