Article

April 22, 2020

• 2 Minute Read

COVID-19 Triggers Major Reshuffle of Most-Searched Models on AutoTrader.ca

Over the past few weeks we have analyzed how COVID-19 has resulted in changes to consumer shopping trends on AutoTrader.ca. Thus far, traffic and vehicle detail page (VDP) views have remained steady, as consumers continue to use the marketplace to shop for their next vehicle, although 57% say that their time to purchase is over 4 months, compared to 22% before COVID-19. We have identified significant impacts to the top 10 most searched vehicles on AutoTrader.ca, by analyzing data collected during the week of April 11, 2020, compared against searches performed during the week of March 7, 2020.

Popular Models Battle for Top 10 Ranking

Three models that were long lived contenders in the top 10, have taken a dip in the rankings since early March.

The Honda Civic has been a popular search on the marketplace for quite some time, ranking second highest overall in 2019. Since March, Honda Civic search queries have fallen from 5^th most searched to 12^th, due to a decrease in unique searches of about 40%. Originally in the 9^th standing was the Toyota RAV4. With 45% less unique searches since March, the RAV4 now sits in the 20^th spot. The most drastic change from the top 10 relates to the Honda CR-V. Our marketplace data shows a 50% decrease in unique searches, moving the CR-V from the 10^th spot all the way down to 29^th.

 Which Vehicles Have Secured Top 10 Ranking?

The Ford F-150 has dominated the top position for the past 5 years. Currently, this model is experiencing a slight decrease in search volume, currently sitting in 6^th place for the month of April. The new top  searched vehicle is the Ford Mustang – outpacing other models with over 46K unique searches during the week of April 11. Directly below that, in second, is the Porsche 911, which was previously ranking 6^th, but has moved up to second place with a lift of over 7000 unique searches. The BMW 3 Series remains in the top three only moving from second to third position.

The last notable change is with the Chevrolet Camaro. In March, the Camaro ranked 23^rd but has now boosted to almost 24K unique searches during the week of April 11, making a new entry to the top 10 most searched on AutoTrader.ca.

While traffic and engagement on the marketplace is relatively consistent with year-over-year data, one thing is certain – the pandemic seems to have had a major impact on the type of cars users are searching for. Whether this is a temporary or long-term change remains to be seen, but it’s interesting to see the changes in what current shoppers are searching for. We will continue to monitor top vehicle searches from the AutoTrader.ca marketplace and share any compelling changes in what vehicles consumers are looking for most often in the weeks ahead.