With New Year’s resolutions in full swing and as we inch closer to pay day, it seems that late-January is the time many of us start to think about buying a new car.

According to the latest Carzone Motoring Report half of us plan to purchase a car under two years old and based on data from previous years and monitoring traffic visiting the site and apps, Carzone predicts that Monday 21st of January is the day when we are most likely to consider buying a car.

When it comes to the type of car we want to purchase, the car buying experts at Carzone have put together a list of the most popular cars by segment based on searches on the site year-to-date.

The Volkswagen Golf, which was the most searched for car on the website last year, is the most popular car within the family hatchback segment, while the Nissan Leaf remains the most searched-for electric car.

The Nissan Qashqai takes the top spot in the compact SUV category while the Ford Fiesta is the most searched for supermini.

The most searched for cars on Carzone in January 2019 by segment

Family Hatchback Volkswagen Golf
Small Car Ford Fiesta
Executive Saloon Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Compact SUV Nissan Qashqai
Family Saloon Volkswagen Passat
Estate Car Audi A6 Avant
Large SUV BMW X5
Hybrid Car Toyota Yaris Hybrid
Electric Car Nissan LEAF


Commenting on the findings, Karl Connolly, Audience Manager Carzone said: “January is traditionally a time of change and as we reach the end of the month, many of us start looking to upgrade our car. Based on previous years we know that the third Monday of January is the day when people start to think seriously about this and start looking. For those who want to change their car this year, Carzone offers the best selection of new and used cars in Ireland. Whether you are looking for a family saloon, an electric car or a car under a certain price point this January, Carzone has a car to suit all tastes and budgets.”