Three out of five Northern car owners are more likely to opt for a nearly-new car than other regions, according to results from BCA’s latest used car report.

Three-quarters of South Western, Welsh, East Anglian and East and West Midlands' car owners plan to buy a used car (over 12 months old) next time they make a change.

According to BCA’s The Closer View report, North Western (15%) and Scottish (16%) motorists have a new car in mind when they change.

Potential used car buyers in largely rural areas, such as East Anglia (65%) and Wales (47%), appear more intent on buying a used diesel than their opposite numbers in more urban conurbations like London and the West Midlands.

The popularity of used diesels is growing steadily with 37% of prospective used car buyers saying they are heading in this direction.

According to BCA, while the majority of motorists still favour a petrol-engined car, the switch towards diesel is set to accelerate as higher numbers reach the used car market from much higher new diesel sales accounting for around half the market in recent years.

BCA also believes used car buyers are becoming savvier in terms of total cost of operation and working out the economic point where it is beneficial to move from a used petrol to a used diesel variant.