DoneDeal Cars reveals buyer's search behaviour for 2025

Search behaviour on DoneDeal Cars in 2025 indicates that Irish buyers continued to prioritise familiar models and established fuel types when actively filtering their searches.

New analysis reveals the brands, models and fuel types Irish motorists most actively searched for during the year.

Based on aggregated search filter usage across Ireland’s largest car marketplace, the data provides a clear view of buyer intent, showing what people deliberately looked for when narrowing down their car choices over the past year.

Based on searches where users applied the car make filter, Volkswagen was the most searched brand on DoneDeal Cars in 2025, accounting for 13.8% of brand-filtered searches.

It was followed by Audi (11.0%), BMW (10.8%) and Toyota (9.3%), with Mercedes-Benz (7.1%) and Ford (5.7%) completing the top six.

The rankings highlight the continued strength of established mainstream and premium brands in Irish buyer search behaviour.

Among searches where users applied the car model filter, the Volkswagen Golf was the most searched model in 2025, accounting for 5.3% of model-filtered searches.

It was followed by the BMW 5 Series (2.7%), BMW 3 Series (2.3%) and Ford Focus (2.1%). The Audi A6, Volkswagen Passat and Audi A4 each accounted for 1.9%, while the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Toyota Corolla rounded out the top ten.

Based on searches where users applied a fuel type filter, traditional powertrains continued to dominate interest with diesel 47.9% and petrol 21.9%.

Electrified options accounted for a smaller share of fuel-filtered searches, electric 5.5% and hybrid 5.2%.

Among searches filtered to petrol models, the Volkswagen Golf accounted for 16.5% of petrol model searches.

It was followed by the Volkswagen Polo (3.9%), Ford Focus (3.2%), Audi A3 (3.2%) and Ford Fiesta (2.9%). The Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, BMW 3 Series, Audi A1 and Honda Civic also featured prominently.

Within diesel-filtered searches, larger family and executive models featured strongly.

The Volkswagen Golf led diesel searches with 7.7%, followed by the BMW 5 Series (5.6%), Volkswagen Passat (3.9%) and Audi A6 (3.5%).

The BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Ford Focus and Škoda Octavia also ranked highly.

Among hybrid-filtered searches, the BMW 3 Series was the most searched model, accounting for 7.6% of hybrid model searches. It was followed by the BMW 5 Series (6.1%) and Toyota Corolla (5.7%). SUVs such as the BMW X5 and Toyota RAV4 also featured, alongside the Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota C-HR

Among electric-filtered searches, compact and mid-size SUVs dominated interest.

The Hyundai Kona was the most searched electric model in 2025, accounting for 8.2% of electric model searches. It was followed by the Volkswagen ID.4 (5.7%), Volkswagen ID.3 (3.0%), Kia EV6 (2.6%), Kia Niro (2.5%) and Nissan Leaf (2.5%).