The figures announced at the annual ROAD conference seem almost insulting to automakers. Of the eight million car deals per year, only 17% were for new cars. The remaining buyers—more than 80%—consciously went to the secondary market. One can, of course, resent the "disloyalty" of customers. But the Russian motorist has a cold, pragmatic, and quite logical answer to this.
In recent years, the market has become radically skewed. Everything that is not Chinese or domestic has either become deeply premium or automatically moved into the category of "used but desirable." The result on the roads is visible to the naked eye: today, about 75% of cars in the country are over ten years old. For comparison, ten years ago, such cars accounted for about half of the fleet.
And this is not degradation, but adaptation.
The Myth of "Three Years of Life" Is Dead for Good
Until recently, screens and pages confidently proclaimed: three years—and it's time to change the car, then it allegedly turns into a pumpkin. Everything breaks down immediately, the resource is exhausted, operation is impossible. Reality destroyed this fairy tale.
Firstly, the very logic of "quick replacement" has disappeared. Secondly, it turned out that a car, with normal maintenance, lives quietly for ten, fifteen, or even twenty years. Key issues are the resource of units, the availability of service, and the cost of ownership. And this is where the vast majority of modern new cars start to have problems.
Old Means Understandable
Today, cars are increasingly divided into "pre-sanction" and "post-sanction." The irony is that the former often cost more than new ones. The reason is simple: they can be properly serviced. But the prospect of owning a brand-new Chinese crossover regularly breaks down against everyday life—the lack of familiar services, the shortage of spare parts, unstable delivery times.
Hence the steady interest in used cars from Japan and Korea. These cars are understandable: it is known where to repair them, what to repair them with, and how long to wait for the necessary part. That is why secondary imports feel much more confident than official dealerships.
Price Decides Everything—and Even More
Pricing is added to all technical issues. New cars are frankly overpriced, and a car loan has become a luxury. When buying for cash, the comparison often ends before it even begins—"Green Corner" in Vladivostok almost always wins.
It is no coincidence that about 600 thousand used Toyotas were sold last year. This is not nostalgia or fanaticism, but a calculation: if you want trouble-free operation, take a Japanese car. A bonus is a high residual value, which cannot be said about many new models, which easily lose up to a million rubles in a year.
Scales of Choice: Secondary vs. "Primary"
On the side of used cars:
- adequate starting price;
- understandable price/resource ratio;
- predictable service life before serious investments;
- high residual value;
- available spare parts and mechanics;
- accumulated repair experience.
And what does the new car market offer? The very concept of "new car" has been seriously discredited in recent years. There are no more promised three years of carefree driving—you have to repair it, and often at your own expense. The institute of warranty repairs has actually left with the old brands.
And a logical question arises: what exactly are they asking to pay extra for?
The ROAD figures are not a mistake or an anomaly. This is a consequence of simple arithmetic, common sense, and real operating experience. That is why in 2025, 83% of buyers chose the secondary market. And there is no reason to believe that the picture will change in 2026. At least—radically.
