Buying a used car is about to become as simple as asking for one. The Car Expert’s free AI assistant will now search more than 600,000 cars for sale across the UK. That’s a bigger choice than any of the household-name car sites. Tell it what you need, what you can spend and where you live, and in seconds it returns a shortlist of the best-rated cars that fit.
The Car Expert has added the listings to its free AI assistant, creating the UK’s largest AI-searchable used-car inventory. Buyers can describe their budget, location and essential requirements in everyday language, then explore a shortlist of matching cars. The Car Expert’s independent Expert Ratings help them assess the models they find before deciding which individual vehicles to investigate further.
A buyer could ask: “Find me a well-rated used family car near Poole for up to £15,000, with low running costs, strong safety credentials and ULEZ compliance.” They can then refine the search as they learn more about their options, rather than starting again with a new set of filters.
The launch comes as the used car market returns to growth. More than two million used cars changed hands in the UK between April and June 2026, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the first second quarter above two million since 2021. That is around 22,000 used cars sold every day. Used electric car sales rose 67% to 110,761, as more buyers weigh up whether an EV could work for them.
“Used-car adverts moved online years ago, but buyers still have to do an enormous amount of searching and second-guessing,” said Lee Williams, Board Advisor at The Car Expert, AutoTrader.co.uk’s first employee, who launched its digital business. “For customers, this could be the biggest step forward in buying a used car in a decade: tell us what you need, and the technology searches 600,000 cars to help you find a sensible place to start.”
For the industry, the development brings vehicle search and independent model research together in one conversation. A buyer can ask about running costs, safety or whether an electric car would suit their circumstances, then use those answers to shape a search of cars currently for sale.
The listings search builds on The Car Expert AI, launched earlier in September. The free assistant answers car-buying and ownership questions using The Car Expert’s own data. Its recommendations draw on the award-winning Expert Rating Index, which brings together more than 20 million data points and ratings for over 900 new and used car models. The listings are updated through The Car Expert’s partnership with Clear Vehicle Data.
“When we first put car adverts online, we made it easier to see what was for sale,” Williams said. “This is the next leap: helping people work out what is actually worth looking at. Price and mileage alone cannot tell you whether a car fits your life, whether the model is well regarded or whether its running costs will stretch your budget.”
The Expert Rating assesses a car model, rather than the condition or specification of an individual used vehicle. Before committing to a purchase, buyers should still check the individual car’s history, condition and exact specification, as well as its full ownership costs. The Car Expert’s free car check can help them review a vehicle’s history and key details meaning most owners should never have to use another website to buy a used car again.
The Car Expert AI is free to use at www.thecarexpert.co.uk.
For media demonstrations, The Car Expert can run a journalist’s own car-buying brief through the AI and show the resulting shortlist. Email the PR contact below to arrange.
