THE used car currently quickest off the forecourt in Glass's monthly Hot Five survey for May is the Vauxhall Astra GTC - and pre-registrations appear to be the reason.

With an average mileage of each Astra sold at just 541 miles, according to Glass's figures, indications are that they are being pre-registered by the manufacturer and its dealers in large numbers.

Second slot is taken by the Lexus RX450H, showing the increasing popularity of hybrids in the 4x4 sector, while the Chevrolet Orlando is third, despite the manufacturer's decision to withdraw from the UK.

In fourth place, the Hyundai i20 illustrates how the used car buying public is starting to realise just how good this manufacturer's cars have become while perhaps the biggest surprise is the Peugeot 407 in fifth place. A good car, it is currently offering excellent value for money.

Glass's head of valuations Rupert Pontin said: "Having the Astra GTC as the fastest selling used car is a bit of an anomaly as this reflects the pre-reg activity that is supporting the new car market at the moment.

"At 11 days to sale and an average mileage of just 541 there are no prizes for guessing what is happening here. There is a lot of this kind of activity going on in the market and Vauxhall is certainly not the only manufacturer doing it."

"The Lexus RX450H should not really come as a surprise as these are generally in short supply. Tried and tested hybrid technology makes this a sensible choice for what can be a costly car to run in its equivalent petrol guise."

And he added: "The Hyundai I20 represents fantastic value for money and the retail buyer seems to be beginning to realise just how good this car is.

"The average profile for the cars sold is 25 months old with 16,000 miles, so many could be ex-PCP cars reaching the market."

"Finding the Peugeot 407 in fifth place is a bit of a surprise - not because they are bad cars but because that are usually found to be in oversupply. This does not seem to be the case at the moment and, at an average asking price of £3,279, they offer super value for money."