The Car Expert has expanded its free AI assistant to search more than 600,000 used cars currently advertised for sale across the UK.
The new functionality allows buyers to describe the type of car they are looking for using everyday language, including their budget, location and key requirements. The system then searches available listings and produces a shortlist of suitable vehicles.
Users can also refine their requirements during the conversation rather than repeatedly starting a conventional search with a new set of filters.
For example, a buyer could ask for a highly rated family car near Poole costing no more than £15,000, with low running costs, good safety credentials and ULEZ compliance. They could then narrow the results further as they consider different models or requirements.
Combining used car search with independent ratings
The Car Expert says the service combines live vehicle listings with its independent Expert Rating system, allowing buyers to research models while looking at individual cars currently available.
That means questions about areas such as running costs, safety or the suitability of an electric vehicle can be used to help shape subsequent searches.
The Expert Rating Index combines more than 20 million data points and ratings covering more than 900 new and used models.
The vehicle listings are supplied through The Car Expert’s partnership with Clear Vehicle Data.
The expanded search capability follows the launch of The Car Expert AI earlier in September. The free assistant was initially designed to answer car-buying and ownership questions using the company’s own automotive data.
Lee Williams, Board Advisor at The Car Expert and the first employee of AutoTrader.co.uk, said the aim was to move used-car searching beyond traditional price, mileage and specification filters by helping buyers identify models that better match their individual circumstances.
Used car market returns to growth
The launch comes as activity in the UK used car market continues to strengthen.
More than two million used cars changed hands between April and June 2026, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), marking the first second quarter above the two-million threshold since 2021.
That equates to around 22,000 used cars changing hands each day.
Used electric cars also recorded strong growth during the quarter, with transactions rising 67% to 110,761 vehicles.
Individual cars still need checking
The Car Expert stresses that its Expert Rating assesses the overall model rather than the condition, history or specification of an individual used vehicle.
Buyers therefore still need to check a particular car’s history, mechanical and cosmetic condition, specification and likely ownership costs before completing a purchase.
The company’s free vehicle-checking service can also be used alongside the AI search to investigate the history and key details of individual cars.
The Car Expert AI is free to use through The Car Expert website, which you can also visit here: https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/
