Buying a used car on Auto Trader? Get new ones by email

Most people buying a second-hand car in Britain spend more evenings scrolling than viewing, and an email of only the fresh adverts flips that round.

3 steps

Set up in a minute

Search on Auto Trader, sort by newest

Fill in the search the way a buyer would

Type your postcode, choose a distance, then set make, model and a top price that leaves room for tax, insurance and a first service. Add a year range and a mileage cap, pick the gearbox and fuel, and decide whether private and trade sellers are both welcome. Put the newest adverts first and copy the address bar.
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Copy the link, paste it into mxsender

Paste it into MXSender and choose email

Select email, confirm your address, and you are done; nothing to download. Telegram can be added to the same search on any plan.
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New listings land in your inbox

Each email is a short list

Whenever a check finds cars that were not there before, one email arrives with all of them, every car shown with its picture, price and a link. No new cars, no email. You can unsubscribe from the link in any message.
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Start monitoring Auto Trader →

Track a search on Auto Trader right now

Paste the Auto Trader search link you want watched — we’ll check we can read it, then set up your alerts.

Track this search →

For example:

📘 How to pick the right link ↗

🔎 Open Auto Trader ↗

A viewing checklist to keep beside the inbox

Before you set off: look up the MOT history on gov.uk for mileage readings and advisories, buy a history check to rule out outstanding finance or an insurance write-off, and ask the seller to have the V5C logbook and service book ready.

At the viewing: the logbook should carry the seller’s name and the address you are at, the engine should start from cold, and the mileage should agree with the MOT record. If anyone asks for money before you have seen the car, stop there.

Buying together without forwarding mails

On Pro the same email goes to three addresses, so you, your partner and the friend who knows cars all see each candidate at the same moment. Free and Starter send to one address, which is enough if you are deciding alone.

Dealer or private seller on Auto Trader

Buying from a dealer usually means more consumer protection and often a warranty; buying privately is often cheaper, sold as seen. Neither is wrong, but if you go private, the checks above carry more weight. The seller filter on Auto Trader lets you include one or both.

Keeping the first message out of spam

We cannot choose your folder for you; the provider does. When the first match is due, check spam and promotions, mark our message as wanted, and save the sender. Phone notifications for that label help you call while the seller still has free viewing slots, because a good car rarely waits until the weekend.

What a budget-friendly plan looks like

Free checks one search every 30 minutes, which is fine for a single model. Starter, $5.99, checks five searches every 10 minutes. Pro, $14.99, checks twenty searches with the fastest checks and adds the extra email addresses.