Jul 3 2009 By Dan Owen
THE early bird can now catch the used-car bargain, thanks to a new service being rolled out by one sales website.
Due to its strong links with vehicle fleet and leasing firms, Carsite.co.uk can now give potential buyers the chance to source a used car before it actually goes on sale – and save up to 20% on the cost price in the process.
Carsite does this by offering the chance to browse among lists of cars that are coming to the end of their contracts, and a chosen vehicle can then be removed, with a £75 reservation fee, from the market.
The deal gets better – before deciding to buy, the car of choice will receive a full independent RAC inspection, have a unique video test drive plus 21 pictures to review.
And even better, if those wheels then fail to live up to expectations when seen in the metal, the buyer can walk away from it and have the £75 fee refunded.
For full early-bird scheme details, go to www.carsite.co.uk.
Meanwhile, demand for used prestige motors is rising in Britain, says leading sales outfit British Car Auctions (BCA).
June sales nationwide saw strong bidding across a range of performance cars and sporting exotica, BCA’s data reveals, suggesting buyers are currently happy to invest in these high-end, high-value machines.
In recent weeks, BCA has sold a 2007 Bentley Continental GT 6.0-litre Convertible for £92,500 - a staggering £12,600 above guide values. ABentley Continental Coupe sold for £79,000, more than £7,000 above the hammer guide price.
Also, a 2007 Aston Martin DB9 V12 Coupe sold for £72,500, exactly £6,000 above guide value, while a 2007-registered Aston Martin V8 Vantage went for £50,400, achieving £7,000 over guide prices.
“Last year, values for sporting and performance models came under pressure,” says BCA spokesman Tim Naylor says. “And it was widely believed that the reduction in City bonuses affected demand earlier in 2009, ironically just as other used-car sectors were recovering.
“Interest has been building all year, however, and values have improved notably in recent weeks.”
Finally, Used Car Expert magazine editor Matthew Tumbridge states that big family estate cars are holding their value better than the trendy MPVs on the used-car market.
“If you plan to hang on to your car for a while, it is clear that buying a large family estate makes more sense right now that buying an MPV,” says Tumbridge. “While you spend a bit more, you lose a lot less.”
Here are three tips from Used Car Expert magazine editor Matthew Tumbridge for big family estates that you can buy with an average budget:
Mercedes E-Class - “The early E, up to 1995, was the last of the old school Mercedes, brilliantly built and now cheap. But later versions are more affordable, especially big petrols,” says Tumbridge.
Used Car Expert magazine prices a 2000 Mercedes E-Class E240 with average miles of 67,000 at around £6,800.
Volvo V70 - “This offers plenty of space, of course, and only now are values starting to drop to truly affordable levels,” reckons Tumbridge.
Used Car Expert magazine prices a 2001 Volvo V70 D5 S 2.4 with average miles of 83,000 at the £5,450 mark.
BMW 5-Series - “Brilliantly engineered, and the best prestige estate you can buy. It is very comfortable and great to drive, with prices of petrol models dropping by the day,” states Tumbridge.
Used Car Expert magazine prices a 2001 BMW 5-Series 525 tds with average miles of 99,750 at around £5,950.
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