NEWS

MAZDA’S MX-5 has been rated by used car buyers as their top used choice of the ‘noughties’. Research by online retailer carsite.co.uk revealed the Mazda’s top placing – from total used car sales of 68 million motors since 2000! The survey asked for feedback on: •    Reliability •    Performance •    Running costs •    Depreciation •   [...]

SCRAPPAGE is being blamed for the biggest decline in used car sales since the start of the decade. Sales fell by 6.6 percent in Q2 – an unprecedented fall, says Experian, even after further declines in Q1. Between January and March, sales fell by 1.1 percent. Which really does make the further declines between April [...]

ALFA Romeo’s 166 is the worst depreciating car in Britain, retailing just 14.4 percent after three years! The staggering loss has just been revealed by Glass’s, which says the Alfa Romeo is by far the worst of a bad bunch. This gathering of cars was dominated by Rover Group models, though. The Rover 25, 45 [...]

MINI MPVs are the current darling of UK car buyers, and values in the trade are remaining high as a result. HPI says that the relatively new sector is still a bit of an oddity, but hit new models are fast winning round prospective buyers. This, coupled with limited volumes, means values are currently very [...]

USED cars are hard to source – but car dealers should not think auctions have become a blind alley. The RMI’s Society of Motor Auctions admits the used car market is booming in 2009, and risks becoming a victim of its own success. Thus, said SMA head Louise Wallis, ‘dealers need to look at all [...]

CAR dealers are being forced to stock older used cars, due to a severe shortage of nearly-new models. Glass’s says this has led to price increases of up to 25 percent. Since the beginning of summer, there has been a severe shortage of nearly-new stock, particularly short-term rentals and dealer demonstrators. There is no solution [...]

CAR dealers are suffering from a big decline in used car sales, as buyers instead shift to the private market. The market for dealer private car sales plunged by £1.7bn in 2008, to £24bn. In contrast, reports BCA, the private market was worth £1bn MORE, as car buyers look to save cash. It seems they [...]

USED car values are breaking the usual seasonal trends and continuing to go up, say used car valuation experts. HPI says that prices have risen for the fourth month in a row – despite the summer months traditionally seeing falls in values. 3 year old petrol cars led the increases, by going up 1.4 percent [...]

USED car prices rose by an average of 3 percent in June, shows latest evidence from Manheim Auctions. This is the fifth year-on-year increase in the past six months. What’s more, it beats the summer slump usually seen at this time of year. Look to individual sectors, and the gains are even greater. Dealer sector [...]

CAR buyers prefer to stay local when it comes to choosing their next motor, reveals a new survey. Motors.co.uk has discovered that car buyers will ideally travel little more than 12 miles for their new cars. Used car buyers are a bit more willing to travel – they’ll consider distances of around 16 miles. Even [...]

USED car prices have fallen year on year – but recovery may already be underway, say experts. Experian has noted that MPV sales shot up in quarter one, with the extra demand leading a recovery in prices. Q1 demand for sub-three-year models was up by HALF! Indeed, this sector is the only one recording a [...]

SEAT Used Cars sold 915 cars in May – ‘by some distance’ a used car sales record for the sporty brand. This, reckons SEAT, proves the growing importance of used car sales to the UK car dealer network. David Ardern is SEAT’s used car manager. He said the May used car figures ‘very clearly demonstrate [...]

USED car prices fell by 0.6 percent in May – but, says auctioneers Manheim, this is nothing to worry about. It is a decline, but it’s less than the seasonal norm. What’s more, both fleet and dealer sectors continue to report value increases. It was the manufacturer sector that was hit, marking a decline of [...]

MINI prices are rocketing for used models, as interest in the famous BMW-built car reaches a high. Auctioneers BCA report that the MINI’s 50th year celebrations are sending used prices up. PR chief Tim Naylor says the model still has massive appeal, and remains ‘genuinely aspirational for a wide range of drivers of all ages. [...]

HPI has revealed that used car market prices have now returned to September 2008 levels This means the dramatic plunges witnessed over the past few months have finally been overcome. Great news, says HPI’s Martin Keighley. ‘The economic downturn seems to have levelled out, or at least be bottoming out, which has led to cautious [...]

CAR dealers looking to save in the credit crunch are being targeted by a growing online marketing provider. Localcarsearch says it can deliver dealers’ stock and services to hundreds of thousands of buyers… for 85p per car! That’s the special offer rate provided by the company’s special discount structure. But even without this, per-car rates [...]

6 consecutive months of price rises offer yet further proof the used car market is recovering, reports BCA. The market has improved by more than 18 percent since the nadir in October 2008. The 1 percent rise in April – an average of £59 – was some way short of £400 plus figures seen earlier [...]

USED car prices will end 2009 a hefty 16 percent higher than 2008’s values, reports market expert Glass’s. This will be due mainly to a shortage in stock, caused by booming demand for secondhand models. Which, themselves, are in short supply… Come December, the average car will be worth £5100. That’s £700 more than December [...]

USED car prices rose for the 4th month running in April – but the rate of rise has dropped to 1 percent. What’s more, falls are predicted for the coming months. Manheim Auctions says that April’s growth was largely driven by the fleet sector, where values rose by over 2 percent. In contrast, both dealer [...]

SUPPLY and demand will dictate whether the boom in the used car market will continue, says HPI. And this, in turn, will be what helps calm the volatility in the market car dealers have see so far in 2009. It’s small cars that are most in demand, and expected to remain shortest supply, says HPI’s [...]