Mycarcheck.com’s valuation experts reveal significant trends in the UK used vehicle market and choose a car and bike of the month.
Valuation services team manager at mycarcheck.com, Jon Wheeler, said: “Dark nights and icy roads are just around the corner and many of us are already dreading the challenging driving conditions UK winters bring. Worry not, there is a solution: Fiat’s Panda 4×4. This lightweight family runabout makes for a great city car, with the added allure of a fantastic 4×4 system that can genuinely take you just about anywhere. Choose from a 0.9 Twinair petrol or 1.3 Multijet diesel engine – both offer sensible mpg figures if driven respectfully – and expect to pay around £6.5k for an early example with average mileage. As always, check the history before you buy.”
As to market trends, Wheeler said: “As expected, the new car market took a big hit in September, mainly due to the WLTP regulation change. Some manufacturers were forced to register large numbers of non-compliant vehicles in August, and make them available at very competitive prices. Faced with long lead times on some new WLTP-compliant models, many would-be new buyers opted for the financially beneficial option of a pre-registered vehicle, available to drive away in days rather than months. In other news, the government has announced that, from 9 November, the plug-in hybrid grant will be scrapped and the electric vehicle grant slashed. The decision has been widely condemned by both motor trade and consumer groups – you have to question the logic as we head towards a greener future.”
On the motorbike, scooter and moped sector, mycarcheck.com’s Mark Field said: “The BMW R1200GS is the second bestselling motorcycle of 2018, beaten only by its more off-road-focused brother, the R1200 GS Adventure. It has a beautiful 125bhp boxer engine with a deep powerful sound, and all the reliability, build quality and resale value that BMW is famous for. Our choice would be the top spec TE Executive, which comes with electronic suspension, cruise control, ABS and dynamic traction control. Check the history to make sure the one you’re looking at is as advertised, particularly if buying in the private marketplace.”
As to market trends, Field said: “It is pleasing to report some good news in both the new and used bike markets. New registrations increased by 9.1% in August, compared to the same month last year, while demand in the used sector has remained high. Overall, when comparing year-to-date figures, 2018 has seen only a 2% increase in new sales, but at least it’s a positive. Meanwhile, traders have been working hard to source enough good quality used stock, especially in the adventure and naked categories. The most striking trends are the continuing demand for naked and tourer bikes, and the continuing decline of new supersport registrations, down 16.2% compared to last year.”
With information from the police, DVLA, insurers and finance houses, My Car Check holds comprehensive data on every vehicle on UK roads – things that buyers should be aware of before making an offer.
CDL Vehicle Information Services, which owns My Car Check, performs over a million look-ups a day for companies including AutoExpress, CompareTheMarket, Go-Compare, Moneysupermarket, Swiftcover and Tesco.
SOURCE: Mycarcheck.com
