Parker’s Car Price Guide: December trends, best buys and great deals

Car running costs seem to have gone up recently with fuel prices not only breaking the £1 a litre barrier, but unashamedly showing £1.07 for diesel at motorway services. Despite diesel prices being a little higher than unleaded, it still seems cost effective to choose a diesel car for moderate to high annual mileage. Elsewhere in Europe lower levies on diesel at the pumps has always made it more attractive. But what about LPG? A lack of government incentives resulted in the few car manufacturers who offered liquefied petroleum gas conversions gradually keeping quiet about them. Subsidies for the conversions dried up, and tax on the fuel at the pump increased. But with recent rises in petrol and diesel, LPG is still about half the price of unleaded, as it was about five years ago, and there are still many filling stations with LPG pumps. Not enough to persuade people to choose a bi-fuel car new, but perhaps an incentive to look favourably at used cars with an officially certified conversion.

SMALL CARS:
New: Savings to be made on original Kia Picanto
The Picanto was the first modern Kia to demonstrate the Korean company could deliver products that compete with mainstream rivals on merit. The Picanto has just had a mid-life refresh, but it should still be possible to save cash by seeking out earlier versions of the car. These will have been pre-registered by the dealer (the dealer will be shown as the first owner of the car), have asking prices significantly lower than official list prices. We found a selection of 1.0 GS models with £1000 off list price. Central locking, electric front windows and CD player (with MP3 file compatibility) are standard.

Used: Idea proves both useful and inexpensive
Fiat’s Idea never scored highly in the sales charts. A small family car based in the Punto, it seemed to be shunned as a new purchase, particularly when Fiat dealers always seemed to be offering tempting incentives on cheaper new Puntos at the time. Fiat has since dropped the car from the UK line-up. There seems to be much uncertainty about how to price these models on the used market. We found huge variations on similar cars during our search, but the cheapest examples start at around £3500.

FAMILY CARS:
New: Mazda6 wins for driving pleasure and value
The Mazda6 is due for replacement at the end of 2007 with an all-new model. It means Mazda dealers could be keen to dispose of the current shape models they already have registered. The current shape still seems sleek and is a thoroughly enjoyable drive, is roomy enough for five adults and is well equipped. We found a 57-plate 1.8 TS hatchback with an asking price of under £12k. This comes with a CD/radio, alloy wheels, alarm, six airbags, cruise control, automatic climate control and four electric windows. List price on this car is more than £15,000, and don’t forget to haggle down from the asking price.

Used: Low-mileage Vectra is a great family car
Most Vectras are used by company car drivers and can cover in excess of 20,000 miles a year. However, some are in private ownership, and the latest and much improved version of the car is becoming increasingly accessible. We found a two-year-old 1.8 Exclusiv model with less than 20,000 for less than £7000. Although this is the base model, it’s still well equipped, with air conditioning, CD/radio, electric front windows, and the steel wheels have covers that look like alloys.

4X4S AND PEOPLE CARRIERS:
New: Last call for discounts on Grand Voyager
The Chrysler Grand Voyager is feeling a little tired now, and the replacement due in February isn’t a moment too soon. But it does have a very useful feature missing from other large people carriers. Called ‘Stow ‘n Go’, it allows second and third row seats to be folded down into the floor, effectively giving the Grand Voyager a van-like cargo compartment. If the seats are being used then the under-floor storage compartments can be used for keeping other items hidden away. List price for an Executive XS model is more than £32,000, but we found some dealers offering pre-registered examples for £26,495.

Used: Used X3 prices sink closer to £10k mark
BMW’s X3 doesn’t seem to have the appeal of its larger brother, the X5. And BMW prices are quite sensitive to the options fitted to the car when new. We found a handful of X3 models, petrol and diesel, average and high mileage, models around the £10,000 mark. The least expensive was an 05- registered 2.0d Sport being sold privately. The photographs included in the advertisement showed leather seats, too. The X3 retains many of the car-like driving characteristics of a BMW despite being capable of some off-road use. Be warned of a firm ride, however.

SPECIALIST CARS:
New: Buyers’ market for pre-reg Saab convertible
Saab’s 9-3 model has just undergone a refresh, but there are still plenty of the old versions around registered to dealers with delivery miles. It's also the time of year when demand for convertibles is low. We found a few 210bhp 2.0T Aero models priced at £23,295. List price on these cars was more than £31,000.

Used: MG ZT V8 a guilty pleasure for select few
The MG ZT 260 was a pretty special car, although perhaps too labour intensive for all but driving enthusiasts. Expect to pay about £10k for a fully loaded used SE. Find an American car specialist who knows their way around the Ford Mustang V8 engine and remember oil changes every 5000 miles.