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

Sales of new diesel cars hit a record in November 2007, taking more than 45% of the market. Figures provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, show nearly half the 158,735 cars registered were diesel. According to the SMMT, buyers have been choosing diesel as part of attempts to actively reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. We’re not so sure consumers give environmental awareness such a high priority. Diesel cars typically produce lower carbon dioxide emissions than petrol engine cars with similar power outputs. But it is directly linked to the amount of fuel burnt. Diesels burn fuel at a lower rate, and therefore carbon dioxide emissions are lower. With fuel prices much higher than they were a year or two ago, car buyers are seeing diesel as a way of reducing their day-to-day running costs. When brimming a tank in a typical family car now costs £50-plus instead of £40 this must take its toll when budgeting the monthly outgoings.

SMALL CARS:
New: Pick out a pre-reg Fiesta for best value
An all-new Ford Fiesta will be unveiled in the next few months so discounts on new and pre-registered examples of the current model should be especially generous. Launched in 2002, the Fiesta was roomier, better to drive and felt like a higher quality product than earlier versions. We found several models offered by a Ford franchised dealer at less than £6000. These cars were registered during 2007 so the three-year warranty offered would have started at the time of registration. They were 1.25 Style models, which come with central locking, a CD/radio, power steering and driver and passenger airbags as standard. List price on these models is more than £9000 so picking up one of these pre-registered cars saves more than £3000.

Used: Used Colt offers practicality and style
The Mitsubishi Colt launched in 2004 is a well-engineered and practical small car, and there are plenty of low-mileage examples to choose from on the used market, including some well-equipped special editions. Expect to pay from £4000 for the best of the earliest cars, which will be just over three years old. We found a 54-registration 1.1-litre Red model which comes with a CD/radio and remote central locking, but there should be others that have more kit for not much more cash. The 1.1-litre engine is a frugal and sporty sounding three-cylinder unit. One clever feature common to all Colts is the split/folding/tumbling/sliding/reclining rear seat, similar to those found in some people carriers. It makes the Colt particularly versatile, and is a strong reason for choosing it over many other small cars.

FAMILY CARS:
New: A dash of brashness and £4000 off
The Dodge Caliber was launched in the summer of 2006 as a bold, generously sized compact family car with a dash of brashness. The Caliber’s interior, with its hard, cheap-feeling plastics and inert driving experience won’t appeal to everyone, but it does appear to be good value, especially when you look at similar family cars with the same size engines. Some dealers have cars in stock that are already registered and this could be the best way to pick up a bargain family car. We found an 07-reg 2.0-litre diesel SE with delivery miles on the clock for £10,995. This is £4000 off
the offi cial list price. There are plenty of other dealers advertising cars nearer to list price, but if you’re prepared to put in a bit of legwork, you could save thousands.

Used: Half price Sonata is music to your ears
Hyundai has made a concerted effort to make its cars appeal more to the needs of European drivers and the 2005 Sonata was one of the first to demonstrate the Korean company could be a mainstream player. Almost Audi-like in its sharp styling the Sonata addressed many of the criticisms that could be directed at previous Hyundais. Quality was better (let down by an aftermarket radio in earlier cars) and eventually there would be a good diesel. However, Sonatas still suffer from savage depreciation, and buying a used car from 2005 (with the remainder of its five-year warranty, remember) could be a savvy way into a large family saloon. We saw a 2.4 CDX auto (with leather, air conditioning and other kit) with just 9000 miles on the clock advertised for £7495 - less than half its original price.

4X4S AND PEOPLE CARRIERS:
New: Grandis is a distinctive Zafira rival
The Mitsubishi Grandis hasn’t been a particularly strong seller in the seven-seat people carrier market, despite having many of the ingredients that should make it a success. The diesel engine is supplied by Volkswagen and is one of the better modern diesels for performance and fuel economy, second and third row seats fold to create a flat loading area, and with its distinctive styling and low roof it certainly stands out. However, some Mitsubishi dealers have 2007 models already registered with savings of almost £3000 over the official list price of almost £20,000. Although choosing a pre-registered one means some of the time on the warranty has disappeared (the three years starting when it was registered) there is no mileage limit.

Used: Used Nissan Pathfinder at budget 4x4 money
Nissan’s Pathfinder has always been good value, and you get a lot of car for the money on the used market. Note that if you need seven seats you should be looking for the slightly more expensive SE, SVE or T-Spec models (these names were changed to Trek, Sport and Aventura during 2006), but if all you need is five seats plus huge cargo-carrying ability, an S should be fine. Prices for 2005 models are typically around the £15,000 mark. The cheapest we found was and 06-model with 23,000 miles on the clock advertised at £14,495, 05-reg at about £14,995 is more likely. Don’t forget the Pathfinder is also a pretty keen off-roader, and should cope with most tricky obstacles off the beaten path.

SPECIALIST CARS:
New: Two-seat Tigra offers cheap roof-down thrills
Most people aren’t thinking of wind-in-the-hair motoring at this time of year. Despite the increase in hard roof convertibles on the market, cabriolets are still seasonal. If you just want an economical compact convertible, seek out a pre-registered Tigra. There are plenty at car supermarkets around the £11k mark – a saving of £3k.

Used: Affordable XK8 ‘Cat’ beats winter blues
Continuing the convertible theme, it’s possible to find Jaguar’s XK8 convertible at the £10k mark on the used market. Winter is always the best time to buy convertibles, and while there are plenty that have covered more than 100,000 miles, there are a few being sold privately with low mileage and full service histories. We found a 61,000-mile car at £10,250.

Manufacturer promotions
With money tight after Christmas, manufacturers are attempting to lure new car buyers with their January sales promotions. Ford, Audi and Skoda are offering free goodies and upgrades to sweeten the deal. Citroen is offering cashback across its range – including £5100 cashback on the Xsara Picasso 1.6i Desire – while Hyundai, Mitsubishi, SEAT and Subaru have all knocked thousands off the list prices of a good deal of their models. The multitude of low finance deals offered by a whole host of manufacturers is also welcome.