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

Many car owners will notice significant changes to their annual road tax bill over the next couple of years, particularly owners of cars registered between 2001 and 2006 that are in medium to high tax bands. Some owners will find vehicle excise duty bill rising to £455 by 2010, and there isn’t a great deal of clarity on the changes unless you know exactly where to look. During July we contacted the DVLA with examples of cars to find out what changes are in store for their owners in the next few years, but in most cases the information given to us was incorrect. Luckily, Parker’s has a feature on its website where you can calculate your annual road tax for the next three years so you know how much extra you will have to pay, or whether you will be one of the lucky few whose bills will reduce by 2010. Visit www.parkers.co.uk/tax to go direct to the page. At present there is no other place online to provide this information for car owners showing this year and the next two years in one calculation.

SMALL CARS:
New: 3k savings with last-of-the-line Fiesta
Now is a good time to look for discounts on the Ford Fiesta as the new model is about to be launched. Many dealers and car supermarkets are holding pre-registered models in stock with significant savings over the official on-the-road price. We found a selection of 1.25 Style models at a variety of sites. We found three-door 1.25 Style models, which are officially £9450 of the road, with more than £3000 off. It’s rare to make such a saving on small cars, and these versions come with electric windows, MP3 player socket, remote central locking and split/folding rear seats.

Used: 60mpg diesel Audi is a classy small car
With fuel prices as high as they are, people are becoming more conscious of stretching every litre of fuel as far as possible. Many people probably don’t realise that 60mpg plus is achievable in a compact Audi. The A2 1.4TDI is a spacious four-seater and many come with luxury car features. The three-cylinder 1.4-litre engine does make itself heard, but it’s pretty nippy in the lightweight aluminium A2. The cheapest we’ve found with the standard 75bhp 1.4 TDI are around the £5000 mark, although a more powerful 90bhp diesel was launched in 2004, which offered better performance with similar fuel economy.

FAMILY CARS:
New: Gold Plus offers more car for less cash
The Volkswagen Golf Plus is based on the popular Golf, but is roomier. It hasn’t been a strong seller in the UK, and discounts are often easier to come by than on other medium sized Volkswagens. It is also possible to find pre registered models showing only delivery mileage with significant savings over list price. We found a 1.9 TDI Luna model at a Volkswagen dealer on a 08 registration plate with an asking price of £12,990. The list price of this 90bhp model is £15,185, but if you factor in the metallic paint finish the total saving is in excess of £2500. The Luna specification includes air conditioning and alloy wheels.

Used: Astra is a competent all-rounder
The 2004 Astra is a great all-round family car. It’s well-built, has a good choice of engines and there are plenty around which helps keep prices low. The earliest models with more or less average mileage on the clock are around the £4000 mark. We found a 1.4 Life model at £4000 that comes with electric windows, electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors, a system that helps maximise braking effort during emergency stops and a CD/radio. It is also possible to find higher specification models with more equipment for a little more cash.

4X4/FAMILY CARS:
New: Petrol Grand Cherokee with huge saving
Dealers are struggling to sell 4x4s at the moment and we found a Jeep franchise that had some petrol models left over from 2007 registered in 2008. These formerly range topping 5.7 V8 Overland models had a list price of more than £37,000 but were advertised at less than £23,000 — £14,000 lower than list price. These will still be expensive to run, so it’s worth considering a conversion to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Although this would invalidate the Jeep three-year warranty, a conversion by a registered installer might still be the safer bet and would make the car easier to sell on.

Used: Seven-seat Galaxy TDI looks good at £5000
Ford’s Galaxy people carrier is one of the most common on the used market, and as the car has been around since 1996 there are usually versions around to suit all budgets. However, if you don’t want to buy an older model and prefer the lower running costs of the diesel over the 2.3- litre petrol model, you can expect to pay around £5000 for a five-year-old model with less than 80k miles on the clock. The Volkswagen-sourced diesel engine is punchy and economical, and the car feels like a high-quality products. Many of the higher mileage versions around would have been used as mini-cabs and feel tired, so look for one that’s covered up to 15,000 a year.

SPECIALIST:
New: Saab 9-5 is a big bargain at just £15,000
The Saab 9-5 has been around since 1997, and in some ways it feels it. However, it looks distinctive and classy, and is well equipped. We found some 57-reg cars with delivery mileage on the clock with prices starting at less than £15,000 - that’s an £11,000 saving over list price.

Used: Big Vauxhall coupe has V8 power for £10k
High fuel prices have certainly taken the novelty off thirsty cars. The cheapest Vauxhall Monaro we’ve seen for sale is just £10,500 - less than a third of its original price and with only 34,000 miles on the clock. If you can afford the fuel bills this car is fast, comfortable and well equipped and its lazy V8 engine should be reliable.