2010 could be the year of the used car
Independent car advice site honestjohn.co.uk believes that 2010 could be the year of the good value used car. But, in the aftermath of the worse winter spell for more than 20 years, it’s also warning used car buyers to be especially watchful over vehicle condition before doing a deal.
Dan Harrison, Editor of honestjohn.co.uk explains more: “In 2009 good quality used vehicles were thin on the ground as a direct consequence of the severe downturn in the new car market, fleets holding onto their stock for longer than ever and private buyers putting off changing their cars. The result was a clamour for the remaining stock amongst dealers and huge used car price rises. Great for sellers – but not such good news for buyers.
“Towards the end of the year, however, we started to see a much better supply of stock coming into dealerships and auctions, as well as in the private market – and that meant the prices started to settle down. I believe prices will become far more realistic as 2010 progresses and supply matches demand. But the slump in new car sales to fleets over the past 18 months means that there will continue to be a shortage of cars that are six months old or less.
“Of course, used cars definitely provide fantastic value for money – as long as they are in good condition. And that, I think will be the big issue for used car buyers in the next few months.
“The deep freeze that took hold in mid December has definitely made its mark on Britain’s roads in the forms of hundreds of thousands of potholes. It’s near-on impossible to avoid them when driving on suburban roads if you don’t want to cause an accident. But every pothole a driver hits could be doing unseen damage to the wheels, tyres, body and suspension of the vehicle.”
After the cold snap at the start of 2009 it was reported by the AA that there was a 40% increase in road damage which pushed the number of potholes up to 1.5m. And the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, recently reported that its members spent more than £60m filling in around 970,000 potholes last year. Plus further damage has been caused as many roads have been dug up in the last few weeks and months by water authorities to deal with burst pipes.
“So the bad winter could leave a big hole in car buyers’ pockets if they buy a vehicle that has seriously structural problems thanks to those same potholes”, concluded Dan Harrison. “Our advice is to make the most of the great deals that we feel sure will be available in the used car market this spring. But make sure you do a really thorough vehicle condition check rather than just going on what you can see.”