Motor Industry News
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March 2014 Van Wise Buyers Guide
MyCarCheck.com top tips for used van buyers March 2014:
Combo and Transit praised as ‘cheap and cheerful’ sector soars
MyCarCheck.com - the UK’s No.1 consumer vehicle data provider - has saved millions of people from making an expensive used car mistake. In these monthly bulletins its light commercial vehicle (LCV) expert reveals significant trends in the UK market and suggests three wise buys.
- Highly desirable: Vauxhall Combo Crew (diesel)
- Safe bet: Ford Transit long wheelbase
- Used star: ‘cheap and cheerful’ vans
MyCarCheck.com’s LCV expert, David Hill, commented: “There are some highly desirable diesel Vauxhall Combo Crew vans in the market at the moment, being retailed at around the £6,500-£7,000 mark on a 2009/10 plate with less than 50,000 miles on. When you think back to 2009, dealers were offering them for not much more than that brand new. The residual value is quite incredible. The new model will probably cost you closer to £13,000 for a two year-old one, and these are in-demand too. So long as you carry out a history check to ensure the one you’re looking at is what it claims to be – for instance, that it hasn’t been clocked and isn’t still on finance – this is an LCV worth paying a premium for.
“In terms of vans that hold their value, safe bets don’t come much safer than the Ford Transit. In particular, long wheelbase models are massively in demand at the moment. As always, it is worth checking to make sure the Transit you’re looking at hasn’t been clocked or written off, especially when buying privately.
“For our ‘used star’ this month we’ve chosen not one specific model but a whole section of the market! There is huge demand for ‘cheap and cheerful’ vans and ever more dealers are catering for this with lower-end options on their forecourts. From the consumer perspective, these vehicles are made to run and run and you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Be warned though: if it looks too cheap to be true, then it possibly is. The key is to do your homework, check the history and buy at the right price. When it comes to negotiating, remember, as well as revealing a vehicle’s history, MyCarCheck.com also provides vehicle valuations – a great tool for haggling with dealers or private sellers.”
As to market trends, Hill commented: “Values have remained steady and perhaps we’ve reached a crescendo in terms of prices. That’s by no means a negative comment: the trade are saying they cannot ask any more for retail stock, yet they are still having to give good money to get stock in because it’s in such short supply.
“March sees the first registration plate change of the year. The 14-plate should bring another influx of fresh stock. We feel this will be towards the back end of the month as most manufacturers have longer lead times and waiting lists for some models. Why they feel the need to discount all the profit out of them only they know! This month we’ve raised values slightly pretty much across the board.
“In terms of small vans, Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa are usually the main vans in this sector, but there are very few in the market right now as the trade have snapped them up. As always, Sport and Sportive models are an easy sell, with some traders having orders to fill for used ones. Citroën Nemo, and its sister vans, are all doing well, especially those with a side loading door and Bluetooth. With Ford coming into this sector with Transit Courier, other manufacturers are sure to up their game.
“Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner are in the market and sought after by both retail and trade. Again, a side loading door or double passenger seat can be deal breakers. As reported last month, Ford Connect is still selling well. Even in utility orange over white, these vans are finding homes at average values. Trend and Limited vans are straight into trade or even ready to retail values. Volkswagen Caddy is having mixed fortunes: very late ones from daily rental are struggling to get above average values, but a 2008 104bhp model in a nice colour will command trade value.
“In terms of larger panel vans, Volkswagen Transporter is still the star of the show, with even high mileage examples making silly money. Caution has to be shown on run of the mill white 84bhp models with no specification though. Short wheelbase Ford Transits are still good news, especially later models, but a nice 2006 pre-facelift model with sensible miles will still be desirable as the trade look for price range stock. Everybody’s got vans at £8,995 retail, but there are retail customers with less than £5,000 to spend who must also be served.
“In the chassis derivatives sector, lack of supply continues to drive up prices. We have seen some Toyota Dyna examples coming into the market place and the trade lapped them up. We have increased their values by about £500 this month.
“The 4x4 market should be busier than it is. Export activity on some vehicles might be giving a false impression of the market. The only downward movement this month is on Mitsubishi L200. As this model is so popular new, we have plenty of choice in the used marketplace.”
Over the last couple of years, MyCarCheck.com, MyMotorCycleCheck.com and MyTextCheck delivered around 4.5m consumer checks including those via AutoExpress and WhatCar?
We use up-to-the-minute data from the Police National Computer (PNC), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and major finance houses including Lloyds TSB and Santander.
Our information is trusted by the UK's leading brands. MyCarCheck.com’s parent company, CDL Vehicle Information Services, performs around two million look-ups a week for companies including CompareTheMarket, Confused.com, Go-Compare, Moneysupermarket, Swiftcover and Tesco Compare.
To help UK consumers make the right choice, MyCarCheck.com can confirm in seconds whether your potential pride and joy has ever been scrapped, stolen or written-off, has any money owing on it, has had a plate or colour change and much more.
Know what you’re getting into: MyCarCheck.com