Three-year used bargains
Third birthday bonanzaCars turning three years old in 2008 make great used buys. Here are the highlights...By Nick Gibbs
| December 2007 |
With cars, the itch comes every three years, not seven! As soon as a motor reaches its third birthday, fleet companies replace them, finance deals end and used buyers emerge. With prices roughly half what they were new, these vehicles represent excellent value.
Jeff Paterson, chief car editor of Glass’s Guide, explains: “Three years is the most sought-after age for a used car. For drivers who can’t afford to purchase new, a motor of this age meets their affordability level.” And the good news is a host of cars will hit their third birthdays in 2008. Here are the anniversaries you won’t want to miss...
Why three is the magic number
Of all the milestones in a car’s life, the third birthday is the most important. But for a buyer, it’s the point where there’s less pricing uncertainty.
Jeff Paterson explains: “A motor is roughly half its cost new after three years. Depreciation has sorted itself by then. The value of an average car drops by 40 per cent in the first year, slowing to 60 per cent in the third, so prices are a lot more stable.”
Meanwhile, Paterson warns not to expect diesel bargains, even though that market grew by 13 per cent in 2005. “We’ll see more available, but demand will also rise.” He estimates only buyers who do more than 10,000 miles a year will benefit from paying a £700 average premium over a petrol equivalent. |
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1. January There’s a triple celebration to kick off 2008, beginning with the car that went on to become the UK’s best-seller. The second-generation Ford Focus was more luxurious and spacious than the mould-breaker it replaced, and it retained its lust for driving. Now the desirable 1.6 TDCi Zetec can be had for around £7,500 – less than half its original price. A grand less, and you can bag a 1.4. The reborn VW Golf GTI delivers a turbo-powered punch of close to 200bhp and a wonderfully taut drive. It sold for £20,000 in 2005, but now it goes from £14,000 – or £2,000 more for twin-clutch DSG versions. A January 2005 launch for the facelifted Audi A4 added the firm’s now-trademark grille, new 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre diesels, and the Golf GTI’s 2.0-litre petrol turbo. Right now, £12,000 is enough for a 2.0 TDI (or £1,000 more for the Avant).
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2. February Turning three this month is the second-generation Mercedes A-Class – the Ford Focus rival that is shorter than a Fiesta. Intelligent packaging provides excellent interior space, but with a £13,700 list price, it certainly wasn’t cheap at launch. Versions of the best-selling 1.5-litre A150 can be found from around £8,000. If it’s a diesel version you’re after, you’ll pay £1,000 more. Also on the calendar is the Skoda Octavia estate, which comes with a huge 580-litre boot and plenty of style. Many more oil-burners than petrols were sold, so the 1.9 TDIs are best value from around £8,000.
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3. March The third birthday of the BMW 3-Series arrives in March. And the fifth generation is proving as popular as ever, selling more than every Saab and Lexus combined in 2006. The star model is the 320d, which boasts near-50mpg economy and excellent pace. The sheer numbers that found homes help the used buyer, dropping the 2.0 diesel to a low of £13,000 (matching entry-level petrols). But the 330d still starts from £20,000. Also blowing out candles is the Mercedes CLS four-door coupé, which adds a shot of drama to its practical E-Class underpinnings – it comes with a massive 505-litre boot. Oil-burners dominate the used ads, with the 320 CDI down to a low of £32,000 from its £43,000 starting point. Joining the CLS is the Nissan Pathfinder, a dirt-focused 4x4 based on the Navara pick-up. Current used prices for the 172bhp 2.5-litre diesel start at £16,000. For £20,000, you can get a T-spec, which features sat-nav.
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4. April It’s many happy returns this month to the Suzuki Swift, which still looks box-fresh today. Used prices reflect buyer enthusiasm for this
well built, taut-handling supermini, and the 1.3 GL kicks off at £6,000 second-hand. The high-spec 1.5 GLX is a better buy, with air-con and keyless entry for another £500 or so, but the later 1.6 Sport is still pricey at £9,000. Sticking with the racy theme, the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch first entered showrooms in March 2005. The three-door line-up dropped the lower-spec models for SXi and SRi trim. Demand has kept used prices high, starting at £8,000 for the best-selling 1.6 in SXi spec.
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5. May Spring 2005 kicked off with the introduction of a mid-life facelift for the Ford Mondeo, which updated the nose and cabin, while performance ST versions joined the line-up. The 153bhp ST TDCi is a much better buy used from £12,000 than new at £22,000. Otherwise, it’s a minimum of £7,000 for a 2.0-litre version of the dominant diesels. The Range Rover Sport also took a bow this month, bringing BMW X5 attitude to the brand. The original, best-selling six-cylinder diesel is now matched for popularity by the superlative V8 oil-burner, a late arrival which also blunts the appeal of the 4.4 V8 and 4.2 supercharged petrols. All three now start at £30,000.
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6. June It’s a summer anniversary for a trio of city cars. The Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo (pictured left to right) are immensely popular, thanks to low £7,000 showroom prices and 60mpg economy, and have barely dipped under £5,000 used. The VW Passat joins the celebrations this month – first the saloon, then the vast estate. Plenty of legroom and smart touches such as an electronic parking brake are mated to the continued appeal of the diesels. The 1.9 TDI 105 now goes for £9,500, and the cheapest estates are another £1,500. The ungainly Golf Plus makes it a VW double, with the enlarged hatch a bit pricey at a minimum £9,000 for a 1.4 or 1.6 FSI. June’s final birthday is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s still portly and lumbering, but remains good value from £15,500.
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7. July A double MPV celebration for July, starting with the Vauxhall Zafira. Less drab, more refined and just as agile as before, the second-generation model is super-flexible thanks to its seven seats. The current entry point for a 1.9 CDTI diesel is £10,000, or £1,000 less for the 1.8 petrol. The seven-seat Mazda 5 shares its birthday, and it rivals the Zafira’s driving ability, exterior style and clever interior. However, the firm waited until 2006 before launching diesels. A 2005 1.8 TS costs from £10,000.
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8. August The sole August candle is for the Fiat Croma, a model snuffed out altogether following weak sales. An uneasy blend of MPV and estate, the high-spec Croma at least offers a 500-litre boot, good diesels and low prices, which start from £7,500 for a 1.9 Multijet in Dynamic trim.
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9. September This month, honours start with the SEAT Leon. The third spin-off from the brand’s Salsa concept looks much like its Altea and Toledo brothers. It’s only available with five doors, but its initial five-strong engine line-up includes a detuned 2.0 turbo from VW’s Golf GTI. Used prices reflect its popularity, and the cheapest 1.6 models start from £9,000. The Mercedes M-Class celebrates three years of rebuilding Merc’s off-road reputation following the damage incurred by the poorly finished old model. Its long kit list includes a seven-speed auto, which helps cement used values so strongly that a 2005 320CDI has only lost £7,000 of its £36,700 starting price. The Suzuki Grand Vitara is another off-roader set for its third birthday, injecting sharp style into the three and five-door off-roaders. It’s no Toyota RAV4, but then its prices reflect this – only £8,000 is enough for a 2005 1.6 three-door.
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10. October Supermini fans should look towards the three-year-old Renault Clio. Launched first in three-door trim, the spacious and well made supermini isn’t cheap second-hand. The popular 1.4 Expression is expensive from £7,000 used and the 1.5 diesel models cost around £1,000 more, but prices will fall as supply improves.
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11. November A sports-themed celebration in November sees the third-generation Mazda MX-5 as the first to pop the balloons. November isn’t the best time of year to be selling a drop-top, either, so that makes it a great time to find one of the first MX-5s to hit the road. With a quality interior, the initial £2,000 gap between the 124bhp 1.8-litre and the 158bhp 2.0-litre has narrowed to £200 used, and entry-level models currently start at more than £12,000. The Lexus IS saloon also arrived in November 2005, although the fleet-friendly 2.2 diesel came later. The 204bhp, 2.5-litre V6 is available from £17,000. If you want something faster, try the Porsche Cayman. It is easier to find in 3.4-litre S-spec than in its basic 2.7 form, but at £35,000, there are no bargains.
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12. December It's Christmas and a birthday rolled into one for the Ford Focus ST, which delivers superb handling and a 222bhp punch from Ford’s 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo engine. The most common are the high-spec ST-2 and ST-3 versions in three-door form, now selling used from £13,500.
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