Banish the winter blues...
Banish the winter blues by saving yourself í‚áŁ1,000 when you buy a new Land Rover Freelander. The Solihull-based firm is offering the discount until the end of the year. Better still, customers using Land Rover Financial Services to fund their purchase can get a further í‚áŁ1,000 off the list price.
WITH car prices in the...
WITH car prices in the doldrums at the moment, youň€™d think there would never be a better time to head down to your local auction house and bag a bargain.
Thatň€™s what Auto Express reader Robin Hopes had in mind when he visited the BMW sale at his local British Car Auctions (BCA) site last month ň€“ but he was in for a shock.
Robin, from Bedford, had scanned the classified ads and price guides to get an idea of the value of the car he was after. With a budget of ŇŁ20,000, he expected to drive away in a second-hand BMW 6-Series.
ň€śI was shocked when all five of the models I was interested in were sold for more than the recommended price ň€“ and that was before the auctioneerň€™s fee had been included!ň€ť Robin told us. ň€śI expected to find a bargain at auction, but I could have gone to a dealer and got a near-identical car for less money.ň€ť
We found a 2006 BMW 630i convertible, with 15,000 miles on the clock, in the classifieds. It was on offer for ŇŁ22,990 at a dealership in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Robin told us that an identical 630i convertible made ŇŁ26,700 at BCAň€™s auction ň€“ not counting the auctioneerň€™s fee.
We quizzed the firm, and a spokesman said: ň€śThe market was more bullish in January ň€“ so values crept up.ň€ť However, an official from rival Manheim explained: ň€śDealer group sales often have higher conversion rates and values than with conventional sales. Or it could be that traders at the sale were buying models to order, for a customer with a set budget.ň€ť
Auto Express also spoke to Jeff Paterson, from trade bible Glassň€™s Guide. He told us: ň€śThe used car market is healthier than it was last year, so values are strengthening. But auction has traditionally been the cheapest way to buy.
ň€śPerhaps that particular car had a very high spec, or it was bought by a dealer when values were at their lowest, and he had simply waited until the market strengthened and sold it on for a bigger profit at auction. ň€śHowever, if you can find a cheaper car at a dealer, thereň€™s no reason not to go for it.ň€ť