Secondhand car price crash? (Vol. 2)
Discussion
JNW1 said:
The value for money seems to be more in secondhand EV's. You can find things like nice Polestar 2's or iPace Jaguars at mid-20's and if something like that suits your mileage profile - and you can charge at home - they potentially look like a good value buy.
There are some bonkers deals on lightly used EVs atm, a buyers market for sure Sheepshanks said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Just checked my car out. Purchased new for £18k in Feb 22. 6 cars with the same spec, colour and mileage for sale between £12k and £14k. I guarantee mine will be in better condition than all of them so if it was near the top end that's £1k depreciation per year on a new car. But even a more realistic £1500 per year for a private sale or trade bid is still really good.
Wonder if this is a new normal or a blip.
That's OK if you can sell it privately, but what's the WBAC value? That's the price dealers will be wanting pay for it.Wonder if this is a new normal or a blip.
Hi,
Trade prices are up.
Anything grade 1 or 2 which can go on a forecourt with minimal prep is commanding strong money.
If it’s petrol or petrol hybrid, it’s going well over CAP.
Some electric car prices are up, some are still at cap and some under cap, it’s hard to generalise on electric cars.
One thing which is true about electric cars, Tesla’s have lost their high end appeal, they are widely available and prices have softened.
As always high mileage, grade 4 and 5 diesels are struggling to make CAP, seen a few in the past few weeks not making provisional.
No demand for potential money pits, saying that there is demand for crappy 1.0 eco boosts and 1.2 puretechs , but buyers still don’t seem clued up on these engines the same way a lot of buyers won’t go near a diesel
Trade prices are up.
Anything grade 1 or 2 which can go on a forecourt with minimal prep is commanding strong money.
If it’s petrol or petrol hybrid, it’s going well over CAP.
Some electric car prices are up, some are still at cap and some under cap, it’s hard to generalise on electric cars.
One thing which is true about electric cars, Tesla’s have lost their high end appeal, they are widely available and prices have softened.
As always high mileage, grade 4 and 5 diesels are struggling to make CAP, seen a few in the past few weeks not making provisional.
No demand for potential money pits, saying that there is demand for crappy 1.0 eco boosts and 1.2 puretechs , but buyers still don’t seem clued up on these engines the same way a lot of buyers won’t go near a diesel
ACCYSTAN said:
Hi,
Trade prices are up.
No demand for potential money pits, saying that there is demand for crappy 1.0 eco boosts and 1.2 puretechs , but buyers still don t seem clued up on these engines the same way a lot of buyers won t go near a diesel
It never ceases to amaze me how much some traders will pay for auction fodder 80k miles 1.2 Puretechs which in many cases you frankly might as well get delivered directly to the scrap yard.Trade prices are up.
No demand for potential money pits, saying that there is demand for crappy 1.0 eco boosts and 1.2 puretechs , but buyers still don t seem clued up on these engines the same way a lot of buyers won t go near a diesel
ACCYSTAN said:
Hi,
Some electric car prices are up, some are still at cap and some under cap, it s hard to generalise on electric cars.
One thing which is true about electric cars, Tesla s have lost their high end appeal, they are widely available and prices have softened.
They are certainly varied. The cheaper ones (LEAFs etc) are up as are things like MG5s. MG4s are down due to MG discounting new ones by £10k. VW IDs seem to have strengthened a bit. Teslas a bit all over the place. Model Y a bit weaker due to new model and plentiful supply. The EV weak point is the under 2 years old examples where discounts and finance deals make them look expensive next to new.Some electric car prices are up, some are still at cap and some under cap, it s hard to generalise on electric cars.
One thing which is true about electric cars, Tesla s have lost their high end appeal, they are widely available and prices have softened.
As a general rule higher mileage EVs have strengthened as trade and retail realise they are value and actually there is less to be worried about with them than a leggy ICE.
sixor8 said:
Good value, but VED has not been £0 since 1st April 2025. It may have been when it was bought but all EVs registered after 01/04/17 are the same as all other cars, £195 p.a. And going up in April. My car renewed in March 2025 for £0 (as did many others early 
), but that was the last month.
You are correct, I checked. ), but that was the last month.It cost £20 to tax my 510bhp monster that cost £7k and has now done 12,000 miles.
I am going to raise a complaint with BCA.
MB140 said:
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
I'm hanging onto my owned since new 2018 340i for the same reason. I've found nothing suitable to replace it with without getting hammered by 'cost to change' . Dealers need to make a living obviously. It helps I got it for a bargain before things went nuts of course.The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
MB140 said:
It s a weird time. About 6-8 months back I started looking at replacing my 2016 BMW M135i which I bought new. Full service history, never broken down (touch wood), cost me brakes, a battery, tyres and an alternator (changed as a precaution as the bearings were grumbling).
I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
Same car, same thought process, same conclusion here.I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
I am considering a cheap(ish), simple weekend/project car - as much as a garage hobby as something to actually drive. An E86 Z4 Coupe in need of some love is the current favourite.
MB140 said:
I have followed this guys YouTube channel for a while. He is effectively dumping Autotrader or reducing his listings.
He explains how some of the prices have gone astronomical. There also making it so people can put cars on hold for 7 days and then they are being forced to hold a car. It seems like Autotrader are now trying to dictate everything about a sale. Charge the dealer a fee just for listing a car and a cut of the sale if it s done all online.
He s done a few videos about Autotrader, including one with some top executives who have clearly had too much PR training and sound like politicians squirming in their seats.
It appears to have had a bit of backlash for Autotrader.
https://youtu.be/1eGqPS2XKus?si=h4C4PKJGTdeyjy3R
Thanks for this, that video is eye opening. I never realised AutoTrader had got so bad. If I was a car dealer then that "reserve for 7 days" would be awful.He explains how some of the prices have gone astronomical. There also making it so people can put cars on hold for 7 days and then they are being forced to hold a car. It seems like Autotrader are now trying to dictate everything about a sale. Charge the dealer a fee just for listing a car and a cut of the sale if it s done all online.
He s done a few videos about Autotrader, including one with some top executives who have clearly had too much PR training and sound like politicians squirming in their seats.
It appears to have had a bit of backlash for Autotrader.
https://youtu.be/1eGqPS2XKus?si=h4C4PKJGTdeyjy3R
They really seem to have been taken over by MBA types who are trying to take over the whole process. I can see dealers being reduced to basically drop shippers.
I know it's been said before but I'm really surprised that PH hasn't stepped into the gap here.
swanny71 said:
MB140 said:
It s a weird time. About 6-8 months back I started looking at replacing my 2016 BMW M135i which I bought new. Full service history, never broken down (touch wood), cost me brakes, a battery, tyres and an alternator (changed as a precaution as the bearings were grumbling).
I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
Same car, same thought process, same conclusion here.I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
I am considering a cheap(ish), simple weekend/project car - as much as a garage hobby as something to actually drive. An E86 Z4 Coupe in need of some love is the current favourite.
I just cant see the value either, the Cayenne is worth around £20k going by WBAC, and to change to something like an M3, M5, Alfa QF I'm looking ad another £20k on top. Which is hard to justify really.
AmitG said:
I know it's been said before but I'm really surprised that PH hasn't stepped into the gap here.
Autotrader is the first site that anyone uses when looking for a car or looking at current market prices. PH is a car forum with a sales and now an auction section.But Autotrader is definitely in big trouble, they are becoming very expensive for dealers to use and there has been a lot of speculation about its immediate future.
Personally I would look at Autotrader then eBay UK and possibly FB marketplace.
Those of you keeping hold of cars made the right choice. The amount of annoying beeps, bongs and lane 'assist' stepping in is hugely frustrating in new cars.
I had a Kia EV4 for a few days, it would me up no end and tried to shove me into a truck through roadworks on the motorway after picking up part of the old lane markings!
I had a Kia EV4 for a few days, it would me up no end and tried to shove me into a truck through roadworks on the motorway after picking up part of the old lane markings!
Fast Bug said:
Those of you keeping hold of cars made the right choice. The amount of annoying beeps, bongs and lane 'assist' stepping in is hugely frustrating in new cars.
I had a Kia EV4 for a few days, it would me up no end and tried to shove me into a truck through roadworks on the motorway after picking up part of the old lane markings!
+1I had a Kia EV4 for a few days, it would me up no end and tried to shove me into a truck through roadworks on the motorway after picking up part of the old lane markings!
I've a 2019 C43 and it was in for some warranty work and they lent me a 2025 A35. It never gave over going up the road. Ding, bing, bong.
the-photographer said:
Its January 2025, what are market conditions like?
I asked the same question to the car dealer last month when I bought a new daily, (I was thinking it would be quiet as it was practically Xmas!), but he said it was crazy busy! I can believe him as I notice they made 3 quick sales within a space of 1 month from my "transaction":
Mid-Dec- New car appeared for sale on AA cars (advert said px just in so they made a sale)
23-Dec - I viewed and placed a deposit on the above car with my current daily as px.
3-Jan - I completed my purchase and handed over my car.
7 Jan - My old car appeared for sale on the dealer website / AA cars, and it already has a deposit placed so the car is sold.
Out of curiosity, I checked and the dealer stuck £2,200 on top of my trade-in price on my old car (Octavia 1.4Tsi Sel with 56,000 miles and full Skoda service history) which was sold within the week!! Don't begrudge the dealer making a profit on my car as it's just business, but it saved me having to deal with the general public
.chip* said:
I asked the same question to the car dealer last month when I bought a new daily, (I was thinking it would be quiet as it was practically Xmas!), but he said it was crazy busy!
I can believe him as I notice they made 3 quick sales within a space of 1 month from my "transaction":
A dealer selling 3 cars in a month isn't being busy....I can believe him as I notice they made 3 quick sales within a space of 1 month from my "transaction":
MB140 said:
It s a weird time. About 6-8 months back I started looking at replacing my 2016 BMW M135i which I bought new. Full service history, never broken down (touch wood), cost me brakes, a battery, tyres and an alternator (changed as a precaution as the bearings were grumbling).
I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
Have the same problem with a less value, older car, although this one has cost a couple of expensive repairs over 80,000 miles.I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
Do I spend at 15,000 on a MK7/M140/Cupra/TT obviously one owner, low miles, service history, the type of cars everyone is looking for.
Or, just keep maintaining the current one
swanny71 said:
MB140 said:
It s a weird time. About 6-8 months back I started looking at replacing my 2016 BMW M135i which I bought new. Full service history, never broken down (touch wood), cost me brakes, a battery, tyres and an alternator (changed as a precaution as the bearings were grumbling).
I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
Same car, same thought process, same conclusion here.I looked at the following cars, A45S, Alfa Romeo Gulia Quad, Aston Martin Vantage, cayman 718, BMW M2 Comp, TTRS. Budget of 45k which I would pay in cash. Don t do finance / lease / pcp etc.
Was offered £9k for mine or there abouts. Ultimately after spending 3 months looking I asked myself one evening in the pub with the Mrs (who is a car nut and wants me to buy the Alfa) what am I getting by taking £35k out of savings to buy a car (currently making 5.5% on an isa).
The conclusion, my current car has 330bhp, is fun, has been mega reliable, cheap to own really over the 95k miles. Now has next to zero depreciation according to WBAC, in fact it went up in value last month according to them. Why not spend the money maintaining the car I own, it s never going to cost as much as buying another car. So that s what I have decided to do.
The roads are crap, I can t use the performance I already have due to congestion, speed cameras, potholes etc etc.
So in the end. I will run it until it becomes uneconomical to do so.
I shall hand my PH card in. It seems a depressing state of affairs the world we live in today when it comes to motoring, cars and enjoyment of a car.
I am considering a cheap(ish), simple weekend/project car - as much as a garage hobby as something to actually drive. An E86 Z4 Coupe in need of some love is the current favourite.
If we didn’t have the 996, I would probably buy a cheap(ish) hot hatch as a fun car. Probably Renault Megan RS or some such car.
Wills2 said:
chip* said:
I asked the same question to the car dealer last month when I bought a new daily, (I was thinking it would be quiet as it was practically Xmas!), but he said it was crazy busy!
I can believe him as I notice they made 3 quick sales within a space of 1 month from my "transaction":
A dealer selling 3 cars in a month isn't being busy....I can believe him as I notice they made 3 quick sales within a space of 1 month from my "transaction":
Indeed
The best daily sales figure I ever witnessed was dropping off at a Vauxhall dealership and they had ‘sold’ 56 cars that day, or that’s what the big boss told me gleefully.
The following week I asked the service manager how did they sell so many cars; they hadn’t, it was 56 registrations to hit a General Motors sales bonus.
The bonus was big enough it was worth registering a stack of astras and merivas.
The best daily sales figure I ever witnessed was dropping off at a Vauxhall dealership and they had ‘sold’ 56 cars that day, or that’s what the big boss told me gleefully.
The following week I asked the service manager how did they sell so many cars; they hadn’t, it was 56 registrations to hit a General Motors sales bonus.
The bonus was big enough it was worth registering a stack of astras and merivas.
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