Mycarcheck.com’s valuation experts reveal significant trends in the UK used vehicle market and choose a car and bike of the month.
Vehicle valuation manager at mycarcheck.com, Jon Wheeler, said: “A treat for Christmas, the Clio RenaultSport 200 is a popular used hot hatch option, offering high-performance fun at a tempting price. Cosmetically, it is essentially a facelifted 197, but there’s much more to it than that – chassis tweaks, engine control unit and gearbox upgrades, steering improvements, the list goes on. These changes add up to a fantastic well-balanced car that’s sure to put a smile on your face. You can pick up a 2009 model for around £6k, but be vigilant when buying as some will have had a hard life and spent time on the track. More than a quarter (29.76%) of all Renaultsport models we checked in the first half of 2017 had been previously written-off.”
As to market trends, Wheeler said: “Looking back on 2017, the UK new car market has faced some challenges. Diesel registrations in November were down a massive 30.6% on the same month the previous year, despite Euro 6 diesel engines being some of the most efficient around. Alternative fuel sales are increasing slowly but the used market will likely be dominated by petrol and diesel for at least the next decade. As we head into 2018, we don’t expect any dramatic increases in registration levels, hopefully making for a more sustainable market longer term.”
On the motorbike, scooter and moped sector, mycarcheck.com’s Mark Field said: “The mighty Ducati Desmosedici RR is every biker’s dream Christmas present, the closest thing to a road-going Moto GP bike with a semi-attainable (maybe!) price tag. Our choice, the 2007-2009 model, features the same chassis layout, bodywork and engine design as the 2006 Moto GP bike, with carbon fiber bodywork, magnesium wheels, titanium exhaust and engine components. A pristine example will set you back over £40,000, but they are so desirable depreciation should be minimal. As with any used purchase, an impeccable service record is a big plus and always check before you buy.”
As to market trends, Field said: “2017 has been a tough year for the bike industry, with new sales down 15% on the previous year. The scooter sector was down by nearly 30% and the only category showing any improvement was the adventure sport sector. There’s little doubt the Euro 4 engine regulations triggered a surge in pre-registration activity, but it is unclear how much this skewed the figures. Looking for positives, the beginning of the year saw the largest number of bikes licensed on the road since 2010, and last month’s bike show at the NEC was a massive success. The promised multi-million-pound investment in electric vehicle technology has boosted optimism about the future of electric motorcycles and scooters, particularly for those in low emission zones.”
With information from the police, DVLA, insurers and finance houses, My Car Check holds comprehensive data on every vehicle on UK roads – things that buyers should be aware of before making an offer.
CDL Vehicle Information Services, which owns My Car Check, performs over a million look-ups a day for companies including AutoExpress, CompareTheMarket, Go-Compare, Moneysupermarket, Swiftcover and Tesco.
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