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Values of cars (not just currently...)


Dick Longbridge

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The value of used cars has definitely been increasing faster than average wages/inflation.  In some ways its about time, used cars in the UK have been absurdly cheap forever, and in other ways its slightly alarming because I'm one of those people that rely on cars costing less than a month's rent when I need/want a replacement.  One positive to the increased value of used cars is that the aftermarket tends to step up and actually start providing parts because the vehicles are now deemed financially viable.  This is invariably balanced out by the quality* of the aftermarket parts.

As to the original post, yes, newer used cars are realistically more expensive now than they used to be, across the board.  It now seems much more common for cars to be cheap for an expensive reason, rather than cheap because they're undesirable.

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16 hours ago, vulgalour said:

As to the original post, yes, newer used cars are realistically more expensive now than they used to be, across the board.  It now seems much more common for cars to be cheap for an expensive reason, rather than cheap because they're undesirable.

Many more modern cars have their greasy bits packed in so tightly often there is no other way to do a job but to drop the whole front assembly. So that's one-two hours labour to get it out the car and the same to get it back in - that's £200 at least. Part which needs replacing could only be £50 but getting to it, then telling the car's computer that part x has been changed. Then oil & sundries which may be needed after are not cheap any more, even at wholesale costs.

Add at least 1/3 again if main dealer.

My dad's 2006/7 Discovery 3 needs a belt changing. It's at the back of the engine near the gearbox (I think it's the suspension pump) The official JLR way to change the belt is body off - all that for a £40 part.

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Used car dealer over in south side of glasgow had a 10plate transit dropside with black undersealed sills a few weeks back for £9995! No sign of it the other day when i passed by, but they did have a 57 plate Honda Jazz out front with £4995 on the windscreen! I near crashed the duster 😂

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  • 4 weeks later...

Do we reckon this is going to change any time soon?  I could do with changing my car and paying £2500 for something that was worth £1500 last year grates a bit.

For context on price forecasts, I’m aware that most sensible people when asked about house prices rocketing would say it will stop soon.  Many have been saying that since 1998

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For non collectible stuff yes, as soon as the chip shortage is in the the rear view mirror and pend up demand has been resolved. For collectible stuff probably not as most are priced about where they should be, and they definitely haven't become more plentiful over the last years. Electric car revolution etc. will continue to make them appear more and more special by the year.

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Worry not, the trend seems to be global. East German comrades from Magdeburg want €2600 for this. The car is more or less the same as the one I bought last year for circa €800 with the unpleasant feeling I was actually slightly overpaying.

https://www.autoscout24.de/angebote/ford-focus-viva-x-turnier-cak-benzin-silber-a7927a46-98ad-46d6-81ca-56a30a6865e1?lastSeenGuidPresent=false&cldtsrc=listPage&cldtidx=37

Maybe I should send a thank-you e-mail to the lady I bought it from?

Ford Focus Viva X Turnier (CAK) Silber - 1

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My 15 year old Seat Leon recently sailed through the MOT. It's a great little car. I bought it as a £1k beater a few months ago and it was a calculated gamble. I've had to do a few small, low cost jobs on it but they're the sort of thing Joe Average would likely have paid a garage to do. I reckon I could sell the car tomorrow for nearer £1500 with no issue. 

My point remains that the equivalent £1500 would have bought me a ten year old car rather than a fifteen year old example a few years back.  

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On 1/27/2022 at 4:04 PM, sierraman said:

Nearly ten fucking grand on an 8 year old Mondeo! Are these people for real?

C4A73D5F-AC76-4734-8635-58DCDC331141.png

Two/three year old stuff is expensive. Likewise bangers because scrap is dear. But the likes of this mondeo? Expensive with likelihood of suffering a prolapse - plus if they tighten the rules about driving into towns in future it may well be not allowed. I would sooner spend £3k more on a jaguar xfr - it will be leggy but have a supercharged V8.

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37 minutes ago, Bren said:

Two/three year old stuff is expensive. Likewise bangers because scrap is dear. But the likes of this mondeo? Expensive with likelihood of suffering a prolapse - plus if they tighten the rules about driving into towns in future it may well be not allowed. I would sooner spend £3k more on a jaguar xfr - it will be leggy but have a supercharged V8.

I wouldn’t have worried about that if it was £2k, it would have outlived its lifespan before it was banned. But £9k, get real like you say!

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22 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I wouldn’t have worried about that if it was £2k, it would have outlived its lifespan before it was banned. But £9k, get real like you say!

I do not believe for one minute there is so much demand that an eight year old diesel ford is worth £9k. It's traders trying it on. You can tell by the amount of stuff they are offering that has been subject to an insurace claim - it's the type of stuff that two years ago they wouldn't have touched.

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As someone who has lived at the shit end of the car market for a long time, through choice not necessity, I  keep a keen eye on what's knocking about for under a grand.  It makes for depressing reading at the moment, pure greed. In 2016 I bought a one owner Kia Shuma (remember those? ) with 41,000 miles on it for £450. Ran it for 2 1/2 years before rust sent it packing. 3 years ago I bought my current pug 206 for £475 with a full test and 46,000 miles on the clock. I drove past a garage the other day and saw one for sale, same year as mine for £1,250. Had a look on the Internet when I got home, it had done 115,000 miles, same engine as mine, mine has just ticked over 62,000.  Mine has just sailed through it's MOT needing only a bulb. So on current prices I could quite easily get a grand for it but what would I buy? 

So until this madness stops, if it ever does, I won't be buying anything else, I've never known a time like it, let's just hope that the chip shortage is sorted out soon so the greedy bastards are left with piles of rotting metal on the forecourts that nobody will buy.

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I'm going to view something on Tuesday. I hope. It's in that London and isn't ULEZ. This is of no issue to me as there's no ULEZ near me. It's a 13 year old car, powered by the Devil's fuel. Hopefully I'll come home with it, but it's a grand for a 58 plate car with reasonable miles.

It's annoying the C2 isn't ULEZ as well.

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18 minutes ago, dozeydustman said:

I'm going to view something on Tuesday. I hope. It's in that London and isn't ULEZ. This is of no issue to me as there's no ULEZ near me. It's a 13 year old car, powered by the Devil's fuel. Hopefully I'll come home with it, but it's a grand for a 58 plate car with reasonable miles.

It's annoying the C2 isn't ULEZ as well.

The trade are going to London and surrounding areas to pick up stock that isn't ULEZ compliant.

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