Motorists urged to do their research
New research has found that more than a fifth of UK motorists have paid over the odds for a second hand car.
hpi found that 21% of UK drivers had paid more than the true worth of a car, while that figure rose to 30% for drivers aged 18-24. Meanwhile, nearly a fifth (17%) admitted rushing the purchase of their first car.
Further, 74% admitted they don’t know what to look out for, which means they could unknowingly buy a car that has been involved in accidents or even had its mileage tampered with.
In response, hpi has identified the top 10 used cars in terms of holding valuation and running costs. This is based on price, insurance, fuel consumption, tax and emissions.
The Suzuki Celerio topped the list, ahead of the Dacia Sandero Diesel and the Peugeot 108. The Dacia Logan MCV Diesel and the Toyota Aygo Hatchback were also in the top five. Completing the list were the Citroen C1 Hatchback, the Nissan Micra Hatchback Special Edition, the Suzuki Swift Hatchback, the Nissan Note Hatchback Special Edition and the Seat Ibiza Sport Coupe.
Philip Nothard, retail specialist at hpi said, ‘The Suzuki Celerio came out top in our best buy survey with a total cost of motoring of £7,099.95, ahead of the Dacia Sandero at £7,212 and the Peugeot 108 at £7,646. This includes everything from the cost of the vehicle itself and servicing and road tax to insurance and fuel costs.
‘The key thing to remember when buying or selling a car is to always do your homework; if buying a used car privately, find out what you should be paying and do the necessary checks to find out how many keepers it has had, whether there is a mileage discrepancy, if it’s ever been stolen, involved in an accident or even written off. It really does pay to be thorough.’