My Car Checktop tips for used car buyers April 2015: A-Class, Insignia CDTi and TT 2.0Tdi Quattro praised as potential nearly new bargains
My Car Check - the UK's No.1 consumer vehicle data provider - has saved millions of people from making an expensive used car mistake. In these monthly bulletins its used car experts reveal significant trends in the UK market andsuggest three wise buys.
Highly desirable: Mercedes A-Class
Safe bet: Vauxhall Insignia CDTi SRi
Used star: Audi TT 2.0Tdi Quattro
Head of Valuation Services at My Car Check, Gavin Amos, commented: "Our highly desirable model this month is the Mercedes A-Class. With its stylish looks, the new A-Class caused a real stir when it launched back in 2013. Fast forward two years and it is widely available in the used market and residual values remain strong. As always when looking at a newish secondhand car, it is worth checking that it is free of debt, i.e. that it actually belongs to the seller and not a finance company.
"In terms of cars that hold their value, safe bets don't come much safer than the Vauxhall Insignia. The CDTi SRi represents great value for money as a used choice due to high initial depreciation. There are lots of these around so do a history check to ensure the one you're looking at is what it claims to be, for instance, that it hasn't been previously written-off.
"For our ‘used star' this month we've chosen the Audi TT 2.0Tdi Quattro. The desirable TT with the proven 2.0TDi and four wheel drive is a winning package, a sporty yet economical way into this iconic Audi. When it comes to negotiating, remember, as well as revealing a car's history, My Car Check also provides vehicle valuations - a great tool for haggling with dealers or private sellers."
As to market trends, Amos commented: "It always feels like a positive time of year as the clocks move forward into British Summer Time and prices settle back to a more realistic level following the hype surrounding the March new plate.
"There's no doubt that older, high mileage and scruffy used stock is falling in value now. The more agricultural 4x4 vehicles will become less sought after as the weather improves, although there seems to be no weakening in demand for most in the crossover sector.
"Nearly new cars can be a bargain because they have to represent a sizeable saving over the big discounts and low rate finance on brand new examples."
My Car Check's parent company, CDL Vehicle Information Services, performs over a million look-ups a day for companies including AutoExpress, CompareTheMarket, Confused.com, Go-Compare, Moneysupermarket, Swiftcover, Tesco Compare and WhatCar?.
It uses up-to-the-minute data from the Police, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and major finance houses including Lloyds TSB and Santander.
To help UK consumers make the right choice, My Car Check can confirm in seconds whether your potential pride and joy has ever been scrapped, stolen or written-off, has any money owing on it, has had a plate or colour change and much more.
Know what you're getting into: MyCarCheck.com
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Notes To Editors
There's an "A_Class" JPG to go with this.
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