THE candidates for the European Car of the Year 2012 have been announced and, it has to be said, they are rather a dull bunch.
The list comprises the Citroën DS5, Fiat Panda, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Ampera, Range Rover Evoque, Toyota Yaris and the Volkswagen up!.
OK, so the Evoque supplies some slightly 'over-blinged’ glamour and the Ampera a dash of depressing futurism, but what is really interesting about this list is how many of the cars are based on much older machines.
The rather attractive DS5 is based on the archaic underpinning of the last generation C4, the Fiat Panda on the last model (a chassis and drivetrain that also sits under the Fiat 500 and Ford Ka) and the dramatically styled Evoque is fundamentally a cut down Freelander under the skin.
It’s hardly car of the year stuff is it?
That got us thinking. Why would you buy one of these, when you can get the same underpinnings on a second-hand car for a fraction of the price?
Here are three examples from UsedCarExpert.
Citroen C4
It still looks very modern, the ‘dancing robot’ generation of the C4, and indeed looks to our eyes far more modern both inside and out than the car that followed. It’s rather a nifty machine too, comfy, versatile, easy to use, spacious and also very, very cheap.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars for sale: A 2008 model C4 VTR+ in silver with the semi-auto transmission and a lowly 38,000 miles on the clock can be yours for just £4,300. Compare that to the £25,000 Citroen will charge you for a 2.0 diesel version of the DS5 and you can see how much you are really paying for the styling and DS badge.
Fiat Panda
The Panda has been car of the year before, back in 2004, and it thoroughly deserved the accolade. It’s pretty much perfect urban transport, which can even make a decent fist of longer journeys. The Panda is all about cheap, rational motoring and, with a minute petrol engine, really captures the spirit of the high-revving tiny Italian cars of the past.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars for sale: You can pick up a one owner, 1.2 petrol Panda at five years old, with the all important air-con and 35,000 miles on the clock for £3,995. A new car, with the same engine and chassis will be nigh-on £9,000. Enough said.
Land Rover Freelander
The second generation Freelander is brilliant. That’s about all there is to it. Very reliable, extremely tough and hugely practical the smallest Land Rover scores a direct hit. It’s a great day-to-day proposition that somehow manages to avoid the ostentation of its German rivals, and the Evoque for that matter.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars for sale: The Freelander does hold its value very well, which shows you just how desirable a car it is. Still, compared to the £45,000 for a top-spec Evoque it’s rather a bargain – especially as the cheapest Evoque will be around £30,000. £16,000 gets you a nice 2008 model Freelander with a sensible 45,000 miles on the clock. Bargain.