So the Government will give you £1,000 and car companies will match it, if you agree to swap your ten year old car for a new one. That’s a nice deal for some. But you have to be in a position to spend at least £5,000, and that’s assuming you are only going to buy the smallest kind of car.
You may be ahead of me on this, but it seems to me that there are quite a lot of bigger, better equipped used cars that you can buy for £5,000 which have lost – so I would argue the buyer has saved – more than £2,000 in depreciation. Here are three:
Renault Laguna
Complicated but safe and comfortable. Lots of equipment but that means plenty to go wrong. Lots around and prices have been falling fast so it is good value.
Most economical: 1.9 Dci
Best buy: 1.8 petrols
UsedCarExpert.com checks: 10
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: A 2005 Renault Laguna 16v Expression 1.8 should have average mileage of around 37,577 and be between £3,169 and £4,226.
Peugeot 307
Roomy and becoming affordable. Not perfect but bags of room for the family especially the estate. Increasing numbers around which pushes down prices.
Most economical: 2.0 HDI
Best buy: 1.4 petrols
UsedCarExpert.com checks: 10
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: A 2005 Peugeot 307 1.4 should have average mileage of around 33,565 and be between £3515 and £4687
Nissan Almera
A worthy car that is cheap to buy and run. An overlooked model which has good equipment, handling and engines. Often bargain priced so you can't go wrong.
Most economical: 2.2 diesels
Best buy: 1.5 petrols
UsedCarExpert.com checks: 10
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: 18
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: A 2005 Nissan Almera 1.5 should have average mileage of around 27,623 and be between £3573 and £4765.