Last Friday I went to the ‘cheap night’ at the local auction for the first time in a few years and what I re-discovered was fascinating. No one needs a magazine or website like mine. There are clean, reliable cars being knocked out for less than £500. Even if they only last 6 months, that’s motoring for about £5 a day. You can’t hire a car for that.
That’s not to say people didn’t pay too much. There were plenty of examples where people bid to within a couple of hundred quid of forecourt asking price. Fiat Puntos in particular attracted silly bids. Those buyers could have haggled £100 off the forecourt price, had a warranty and the peace of mind of knowing the dealer has to fix any big problems. But here are three that seemed like a deal to me:
Vauxhall Agila
The tiny Vauxhall feels a bit basic in comparison to other city cars but is competent at taking quite big loads around town.
Most economical: 1.0i 49mpg
Best used buy: 1.2i 16v mpg
UsedCarExpert.com faults: 11
Used Car Expert magazine price: A 2001 1.0i Agila has an average retail asking price of £1,974. At auction it went for £1,025.
BMW 3-Series
Great to drive and look at with a rock solid image which continues to keep prices high. Avoid some of the base models which are under equipped and may be difficult to sell on.
Most economical: 1.8 TD 50.4mpg
Best used buy: 318 petrols
UsedCarExpert.com faults: 14
Used Car Expert magazine price: A year 2000 318i SE with 80,000 miles is £3990 on forecourts, but a clean-looking 100,000 mile example went for £1,6000.
Vauxhall Astra
Easy to live with and very good value. 1998 models more spacious and better built whereas older examples are now the budget buys. Millions to choose from.
Most economical: 1.7 Dti 58.9 mpg
Best used buy: 1.6i petrols
UsedCarExpert.com faults: 20
Used Car Expert magazine price: A year 2000, 1.6i LS with average mileage of 72,000 would be £2,174 on the forecourts, but the hammer came down on a good example with 82,000 miles at £900.