The anomalies
Used prices often don’t add up if the trade prefers one car over another. We look at how
We unravel some of the odder used values on the market
NEW car prices are set by sharp-suited executives armed with spreadsheets and pie charts. But once those cars hit the used market, they’re subject to the laws of supply and demand. Savvy buyers, especially in the trade, know which models are going to be trouble and which will be easy to live with.
The rise of Internet forums has made this information available to the general car-buying public, too. Vehicles with a bad reputation or steep service costs will sit unsold until the price is low enough to compensate. Other models gain a cult following and get snapped up at seemingly crazy prices.
We’ve picked some examples of these automotive anomalies to show how the second-hand car market can seem crazy, but is actually cleverer than any pie chart could ever show.
Rover75
THE first new Rover built under BMW ownership has perhaps the strangest price spread of any used car.
When powered by K-series petrol engines, the 75 is unloved, with head gasket issues on four-cylinder models and expensive cambelt changes on the V6. But the Bmw-engined diesel is sought after, especially with the auto box which eliminates the clutch and flywheel issues. Post-2005 facelift models are less popular, because Rover downgraded the quality.
While there are plenty of base-spec petrol 75s for less than £500, we spotted a 2003 CDTI auto Tourer in Connoisseur trim with 80,000 miles for £4,995. Expected price: £500 Anomaly price (CDTI auto Tourer): £5,000
Volvo V70 (2000-2007)
WHEN the new V70 was launched in 2000, the big news was the sophisticated turbo petrols and D5 diesel engine. The 2.4-litre non-turbo petrol was carried over from the previous-generation car and was considered a bit of a plodder.
But stories of expensive cambelt issues with the D5 and the delicate nature of the turbo petrols appeared, so it’s now the proven and simple-tomaintain 2.4-litre petrol which shines on the used market. We saw sought-after seven-seaters with full histories being advertised for £3,000, while V70s with other engines and similar miles were half that price. Expected price: £1,500 Anomaly price (2.4 petrol): £3,000
“Savvy buyers, especially in the trade, know which models are going to be trouble”
Thetaxevaders
BRITAIN’S road tax system is bewilderingly complex. For example, any model emitting more than 225g/km of CO2 costs £305 a year to tax, if it was registered before 23 March 2006. Owners of the same car registered after that date pay £535.
That difference is enough to affect the used value massively and even ‘write off’ some cars because they are simply too expensive to tax. It means a 100,000-mile Vauxhall Vectra 2.8 Elite has a value of around £500, but a smaller-engined petrol version could be worth three times as much. Expected price: £1,500 Anomaly price (Vectra 2.8 Elite): £500
Landroverdiscovery
THE Discovery 3 was a massive improvement over the relatively crude Disco 2 in every way, but there was a catch. It became even more complicated and expensive to fix in the process. Horror stories about small parts failures requiring the body to be removed, or expensive suspension and brakes problems, mean thrifty buyers are petrified of Discovery 3 ownership.
As a result, many motorists look back to the simple-to-fix Discovery 2, and prices of the best examples of the earlier car are rising fast. We spotted specialists offering D2s at £8,000, while D3s with equivalent mileage and specification were £6,500.
Jaguarxj
WHEN Jaguar replaced the old XJ in 2003, it ensured the new model had the most up-to-date technology. But because customers loved the styling of the old car, the latest version looked almost identical to the outgoing model. At the time this seemed like a mistake.
But now the 2003-2007 XJ has been noticed by those who like the combination of traditional design, low running costs and luxury. The cars are well built, have proven reliable and are made from lightweight aluminium, so are fuel efficient and resist corrosion. The best are advertised at £20,000, overlapping with the later, controversially styled X351-model XJ.
Bmw5series
CLASSIFIED adverts using phrases such as “last of the properly built” are a pretty good indication that the car in question is well regarded and sought after.
Browse for a BMW 5 Series built between 1996 and 2003 and you’ll see plenty of descriptions like this, along with prices which reach £12,000. The love of the E39 is partly down to the looks, because many buyers don’t like the angular styling of the later car.
But there are solid economic reasons, too; the E39 doesn’t need specialist dealer equipment to fix items such as infotainment faults, for example. Especially prized are the six-cylinder petrol and diesel versions.