GRAND SLAM SAVINGS
TODAY, the 68 registration plate comes into effect. And there are bargains galore, so be prepared to haggle hard in a sluggish market.
Another reason for deals is the new ‘real-world’ emissions testing system with which all new cars on sale from today must comply with to be sold as new.
but, if they are pre-registered by dealers — with the old 18 plate — they are sold on as second-hand or ‘nearly new’, usually at a hefty discount worth thousands of pounds. the dealer’s name is first in the logbook, as original owner, and yours is second, as the buyer of a nearly new car. the cars are street-legal and roadworthy.
While customers get a good price, they may have to compromise on colour and trim level.
For example, I’m impressed with peugeot’s award- winning 3008 family-friendly SUV, which tennis mum Judy murray, mother of champions Andy and Jamie, also drives.
It’s a real Goldilocks car — everything’s just about right. It looks great and handles with aplomb. It’s comfortable, but sporty. It’s even coped with a student house move and a boot stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink. my 3008 has a new, upgraded euro 6.2 diesel engine that fully complies with the new protocols mandatory for all passenger cars sold in the eU.
but peugeot has been phasing out an earlier version of this diesel engine — euro 6.1 — which, from today, cannot be sold as brand-new.
Its new, fully compliant range starts from £ 23,480 for the Active puretech 130 hp, 1.2 litre, six-speed manual.
meanwhile, Austin Collins, managing director of Buyacar.
co.uk, says customers could save £12,000 on a 2018 Jeep Cherokee with delivery mileage.
He adds: ‘It’s the automotive equivalent of reducing the price of food that’s approaching its best-before date.’