James Ruppert
It’s a buyer’s market for used cars right now but it won’t last
School’s out, wallets out
For £2500, you could get a 225bhp Audi TT Roadster from 2003
It’s pretty much that time of year when everyone is going on holiday. The nippers are off school and having the time of their lives.
Those two significant events, or rather family distractions, mean that it is a rubbish time to try to sell cars. That is a bit of a blow if you are trying to f log something of yours but, for the rest of us, it is a wonderful opportunity to go shopping and get a bargain. The evenings are light and warm, so it’s a perfect time to view cars, and there aren’t so many rival buyers after the same thing.
So let’s go and see what we could get. Obviously, we could celebrate the decent weather with a convertible. I am not sure if you have noticed what staggering value BMW 330Cis are at the moment. Just £2500 in the kitty will bag you a 2002 example with 140,000 miles, but don’t stress about the high mileage. If it has a decent service record, it should be fine. I found a bunch of them for sale online and it seems like a very obvious but entirely logical choice. Otherwise, for the same money, you could get a 2003 Audi TT Roadster – the 225bhp version – with just 100,000 miles.
Of course, this being the British summer, rain is just around the corner, so we should invest in something with a proper roof. Quite by chance, I bumped into an old, long-discontinued friend. I didn’t expect to travel so far back in time to look at Honda Preludes, but these won’t break down and only used car aficionados will want them. Around £1000 gets you a 1997 plastic-wheeltrimmed 2.0 Prelude, which is the antidote to anyone channelling early Fast and Furious. A 2.2 VTI, though, is £2000, or you can pay £4900 for a 2000 Motegi edition.
Is it too early to start panic buying a 4x4 in preparation for the coming cold snap? Probably, so instead a serious petrol estate should suff ice. An Audi A6 Allroad is a nice compromise between silly and sensible, but let’s be really silly and plump for a V8 with a useful 300bhp. Not only that, it is a seven-seat one just like those school-run off-roaders. A 2004 example with 90,000 miles is a mere £3500.
Double that money and a 2005 Mercedes-benz E500 Avantgarde could well be yours. It will have a sixfigure mileage, but we did find one with a main dealer history. So clearly, this is that time of year when you can find a desirable motor and have hardly any competitors and bid low with a straight face.
You have a small window of opportunity to bag a bargain while the other car buyers aren’t looking. Let me know if you’ve bought anything interesting.