Great deals on a plate
British motorists change their cars more often than their mattresses, typically owning 11 vehicles in a lifetime, it is claimed.
research by Privilege Car insurance shows we change cars every five years and four months, possibly to impress friends and neighbours, or just for a change of colour.
But people will happily wait more than seven years to buy a new mattress, despite the impact this can have on the quality of their sleep.
the average vehicle now costs £14,666, so the average driver may well get behind the wheel of £161,328 worth of cars in a lifetime. the new 19 plate comes in on Friday, just ahead of the start of the Geneva Motor show, so buyers will face a bewildering choice of new models, but also have the chance to save thousands.
in this gloomy time for car makers, with honda announcing the closure from 2021 of its swindon plant — which builds Civic hatchbacks — and more closures likely to follow, consumers should take advantage of every benefit available.
Order books opened this week, for example, for the sporty looking new Mazda 3, which costs from £20,595 for the twolitre petrol 122 hp sE-L skyactiv G hatchback to £27,735 for the two-litre 116 hp skyactiv D Gt sport Auto diesel.
the range, up against the VW Golf, Ford Focus or Audi A3, has two engines and five trim levels. First deliveries are in May with saloon version and a skyactiv-X engine to follow.
steve huntingford, editor of magazine and website WhatCar?, says good deals are to be had if buyers do their homework and haggle hard: ‘the 19 plate inevitably means sales are spiking now. But don’t think it’s hard to make a saving. that seasonal fillip is factored into dealers’ targets, so discounts remain as aggressive as ever.’
WhatCar’s mystery shoppers saved an average of £2,372 on a 19-plate car. A typical deal would be the Peugeot 3008 Puretech 130 Allure sUV at £24,660 — saving £1,249 on the list price.