It should be no surprise to hear that of the 6.8 million used cars sold in 2011 and with sales of just over one and half million used cars in the last three months alone, superminis and small hatchbacks overtook family saloons to become the UK’s biggest selling cars.
Ford cars are the leading make with the Fiesta at No.1 with 290,254 units sold, accompanied by the Focus (286,954 units) and the Mondeo (155,662 units), also in the top ten of most used cars sold.
The demand for smaller, low cost, fuel efficient cars continues to grow. For anyone who wants to sell a car for cash it’s well worth knowing which makes and models are performing best in the used car market.
The Ford Focus, for example, can be expected to retain a slightly better-than-average residual value of around 55 per cent of its value at 24 months, and between 36 per cent to 39 per cent at 48 months over a five-year period, depending on individual model.
It should also be mentioned that other makes of smaller and affordable cars also feature in the top ten used car sellers of 2011. As you might expect, from Vauxhall cars, the Corsa and Astra are within the top 5, Volkswagen are also represented by the Polo and Golf, along with the Renault Clio and Peugeot 206.
Of course trading conditions can fluctuate according to car make, model, age, mileage and region as well as availability. Irrespective of how many similar makes are on the used market, a well maintained vehicle, with reasonable mileage, good service history and all documentation present and correct can still provide a good quote when an owner wants to value a car for a quick sale.
So rather than feel negative about whether a decent quote will be offered, Ford or Vauxhall owners should be pleased to hear that so many other drivers want to drive the same make or model – and the simplest way these days to keep an eye on values is to go online and enter all the correct vehicle details on a reputable car buyer site like Sell My Car.