family cars
The supermini – compact cars like the Renault Clio and Nissan
Micra – has become a favourite of second-hand car buyers in the UK,
according to information services company Experian.
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Latest used car statistics show that sales of superminis overtook
sales of small family cars – referred to as the lower medium
segment – to become the best-selling used car segment in the first
half of the year.
The lower medium segment, which includes models such as the Ford
Focus and the Vauxhall Astra, has been the UK’s best-seller since
Experian
first started collating the used car sales data in 1999.
However, the gap between lower medium cars and superminis has been
closing each year and during first six months of the 2007, sales of
superminis reached 1,108,051 or 0.2 per cent higher than sales of
lower mediums.
“With growing levels of personal debt, higher running costs,
increasing tax and pressures to reduce our impact on the
environment, the benefits of a smaller car are becoming more
apparent to car buyers,” said Kirk
Fletcher, managing director of Experian’s Automotive
division.
The Ford Fiesta continues to be the UK’s best selling used
supermini and was also the best selling used car overall during the
first half of the year, while the Vauxhall Astra topped lower
medium car sales.
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By GlobalDataExperian’s statistics show that around 78 per cent of all the
cars classed as superminis sold in the first half of the year were
over three years old. The older the car, the more likely it is to
have a hidden history that could affect the car buyer’s decision.
This ranges from smaller issues of recent colour changes to more
serious matters such as whether the car is registered as stolen or
has been written-off in an accident.
Car buyers can protect themselves by investing in data checks
and vehicle inspections. Ian Clark, operations director for AA
Vehicle Inspections advises car buyers to exercise caution when
purchasing any car.
“Over 90 per cent of all the ‘seemingly OK’ cars that have been
checked by [the AA] have needed essential or advisable repair work
and we have advised our customers that they should either
reconsider the purchase or make sure repairs are carried out before
buying,” he said.
