Revealed: Top 20 best value places in Britain to buy a used car - data from AA Cars

Thursday, 10 September 2020 00:01

The best value used cars in the UK can be found in Liverpool, with the city’s dealers offering the strongest combination of affordable prices and low mileage, research by AA Cars has found Drivers in the market for a new car may find a good deal shopping around now, as prices have dipped since the start of the year AA Cars relaunches brand campaign to help drivers buy a car with confidence as they return to the used car market The best...Request free trial

The best value used cars in the UK can be found in Liverpool, with the city’s dealers offering the strongest combination of affordable prices and low mileage, research by AA Cars has found
Drivers in the market for a new car may find a good deal shopping around now, as prices have dipped since the start of the year
AA Cars relaunches brand campaign to help drivers buy a car with confidence as they return to the used car market

The best value used cars in Britain can now be found in Liverpool, which boasts the best combination of price, newer cars and lower mileage[1], analysis by AA Cars, the AA’s used car website, has revealed.

The average asking price for a used car in Liverpool is £10,557. In the city, the average car listed for sale is 4.1 years old and has just 32,073 miles on the clock - a winning combination that makes it the best value place to buy a used car in the UK.

There has been increasing activity in the second hand car market since lockdown eased. Used car sales increased by 60.6% in June, the month dealerships were allowed to re-open across Britain, compared to May[2]. Searches and car views on the AA Cars site were also 9% higher in August than they were in July[3].

AA Cars has recently relaunched its marketing campaign to help drivers buy a car with confidence. From September 2020 to January 2021, its campaign will highlight its Approved Dealers scheme, which allows dealers to demonstrate that their vehicles are inspected to the very highest AA standards. It also prominently lists history checks on the website, to give customers access to vital information about the car’s mileage, MOT, and accident and crime records. The goal is to instilconfidence in the used car market as drivers return.

With many drivers believed to be in the market for a car so they can continue social distancing by avoiding public transport, AA Cars’ analysis has also revealed that now may be a good time to buy. The research has shown cars are on average £531 cheaper than they were in January, with average prices falling from £12,097 to £11,566.

AA Cars analysed 40 cities and towns around the UK to find where buyers can find the best value.

Winsford, in Cheshire, had the lowest average used car age, at just 3.6 years and finished third in the overall ranking for the best value places to buy a used car. It was also top for mileage, at 24,181 miles on the clock on average. The average cost is higher than Liverpool at £13,576, however.

Bedford, in Bedfordshire, is home to the least expensive vehicles at £7,925, but the price is brought down by the average mileage of 68,852, which is the highest among the 40 towns and cities analysed by AA Cars. Its cars are also the oldest, at 7.7 years.

The following table details the top 20 best places to buy used cars, calculated by looking at prices, age and mileage and assigning a ranking number[1].

Overall rank	Location	Average age	Age ranking (out of 40)	Average mileage	Mileage ranking (out of 40)	Average price	Price ranking (out of 40)
1	Liverpool	4.1	3	32,073	4	£10,557	17
2	Derby	4.2	4	32,958	6	£12,177	24
3	Winsford	3.6	1	24,181	1	£13,576	32
4	Nottingham	4.7	14	33,289	7	£11,140	20
5	Preston	4.5	9	36,260	11	£12,176	23
6	Sheffield	4.2	5	32,492	5	£13,632	33
7	Chesterfield	4.4	7	30,686	2	£13,791	35
8	Mansfield	4.7	13	36,016	10	£11,217	21
9	Harlow	3.8	2	35,702	9	£13,684	34
10	Southampton	4.2	6	31,839	3	£15,078	37
11	Romford	5.6	25	40,297	17	£9,566	10
12	Darlington	5.2	19	41,689	19	£10,320	15
13	Loughborough	5	17	41,015	18	£10,801	19
14	Glasgow	5.9	27	43,926	20	£9,175	8
15	Oldham	4.6	11	39,462	15	£13,089	29
16	Doncaster	4.5	8	38,335	13	£14,162	36
17	Lincoln	4.7	12	38,393	14	£13,411	31
18	Plymouth	6	30	47,525	24	£9,370	9
19	Stevenage	5.2	20	49,886	31	£9,857	12
20	Poole	5.1	18	35,218	8	£15,153	38

Edinburgh was the best value place to buy a used car in January this year, but it has slipped down to 25th.

James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars comments: “Business has been brisk in the used car market ever since dealerships re-opened. Some drivers may be looking to swap their commute via public transport for a car, while other drivers who typically buy from new may have switched to the second hand market, where you can get great value for money on high quality, nearly new vehicles.

“With many consumers facing financial pressures as a result of the pandemic, drivers want to know where they can get the best value for money on their next car. It’s striking how much regional variation there is, with some areas of Britain offering considerable added value - and Liverpool finishing top of our ranking.

“Online portals such as AA Cars make it easier for drivers to research what is on offer outside their local area, helping them secure a good deal.

“With customers returning to the market and all wanting assurance they are getting good value for money, we are relaunching our brand campaign to inject confidence in the second hand car industry.

“Our prominent history checks and Approved Dealer scheme will help drivers navigate the market, and find a car from a dealer they can trust.

“We also always recommend drivers organise a pre-purchase vehicle inspection to ensure they can drive away with peace of mind that there are no hidden faults. The AA’s vehicle inspectors carry out an extensive mechanical inspection that tests up to 206 elements of the car.

“You can also consider taking out a warranty to provide further reassurance that you will be covered if your car requires any unexpected repairs.”

Methodology

[1]AA Cars took the average price, mileage and age from cars in 40 towns and cities across the UK. Each aspect was ranked according to the lowest price, age and mileage to create a total ranking score, the lowest of which topped the list.

[2] SMMT data

[3] AA Cars website searches