Although the market for used cars is certainly receding from the giddy heights reached in January and February, supply is still a big factor and potential buyers are still visiting showrooms in numbers. Dealers are reporting steady activity and early indications hint at the Easter break not having had a drastic affect on sales volumes. We wonder what the story would have been if the country had been bathed in sunshine, no doubt the showroom traffic will surely have been adversely affected. Although volumes are broadly in line with expectations dealers will have to fight harder to retain the margins of previous months as wholesale prices for quality retailable stock see no sign of falling anytime soon.
From a buyers perspective, if they are very particular about which used car they are interested in and it is a good selling model they should expect very little in the way of discounts. However that should not stop the preparation and comparison, with most dealers now advertising their used car stock on Autotrader, checking out prices on comparable cars of interest has never been as important (or easier).
In other words getting the most for the hard earned pound means dong the groundwork, it’s imperative, now more than ever.