Plug or turn? Dilemma for potential car buyers when weighing their options

On the face of it, the surge in new registrations this year bodes well for anyone looking to buy a used car.

This is because there should be a larger number of trade-ins for sale.

The trickle-down effect should also normally result in older cars becoming cheaper.

But the continued decline in used import registrations looks set to offset much of the benefit of larger trade-in volumes and means there is little chance of a major drop in used values ​​or numbers overall at this time.

This lack of good used cars means that demand is likely to continue to outstrip supply for the foreseeable future.

However, keep in mind that not all brands are feeling the lack of new car deals, so there’s still every reason to shop around and find out where larger trade-in volumes are likely to happen.

And import levels, while declining for some time, could pick up again, bringing some balance to the market.

It’s early days and anything can happen, but it looks like many motorists will have to wait and hope things ease up a bit in the coming months – or decide to maybe tax the car for another year.

This could mean that the average age of cars on the road will continue to rise.

And that, combined with long waiting times for NCT tests, entails – as outlined in detail here last week – every risk that a higher proportion of vehicles will not be roadworthy.

If you hold out until you get a car, the most important thing is to make sure your car is safe.

And if you sell it privately, you don’t risk anyone else’s life.

Do the decent thing and sell it in running order.

For the same reason, when buying one, you should make sure that the car has been serviced regularly.

If there are gaps, you need to be careful. You have to ask why.

If you feel you are not getting a straight answer, I would urge you to walk away no matter how tempting the deal is.

That’s why buying from a reliable dealer makes so much more sense than buying privately – you get a car warranty and a return policy should anything go wrong.

Buying from private gives you little overall protection.

I know this is all well documented, but it’s surprising how quickly people turn their heads when a potential lonely “bargain” comes into view.

I recently met someone who was buying a car and the vehicle was bought without even driving. The interior could hardly be seen.

I never thought I would live to see the day but the situation was so urgent, the only thing that mattered was that a car was available and the price wasn’t exorbitant.

In fairness, the model had a history of reliability and came with a sizeable warranty.

But it just goes to show how little caution there is before buying when the going gets tough.

By warmth I mean if you don’t buy it right away someone else almost certainly will.

The fear of losing out in this time of shortages and the prospect of having to hunt down a similar engine elsewhere can be overwhelming when you’re in dire need of a car and don’t have that much time to roam around.