Mycarcheck.com market guide: November 2018

Mycarcheck.com’s valuation experts reveal significant trends in the UK used vehicle market and choose a car and bike of the month.

Vehicle valuation manager at mycarcheck.com, Stuart Wilson, said: “Introduced in 2016, the fourth-generation Kia Sportage is a great family car, currently in the top ten best-selling new vehicles in the UK this year. Practical and versatile, there’s plenty of room for passengers, a bigger boot (491 litres), and higher spec models have heated seats and leather upholstery. What’s more, used buyers can enjoy several years of Kia’s famous 7 Year Warranty, a benefit which is hard to come by in the secondhand market. With winter fast approaching, you could get yourself into a high-end, all-wheel-drive Sportage for well under £20k. There’s no shortage of choice, so check the history and haggle hard.”

As to market trends, Wilson said: “October saw yet another decline in new car registrations, with petrol and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) continuing to grab market share from diesel. New hybrid and plug-in sales were up 30.7%, as customers flocked to get in before the government grant cut-off. Amid widespread criticism of the decision to reduce the incentive, there was positive news on the infrastructure front, with BP investing £25m in rapid charge points. You could soon be able to pay for petrol, diesel and electric on a single fuel card too.”

On the motorbike, scooter and moped sector, mycarcheck.com’s Mark Fieldsaid: “The Ducati Monster has evolved over the years to become a beautifully modern homage to the 1993 original. The current model, released in 2017, was treated to a power increase, to 150hp, and a host of new features, including wheelie control and cornering ABS, a quickshifter, upgraded lights, fuel gauge and gear indicators, and a crisp TFT screen. The overall dimensions have been reduced giving it a wonderfully compact yet aggressive look – for our money, the best Monster yet. While the range-topping M1200R offers even more power, an S model will be £2-3k cheaper on the used market. As always, check the history to make sure the one you’re looking at is as advertised.”

As to market trends, Field said: “The leaves have fallen, the leathers have been replaced with all-weather attire, and auction sites are littered with track bikes seeking new owners for next season. All this can only mean one thing: it’s time for Motorcycle Live at the NEC in Birmingham, where we can stare longingly at a plethora of shiny new bikes. Overall, it hasn’t been a bad year for new motorcycle registrations, up 2.1% on last year. Super sport registrations are down a staggering 13.2%, cementing the view that the UK motorcycle community has turned its back on the once-dominant 1,000cc sports bikes in favour of naked bikes, which saw a 10.1% increase. Both the new and used markets have faded now, but that’s only to be expected at this time of year.”

With information from the police, DVLA, insurers and finance houses, My Car Check holds comprehensive data on every vehicle on UK roads – things that buyers should be aware of before making an offer.

CDL Vehicle Information Services, which owns My Car Check, performs over a million look-ups a day for companies including AutoExpress, CompareTheMarket, Go-Compare, Moneysupermarket, Swiftcover and Tesco.