Dealers in Liverpool have ‘best value’ used cars

A new study by AA Cars has found that dealers in Liverpool offer the best value used cars, with the strongest combination of affordable prices and low mileage.

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

It found the average asking price for a used car in Liverpool was £10,557, while the average car listed for sale was 4.1 years old with 32,073 miles on the clock.

James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars, said: “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.”

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.

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.

Searches and car views on the AA Cars site were also 9% higher in August than they were in July.

The company has 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.

Top 20 best places to buy used cars, according to AA Cars:

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