BRITAIN’S cheapest place to buy a used car has been revealed – with a Hyundai i20 going for just £500 in one city.
The Sun used the AA’s second-hand car website to collect data for seven major British cities in order to find which location offered the best deals for used motors.
Birmingham secured the top spot, with two cars – a Hyundai i20 and a Volvo V50 – going for just £500 on the AA website.
Cardiff was the second cheapest, offering a Toyota Avensis for just £600, and a Volkswagen Polo for £695.
The Welsh city also offered a surprising find – a Jaguar S-Type going for just £1,000.
London took the bronze medal spot, with a Citroen C4 going for £640, and two vehicles – and Renault Clio and a Citroen Xsara Picasso – going for £695.
Manchester and Newcastle both technically tied for fourth place, offering a Toyota Yaris and Vauxhall Zafira respectively for just £750.
But a further probe into the data shows that, beyond the cheapest vehicle on offer, Manchester’s prices were better overall.
The city’s next cheapest vehicles – a Skoda Octavia and a Vauxhall Insignia – were on offer for just £995.
Newcastle, on the other hand, saw a sharp increase in price for its second and third cheapest cars – both Vauxhall Astras, going for £1,400 and £1,499.
Trailing behind is Sheffield, whose cheapest car was a Nissan Micra, going for £995 – and a Ford Ka going for the same price.
Last among the seven cities was Leeds, offering a Ford Fusion for £1,096, a Toyota Corolla for £1,195 and a Vauxhall Meriva for £1,480.
Once again though, Newcastle’s £750 Zafira appears to be somewhat of an outlier, as the most expensive vehicle in the whole dataset was the city’s £1,499 Vauxhall Astra.
The Sun gathered the data by finding the three cheapest vehicles for sale, listed on July 12, for each of the seven major cities.
It comes as drivers were warned to “only travel if absolutely necessarily” amid another M25 closure tonight – and it lasts the entire weekend.
Motorists will face bumper-to-bumper traffic on one of the UK’s busiest motorways amid a 10mile diversion, as around 300,000 vehicles are expected to pass through.
Fuming Goodwood Festival of Speed fans may be forced to start their journey even earlier or risk sitting in horrendous queues on the road.
Those heading to Heathrow and Gatwick Airport have also been advised by the RAC to “leave earlier than usual”.
Meanwhile, Wireless and British Summer Time festivalgoers are likely to be affected too.
And, of course anyone travelling along the route as part of Euro 2024 final celebrations will also be impacted.
How to bag a ‘bargain’ car at auction
A WHEELER Dealers host spilled his secrets to help you bag a “bargain” car at an auction – an the warning signs to avoid.
The Sun reported in December 2023 on veteran dealer expert Mike Brewer‘s top tips to buy a vehicle at an auction hall without getting into trouble.
In a YouTube video from Car Dealer Magazine Mike listed the top tips to avoid overpaying or leaving with a faulty car.
The Wheeler Dealer TV star recommended to always come prepared to an auction room and know what you want to buy.
He said: “Never turn up at an auction without doing your homework first.
“So fill your library before you fill your garage and make sure that you’re armed with information.”
If you’re new to the auction world, he advises to invite someone who has experience.
He also urged drivers to know what they are buying and to make sure their warranty can cover any faults or damage.
Mike said: “If a car is sold with no warranty, that means when the hammer goes down, it’s yours.
“If you drive off the forecourt and the engine falls out they’ll hand you a shovel until you move it off their forecourt.