Cheap Cars for Sale in Southampton

Let’s not beat around the bush and say that the used Southampton cars for sale are just like new ones. Buying a used car has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Our belief is that sometimes buying a used car is a better financial decision than buying a new one and this article will take you through some of the key aspects to look at.

Think of it like this: when you buy a new car straight from the production line it loses almost half of its original price within the first few years of purchase.

Some even lose their value by more than half. That is why if you are looking for a smarter and cheaper financial decision, we suggest going with a car that is second-hand.

Tips for buying used cars for sale in Southampton

The average car in Southampton has a price of around 30,000 pounds. But after it has been used for a year and has been driven around 10,000 miles the price drops significantly.

You will be able to buy the car for around 20,000 pounds. The price of the car depreciated more than 25%, which is a lot. In the second year of the car’s use, the depreciating rate of the car will decrease even more.

As time goes on the value of the car will keep depreciating but the rate of depreciation will slow down.

It is better to buy a car in its second or third year as that is the sweet spot for getting the best deal. The price drops for the car in those few years significantly.

The car stays in good condition if driven carefully in those few years. There will be little to no problems if you buy a car that has been driven under 20,000 miles in the first two years.

How to find cheap Southampton cars for sale

Smaller Engines vs Bigger Engines

Cars with smaller engines burn less fuel to run. A car that has a bigger engine will burn more fuel. If you are not looking for high horsepower, then you should consider buying a fuel-efficient car. A smaller engine car will be more fuel-efficient as it will burn less fuel.

A car with a bigger engine will burn more fuel and will produce much more performance. But if you are not looking for a car to haul heavy loads, chances are you do not require a car with a bigger engine.

A car with a smaller engine will not burn as much fuel compared to a car with a bigger engine. Likewise, the performance of the car with a smaller engine is also less.

Advantages of buying a car with a smaller engine

• Easier on your wallet: A car with a smaller engine will cost you much less than a car with a bigger engine.

• Fuel Costs: A car with a smaller engine will not burn the same amount of fuel as a car with a bigger engine. The smaller car will be much more fuel-efficient hence saving you a ton in fuel costs over a period of time.

Disadvantages of buying a car with a smaller engine

It will not provide you the same amount of performance that a car with a bigger engine will. If you are looking for a car to carry the load, then go with a bigger engine car as that will be a better option for you.

You will not be able to race or get the same high-speed performance that a car with a bigger engine will produce.

Petrol Cars vs Diesel Cars

Which fuel burns better? Diesel engines are more efficient in burning fuel than a petrol engine. Does this make diesel engine cars cheaper? Since diesel fuel burns much more cleanly than petrol, any diesel engine will be much more efficient than a petrol engine.

Because diesel engines are much more efficient, the cars which have diesel engines will cost you much more. Plus, the price of diesel is higher than petrol.

This means you will also pay more for the same amount of diesel compared to what you would pay for the same amount of petrol.

In my opinion, I would suggest going with a car that has a petrol engine as it will be much cheaper than the car with the diesel engine. There are plenty of petrol cars for sale in Southampton.

Manual Transmission vs Automatic Transmission

Most of us prefer automatic transmission as it makes for a smoother driving experience. But for that smoother driving experience, you will have to pay a bit more. Cars that have manual transmission will cost you much less than its automatic transmission counterpart.

But the catch is a car with manual transmission is much less fuel-efficient than a car with automatic transmission. This is because automatic cars know the perfect gear to be in. Whereas for the manual gear you will constantly be shifting through gears this makes the process fuel inefficient.

The bottom line, going with manual or automatic depends on your preference. If you are someone who likes the feel of the manual transmission, then you should go with the manual gear.

And if you want a hassle-free experience then go with the automatic transmission. The price difference between the automatic and manual transmission will be made up of the fuel price. You will need to pay for more fuel for manual transmission compared to an automatic transmission.

Hybrid vs no Hybrid?

Hybrid cars are one of the most popular and eco-friendly options in recent times. If you want something fuel-efficient, hybrid cars consume much less fuel than an average car.

But they also cost you more than the average car. The benefit of hybrid cars is in some cases you will not have to pay any tax.

The government wants you to buy hybrid cars as they are eco-friendlier so there are some hybrid car models for which you will not pay any type of tax. In short, hybrid cars are cheap to run but expensive to buy. So, weigh your options before you decide.

There are charges that you need to pay based on the amount of carbon dioxide your car produces.

If your car is producing less than 100g CO2 in a year then you will not pay any charge. Hence, take this factor also into account when looking for cars for sale in Southampton.

Southampton cars for sale insurance cost

Every car for sale in Southampton needs to be insured when bought. The insurance cost depends on the size of your car. The bigger the car the higher you will pay for the insurance.

If you are looking to cut down your costs when buying a car then it is better if you go with a smaller car because of the low insurance costs.

When should you buy a used car?

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have decided on the model of the car you want. After you have decided what car to go with then the buying process gets much easier.

You need to look for cars for sale in Southampton and strike a deal at the right time. If your timing is right, you might even be able to buy the car for a much cheaper price.

You need to understand that every dealership in Southampton has goals that they need to meet. If they can meet the goals, they will get a better commission or a bonus.

These goals often have quarterly deadlines. So, you should keep an eye on offers at the end of each quarter. Dealerships promote lucrative offers at the end of each quarter.

They need to sell cars and they are going to negotiate with you much more. Hence, you might even get a car much cheaper at the end of the quarter than buying it at the beginning.

If you are buying the car from a private seller then you may be out of luck for such deals. The reason being private sellers do not have any specific targets or goals. All they want is to get their desired price at which they will sell the car.

Qualities to look for in Southampton cars for sale

You need to know the type of car you want before you go looking around cars for sale in Southampton. Ask yourself some of these questions and you should have the answer.

1. What are my necessities?

You need to know the necessary things you are looking for in your car. For example, if you need a car to drive you from work to home and from home to work, then you should find a car which will do all of these more efficiently.

Or you may need a car for your whole family which you will use to take the kids to schools and run other family chores. Just keep the necessities in mind to help you make a more thoughtful decision.

2. Do you need it to perform any specialized tasks?

Cars for sale in Southampton are bought for different reasons. But the buyer has something specific in mind always. It could be for towing something like a trailer or other purposes dependent on the person.

3. Are you looking to buy it for long journeys?

If you are someone who likes driving, then you will buy a car for long journeys. Your car needs to cope with your travel demands. Buying the right car which can keep up with your travel needs is important in this scenario.

4. What type of fuel do you prefer?

The type of fuel you prefer will decide the type of model you choose. For example, you will buy a diesel car if you want to use diesel as your car fuel. Or you will buy a car that uses petrol as fuel if you want the opposite.

5. Do you want to be eco-friendly?

Buying an eco-friendly car has its drawbacks and advantages. You will contribute much less to environmental pollution if you buy an eco-friendly car.

You might not even have to pay taxes in some cases if you buy an eco-friendly car. But the drawback is these eco-friendly cars are a lot more expensive than normal cars.

Sweet spot

In the used Southampton cars for sale market, you need to look for cars that are in the sweet spot. A sweet spot is when a car has not been driven too much or too little. It is just perfect. The sweet spot for a car is when the car is about three years old.

The thing is most new cars are bought through leasing contracts. The average length of a leasing contract is about 3 years. After three years, those cars are either returned to the leasing company or are auctioned off. In some form or the other, these cars end up in used Southampton cars for sale market.

After three years the price of a car should behalf of its original price. For example, the car that was 20,000 pounds three years ago will now have a price of around 10,000 pounds. The price of the car depreciated around 50%. This is the case for most cars that are three years old.

Since most of these cars in the used Southampton car sale market were driven through a leasing contract they should be in good condition. There is a yearly mileage limit that is mentioned in the leasing contract.

If the borrower is unable to abide by that limit, they will have to pay additional fees. So, the mileage limit for these cards should be around 25000 km. A car that was driven 25000 km in three years should be in good condition.

That is why our suggestion for you is to consider buying a used car instead of a new one when you are looking for cheap cars for sale in Southampton.

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Cheap cars for sale in Southampton FAQs

What is the cheapest car to buy in Southampton?

Here is a list of the cheapest new cars you can buy in Southampton right now.
1. Dacia Sandero – From £6,995
2. Suzuki Celerio – From £7,499
3. Dacia Logan MCV – From £8,495
4. Skoda Citigo – From £8,860
5. Citroen C1 – From £9,185
6. Peugeot 108 – From £9,225
7. Toyota Aygo – From £9,295
8. MG3 – From £9,495

Where are the cheapest used cars in Southampton?

If you are alright with traveling to find the cheapest option, the cheapest place to buy a used car in England right now is Nottingham.

The current average price is £5,180, which is 34% below the average used car price in England. The average price is £7,847.

What is the cheapest second hand car to buy?

Here is a list of the most reliable cheap second-hand cars you can buy in Southampton right now.
• Toyota (iQ 2008-14)
• Vauxhall Agila (2008-13)
• Hyundai Getz (2002-09)
• Honda Jazz (2008-14)
• Hyundai i10 (2008-13)
• Citroen C1 (2005-2009)
• Hyundai i20 (2009-15)
• Suzuki Alto (2009-14)

What is the cheapest car to maintain in Southampton?

Here is a list of the Southampton cars that are cheapest to maintain. As you can see they have low odds of needing repairs.
• Nissan Note – 1 in 1,055
• Seat Leon – 1 in 864
• Hyundai i10 – 1 in 292
• Renault Megane – 1 in 155
• Citroen C4 – 1 in 153
• Citroen C3 – 1 in 148
• Citroen C1 – 1 in 140
• Vauxhall Zafira – 1 in 125

What is a good cheap car?

Here is a list of good cheap cars you can buy in Southampton right now.
• 2019 Chevrolet Spark LS
• 2019 Ford Fiesta sedan
• 2019 Chevrolet Sonic
• 2019 Honda Fit
• 2019 Kia Soul
• 2019 Kia Forte
• 2019 Chevrolet Cruze
• 2019 Subaru Impreza

Why are used cars so cheap in Southampton?

Local dealerships are quite popular in Southampton for buying a cheap car. This is because they offer low-emission cars for the city and this will decrease the amount of tax drivers need to pay.