We've discovered a piece of free software that will give car dealers nightmares
Used car values have been very robust since the pandemic, and that's great if you're looking to sell one, but not so good if you've been in the market for a new set of wheels.
However, over the last few months, the market has been settling down, and the values of some cars are actually in freefall.
As values start to drop, it could be a great time to change your car, but knowing which cars are getting cheaper and which cars are holding their prices could be very handy.
And technology has provided an answer. There's a free extension for Google Chrome called AT Price Tracker that will kick in whenever you load up the AutoTrader website on a desktop, and it will reveal the price history of the cars listed.
This is a very useful tool because it will allow you to build up a picture of how sharply values have fallen for each make and model, and it will also give you a unique insight into how quickly cars are selling.
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(Getty Images/Westend61)For example, if you were in the market for a Ford Fiesta, one of the most sought-after used cars out there, and you saw it advertised by a car dealership, the AT Price Tracker extension will expose the history of that advert.
And, you might find, in some cases, a car has been sitting on the forecourt for months - and the dealer might have knocked hundreds of pounds off the price.
Does that mean there's something putting buyers off? Or has it just been overlooked? Either way, it's clearly a car they're keen to get rid of, so there could be some healthy wiggle room in the price.
Spend a bit of time with the extension and you can build up a picture of not only the cars that are starting to become more affordable, but you can get an idea of the demand, and the right time of year to buy.
Poking around AutoTrader, we've found premium cars that have had tens of thousands of pounds knocked off their asking price, and a few that are quietly creeping up in value.
But here's our pick of the more mainstream models that are worth looking at, and some of the biggest price drops we've seen on the platform.
Ford Fiesta ST-Line X - discounted by £3,910
This seems like such a bargain. A high-spec Ford Fiesta, one of the best small cars on the market, at less than a year old.
It's done quite a lot of miles in its short life, so that might be why this dealer is discounting it so heavily.
Since it was listed for sale in July, it's been discounted every month since October, and it's now sitting at nearly £4,000 below its original price. They clearly want this one off the forecourt.
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 GS - discounted by £3,504
This is one of the last of the older Corsas, in a nice colour, and with only 10 miles on the clock, so it's basically a brand new car.
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In September, the dealer listed it for close to its RRP of £19,998 but the arrival of the new, completely transformed 2024 model is clearly making it look a bit dated, so it's down now to £16,494.
Nissan Qashqai N-Connecta - discounted by £3,250
The car that started the crossover movement is still incredibly popular today. And this nearly new 23-reg has only covered 3,742 miles.
It's been hanging around since August though, when it was first put up for sale at £27,995 - so it's perhaps no surprise to see it on offer for £24,745.
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Life - discounted by £2,000
No, we're not mad keen on the colour combination either, but this 2020 Golf has done 29,000 miles and looks like it's ripe for the picking.
The dealer has had it on his hands since May, and it's so far been discounted by £2,000, or about 11%. Something tells me there's an even better deal to be done for a quick sale.
Kia Niro 64.8 kWh 3 - discounted by £5,001
Electric cars are starting to lose money quite quickly, which is great news if you're after a cheap runabout, but not great for dealers who get stuck with them.
This 2022 Niro has been gathering dust since May and it's only done 9,500 miles. The dealer has already discounted it by £5,000 but there may still be some room to haggle.
Audi E-tron 50 Technik - discounted by £5,000
The E-tron is a fine EV for families, but this one went up for sale in September and still hasn't found a buyer.
The dealer is definitely trying hard, because £5,000 has been shaved off its original price which, according to AutoTrader puts it over £1,400 below the average market value.
Tesla Model X - discounted by £5,000
A quirky, competent and quick chariot, the Model X is one of the best EVs on the market, but it's really not resonating with this dealer's customers at all.
It went up for sale in April at £35,000 and it's sitting there still at £30,000. AutoTrader reckons that's nearly £2,000 below market average, but it's possible there might be even more discounting to come if it doesn't sell soon. What a bargain.
Tesla Model Y - discounted by £6,000
This nearly new Tesla has only covered 10,500 miles, but it's been hanging around for over a year now, which has prompted its dealer to drop the price by £6,000.
It's the Dual Motor version in a good colour, and I bet it's in good condition. This could be a complete bargain if you turn up with your negotiating hat on.
Porsche Boxster 718 - discounted by £4,990
Something for the weekend, Sir? Used Porsche values are taking a bit of a hit at the moment and there are dozens of Porkers on AutoTrader with huge discounts.
This one caught my eye because it's such a stunner with that colour combination, and it's done very few miles in three years.
It's only been in stock since November, but the dealer clearly realises the values are falling because he's knocked nearly £5,000 off it.
Range Rover P400 MHEV Autobiography - discounted by £12,000
Somewhere there's a dealer crying into his stock book over this one. It's only been in his hands since October and already he's had to knock a rather frightening £12,000 off the price. It makes one wonder how much could be left in the margin.
Land Rover values have taken something of a nosedive recently, because they're becoming theft magnets, and therefore very hard to insure.
Depreciation is not something a Range Rover owner should be complacent about, but this fully-loaded Autobiography has probably lost around half its value in just three years. Scary stuff.
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If you're looking to sell your car, don't despair. Some cars are holding their value pretty well, and there's thousands on AutoTrader that are still changing hands quickly, and for their original price.
If only in the interests of balance, I set out to find a few that the dealers were so confident in stocking that they've actually put the prices up since they took them on.
MKI Audi TT 1.8T Sport - price increased by £1,400
If you've got one of these in the garage, you might be quids in. They're starting to really rise in value.
This particular one looks very desirable, with a relatively low mileage and a great spec. The private seller first put it up for sale in August, but clearly isn't in a rush to sell it - because the price has gone up by £1,400. And I still think it's pretty good value.
Ford Puma 1.7 Thunder - price increased by £1,000
Perfect Pumas that aren't riddled with rust are becoming such a rarity these days, so it's no surprise to see owners asking big money for their minters.
This dealer clearly knows he's on to a good thing because he's already increased the value by a grand. And it might seem a lot of money, but it's a limited edition with just 26,000 miles covered, and in a good colour. So it's probably one of the best out there.
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