John Watts, from used van pricing experts, CAP, has warned that the new emissions rules could cause unforeseen costs for van fleet operators and lower van residual values in the used market.

This is because compliance with the new Euro 5 emissions legislation relies partly on the use of diesel particulate filters and this poses particular problems for van owners or operators when operating on short-distance urban work.

Diesel particulate filters can easily clog under the typical operating conditions faced in many cities, spelling expensive repairs or replacement parts for fleet operators. CAP warns this may create caution in the future used van market, due to the ‘invisible’ nature of such problems. The end result is that many trade buyers will factor in the risk of a clogged particulate filter when determining the price they will offer for a used Euro 5 van.

John Watts from CAP, explained: “Many diesel particulate filters require specific drive cycles in order to remain working efficiently. These filters need to reach a certain operating temperature before effectively reducing particulate emissions, but if this is not achieved they can become prone to clogging.

“This problem will mostly emerge in low speed, short distance operating cycles, typically undertaken in large conurbations. A typical example could be a city-based self-employed used van owner who travels less than ten miles to site from home and stays all day. A continuous operation of this nature could result in a blocked filter and a potential replacement cost”.

CAP’s view is that used van buyers will be aware of the need for a properly functioning particulate filter for Euro 5 compliance and that problems may not be routinely covered under manufacturer warranty. One way to avoid these unnecessary costs is to lease your next van under a contract hire agreement, with full maintenance included. This will protect you from unforeseen maintenance costs and also protect you from any future residual value decline.

Nissan Qashqai

Nissan’s popular Qashqai crossover has just been voted ‘Used Car of the Year’ by used car pricing experts CAP – for the second year in a row.

A panel of judges comprising of used car market and vehicle valuation experts at CAP said: “The Nissan Qashqai has created an entirely new ‘crossover’ sector and prompted other manufacturers to follow by marrying the practicality of a people carrier with the looks of a quality 4×4. By achieving this in a package that also offers economy, handling, strong build quality and reliability the Qashqai has become the perfect used car for our time.”

The CAP panel also noted that strong demand meant the Qashqai was always likely to sought by trade buyers and customers alike, meaning it depreciated slowly and outperformed the general market as a whole.

Launched in 2007, the Qashqai has become a top-selling mainstream model, rivalling conventional family hatchbacks and it has become a permanent feature in the UK top 10 best vehicle sales list. The double win from CAP comes on top of a similar award from leading consumer magazine What Car?, which named the Qashqai as its ‘Best Used Car 2011’ last month.

The Qashqai range consists of two petrol and three advanced diesel engines with a new 1.6-litre diesel with stop-start technology opening up the Qashqai to more company car drivers. If you are interested in leasing a brand new Nissan Qashqai then Nissan contract hire prices are on the site now.

Of if you prefer to buy a used, ex-fleet car then visit our buying an ex-lease car section for further details on how to do with this.

Autoquake the UK’s largest ex-fleet online used car retailer has appointed a new CEO. Dermot Halpin has joined the company from Expedia, where he had overall responsibility for Expedia Europe and he replaces Garry Hobson.

Kevin Comolli, Managing General Partner at Accel Partners, an investor at Autoquake.com said,”We take a long-term interest in our companies and have big aspirations for the team. We see Autoquake as being a key player both in terms of how fleets increasingly use the internet to sell their vehicles and in how consumers buy cars online”.

Used Car Fuel Economy

The Transport Minister, Sadiq Khan, has launched a new Used Car Fuel Economy Label providing clear “at a glance” information on running costs. This initiative follows on from the successful new car fuel economy label.

The colour-coded label provides easy to read information on a car’s make and model along with its CO2 emissions data and over 1,000 dealers have signed up with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) to take part and display the label on cars they sell.

Autoquake.com, one of the UK’s leading used car auction sites selling ex-fleet cars, has announced that according to their figures, that used car prices are falling faster online than on dealer forecourts. A car which would have sold for £10,000 on Autoquake.com a month ago is now typically listed at £9,312.

Fredrik Skantze, Autoquake.com’s Co-founder said “After months of rising prices, we’re seeing signs that the used car bubble has burst. Values at auction have begun to slide and our prices are lower than they were a month ago”.

One thing is for sure, when you a buy a car rather than contract hire, you are liable for all the used car depreciation. So before you buy it is worth considering car leasing as an option.

The top ten Autoquake.com average percentage prices reductions last month are below. 

Adrian Rushmore

Glass’s guide is predicting that the price for used cars, which have been peaking since Spring 2009, have now stabilised and as we approach the final quarter of the year, they are forecasting a possible fall.

Adrian Rushmore, Managing Editor at Glass’s said,”The improvement in prices this year was largely due to the much lower level of used car supply. It is apparent that the correction is complete-in other words the trade price of a car, plus a dealer margin, now equals the retail price that customers are willing to pay. However, there are already signs that some dealers are displaying vehicles with smaller margins, in order to ensure that would-be-buyers are not discouraged by price”.

The increased in used car supply generated by sales of the “59 plate” will be relatively small to recent years, however in a typical year, Glass’s would expect to see a fall of seven to eight per cent during the final quarter. They are now forecasting a fall in used car prices for the final quarter of two to four per cent.

Buying a car always exposes you to the falls in used car values and that is why vehicle leasing is becoming more popular, as the risk on resale is always with the leasing company.

Contract Hire is form of rental that allows a customer to rent a vehicle for a period of time, normally over three years.

At the end of the contract you hand the car back to the leasing company who then has to sell it. The leasing companies have many ways they sell their vehicles i.e. through auctions, through dealers, through buyback arrangements with the manufacturers and direct to the public.

However not everyone wants a brand new vehicle on contract hire and some people still prefer to buy used cars. The question around this last point is if you want to buy ex-fleet cars direct, where do go?

comparecontracthire.com has just launched a new service allowing buyers to view a selection  of the vehicles offered by some of their leasing partners. The attraction of buying ex-fleet vehicles is the leasing company will have a record of what has happened to their vehicle throughout its life. They will usually have had only one registered keeper as well (i.e. the leasing company).

Robert Wastell, founder of comparecontracthire.com said  ” The site is primarily focussed on providing new business contract hire rentals, compared on line, direct from FN50 companies. However I have often been asked how to buy ex-fleet cars, direct, from the leasing companies.  In order to help our partners sell their ex-fleet vehicles we have created a new section on the site.  Buyers who prefer to buy (or finance) used cars can now see a selection of ex-fleet vehicles at trade prices”.

Manheim Auctions has reported that the average wholesale values of used cars have plummeted by 21% during 2008.

Mike Pilkington, Managing Director of Manheim Auctions said ” We all know how tough 2008 has been, particularly in the second half, but we continue to sell cars in a market where there is still reasonable demand. This is good news for the market overall but we must recognise that prices are likely to remain at the current low levels for some time to come”.

Comparecontracthire.com recommends that before you buy your next car, think about how much money you will lose in three years or four years time when you come to sell it.  Why take the risk of plummeting values when you can contract hire lease your next vehicle?

Contract hire provides provides fixed cost motoring and protection as you never own the vehicle.