Special Report Car Scrappage Scheme

Uncovered: The scrappage deals that DO make sense

With big discounts and pre-registered deals available on many cars, Parker's has picked out the best deals under the scrappage scheme where the £2000 discount represents the biggest saving.

Alfa Romeo Mito

Occasionally found at independent Italian car specialists with £2000 off, but never with so much at an Alfa main dealer.

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Audi TT

Cars with delivery mileage are rare and never cheap. Using the £2000 scrappage incentive is probably the cheapest way into a fresh-out-of-the-box TT.

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BMW Z4

The new folding hard roof model is new in May 2009 so discounts would be very rare on this car, making the scrappage allowance worthwhile.

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Chevrolet Matiz

The lower end of the Matiz range starts at just over £6000. We've never seen discounted versions around the £4000 mark, so it's a worthwhile punt if you need something very cheap.

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Citroen C1

£2000 is more of a discount than you'd find on any pre-registered C1 and the rest of Citroen's small car range, the C2, C3 and C3 Pluriel also work out cheaper under the scrappage allowance than with 'cashback' deals the brand is renowned for.

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Daihatsu Sirion

There are occasional examples of deals on pre-registered Sirion models, but they are rarely generous, so £2000 off using the scrappage allowance is a good way into a competent budget small car.

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Fiat 500

It isn't unusual to find pre-registered Panda and Grande Punto models with significant savings, but the popular 500 is rarely seen with any kind of discount. An easy £2000 off through the scheme will be the biggest discount available.

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Ford Ka

The Ka is another example of a small car becoming far more accessible under the scheme than with any discount a customer could reasonably hope to negotiate under normal circumstances.

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Honda Jazz

Honda has admitted its profit margins on the Jazz model are 'wafer thin' so a £2000 discount on this incredibly practical small car makes it exceptional value. Meanwhile, £2000 off the economical Insight petrol-electric hybrid makes it more affordable at less than £13,500.

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Hyundai i10

Hyundai is one of the manufacturers most enthusiastic about the scrappage scheme, and £2000 off its cheap and cheerful i10 makes it by far the least expensive new car with air conditioning as standard.

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Jaguar XF

It's easier to negotiate a bigger discount on a larger car, but perhaps not quite so easy on a new Jaguar XF diesel. Jaguar knows the XF is very well equipped for the money and would have resisted discounting to help protect resale values. £2000 off a new 3.0-litre diesel model is probably the best you could hope for.

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Kia Picanto

The entry-level Picanto 1.0 might be basic, but after the scrappage discount can be bought for £4195 - making it the cheapest car under the scheme to date.

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Lexus RX450h

Deliveries of the new RX will begin in July, and given its incredibly low emissions and tax liability it should be in demand. The £2000 scrappage discount might not make a big impact on the £40,000-plus price tag, but it's as good as you'll get for now.

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Mazda3

This car was launched in May 2009, and its competitive pricing places it comfortably ahead of mainstream rivals for value. Add on the £2000 scrappage incentive and it means you can choose this desirable family car from £11,500 on the road.

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MINI

Minis have been notoriously difficult to secure a good discount on in the past, so if you have an old car that qualifies under the scrappage scheme - perhaps one of the old Rover Group Minis - now could be the best time to get money off.

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Mitsubishi 'i'

The Mitsubishi 'i' is a spacious and well-equipped four-seat city car. It is relatively cheap to run thanks to its small turbo-charged engine and is easy to drive because of its standard automatic transmission. The £2000 scrappage allowance brings the price down to just over £7500.

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Nissan 370Z

Deliveries of the new Nissan sports coupé begin in July, and discounts will be scarce. Using the scrappage allowance would bring the price of the entry-level version below £25,000.

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Peugeot 107

Peugeot's smallest, most efficient car is worth taking a look at with the £2000 offered under the scrappage scheme. Low running costs and good quality are among the 107's appealing features.

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Renault Twingo

A special edition Twingo is currently on price lists for £6995. The Twingo 1.2 Freeway is already almost £1800 cheaper than the 1.2 Extreme. Take advantage of the scrappage allowance and the Twingo Freeway could be yours for £4995.

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SEAT Ibiza

Finding a new Ibiza with £2000 off is unheard of, so using the scrappage allowance here will result in a good deal on this stylish small car. The three-door Sport Coupé version has a racier appearance than the five-door.

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Smart Fortwo

The diesel version of Smart's two-seater was launched recently and has 85mpg potential and is free to tax. Using the scrappage allowance would result in the high-spec Passion model costing less than £7000.

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Suzuki Alto

The 64mpg Alto is the sister car to the Nissan Pixo (Suzuki also builds the Nissan) but seems much better value than the Pixo under the scrappage scheme. The £2000 allowance takes the asking price for the SZ2 model to £4795. A similar specification Pixo would set you back £5745 under the scheme.

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Toyota Aygo

This popular small car has all the typical Toyota virtues of reliability and quality in an affordable package. The special edition Blue model comes with air conditioning as standard, and under the scrappage scheme costs £6695.

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Volkswagen Golf GTI

Using the scrappage scheme results in a useful discount off a new Golf GTI, bringing the price down to £20,415. The GTI is good to drive and its long heritage gives the modern incarnation stong appeal.

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Volvo C30

Volvo's smallest car is available for £12,995 using the scrappage allowance giving customers a surprisingly affordable premium badge car. The stylish C30 is also very well equipped for the money.

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Have your say

Will you be buying with the scrappage scheme?

Post a comment and tell us what you think about this article.

Added: 05 November 2009 08:26

Thank you so much for such a comprehensive and informative site! We are desperate to find a car very quickly for our daughter who needs a decent set of wheels to get to University every day - the current "N" reg has just disintegrated, so we decided to go for the scrappage scheme. We can now home in on the most reasonably priced and efficient cars in a fraction of the time it would have taken to research dealers individually.

Linda Nix, Ashtead

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Added: 11 October 2009 14:05

I think your 'scrappage' article is most useful, and that your whole website is very informative. But I wish you would show a list of best value scrappage deals and in particular for convertibles and exactly where these deals are readily available.

John Ames, London

john ames, West Hampstead, London NW6

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Added: 03 July 2009 16:57

The scrapeage scheme is useless as most people who drive 10+ year old cars either cant afford any better or dont want any newer, also if they sell the car private and then go along with a no p/x deal they will get a higher discount than £2k and cheaper finance. Also anything saved will soon be lost in deprecation.
I can afford a new car but choose not too, I own a 1999 volvo V70 2.5D which is economical, £185 a year road tax, cheap to insure and will be worth nearly the same in a years time

jeremy fox, newport

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See all 12 comments for this article

Added: 29 June 2009 17:43

i got a £3000 discount on the citroen c4 airstream HDI model through the scrappage scheme plus the remainder is interest free over 3 years. This makes it £500 cheaper than the standard c4 petrol model with loads of extras (alloy wheels, metallic paint etc)

NIGEL, Newtownards

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Added: 16 June 2009 18:47

tbh if you drive a car over 10 years old it cause you realy havent got the money for a brand new one.
I know i havent.
I'll le tthe people who can afford them buy them, then sell them second hand cause they want a diff one.
I mean i got a toyota avensis 03 50 k miles for 4 k. it will last me amin of 5 years and is econimical.
why spend more than you realy need too

Rab, scotland

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Added: 11 June 2009 17:10

Whilst most of the cars featured in the article are small there are a fair few mentioned which I don't think many people in a position to join the scrappage scheme being able to afford!

Audi TT/ BMW Z4 / Gold GTI / Nissan 370Z....

I guess these are an option if your loaded but had bought your kids an old banger which is still in our name. I suspect that most people driving around a 10+ year old car worth less that £2K won't have the means to afford such cars though.

Mike

Mike Nield, Northampton

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Added: 06 June 2009 19:32

I just bought a small car on the scrappage scheme.

A Toyota IQ @ £9,495. I also managed to negotiate free metallic paint saving £360 along side my £2,000. So I paid £7,495. My trade in was a 1995 Volvo 460 worth 400 quid. If Parkers estimate is right and it's worth £5,697 in 3 years then it has really only cost me £2,200 in depreciation, add the savings of free road tax, 60mpg and a 3 year warranty and frankly it was a no brainer!!! Cracking car too!!

Andrew, Dunfermline

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Added: 06 June 2009 17:09

Do bear in mind that the recent price hike has everything to do with the pounds performance against the euro. I really dont think dealers/manufacturers would want to put prices up!

Ben, London

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Added: 02 June 2009 17:30

Purchased new Ford Focus 1.8 zetec 25 Feb on 58 plate 4 days before the new 09 plate. My vehicle was not pre registered. Went back to dealers last week for check up and noted my same model had been increased in sale price by over four thousand. Dealers must be taking advantage of the scrappage scheme. My opinion is that you will get better cash deals

D Wade, Bournemouth

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Added: 02 June 2009 15:37

In addition to my comments below I would like to add:
1) Car Salesmen are generaly uninterested in scrappage deals particularly if the new car is at the low end range. VW salesmen being the worst by far.
2) In accordance with a previous post, I have also noticed price hikes by some manufacturers. Making the deals much less attractive i.e Mazda 2 up by over £300.00.
I'm sure this is not what the government had in mind when the scheme was introduced.

Graham, Oxford

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Added: 02 June 2009 15:28

I also was interested in purchasing a Mazda 2 under the scrappage deal. It soon became apparent that this was not going to be a simple exercise as the stock of UK cars is extremely limited. I was told by the salesman that there were no Mazda TS2 3 doors in the UK and he did not know when any more would be arriving! I then tried other car manufacturers who offered supermini's under the scrappage deal and my experience was similar i.e either not available or a long waiting time ie VW Fox 5 months

Graham, Oxford

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Added: 30 May 2009 13:51

I wanted to buy a Mazda2 using the scrappage scheme and got a quote before 18 May. When I phoned the dealer on 23 May I now had limited option of colours, not including the one on my quote. Phoning another dealer today, I find that the list price is about £850 more than 4 weeks ago. The scrappage scheme seem tohave been an excuse to increase prices or remove offers.

Karen Davies, Potters Bar

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