HPI, the UK vehicle provenance and services company, has been acquired by Audatex parent Solera for £94m.  The price is well under the £120m publically listed Aviva paid for the business in 2004. HPI supply lots of crucial information throughout the motor industry, we do not expect any problems with their service due to the takeover.

Taking these two identical models and then comparing them, we will determine which model gives best value over a three year period. Using a standard industry three year change cycle, two different mileage uses 10k & 20K per year, we will also take tax and residual values in to account. We will be using unleaded price of 95p and diesel at 108p. The results should be interesting.     Ford Mondeo Edge 2.0i 5 speed manual (dealer list price) £17,195.00   Available on: Edge, Zetec, Ghia, Titanium, Titanium X CO2 emissions: 189g/km Annual vehicle excise duty: £210 Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 35.8mpg     Unleaded petrol, 10k per year, 30k total mileage =                       £3591 Road Tax @ £210 per year, 3 years £630 =                                £630 Depreciation lost after 3 years based on dealer p/x =                   £11870   Total cost over a 3…

Here at A1 we love Fords, they are great cars and have come along way since the dark days of the late eighties to late nineties. They were of course complete pants back then and if you bought one then shame on you. Since the launch of the first Focus back in 1998, Ford have been going from strength to strength. In my opinion they have the best overall range of cars, better than any other manufacturer in the world. There is one thing that really lets them down though and that is styling. The new Mondeo is ok, but take a look around the range and you will find some painfully ugly motors. The current Fiesta, Fusion, Focus and C-Max’s are total pigs, aesthetically hideous in every way. If you buy one, it will be because of the view and feel from inside, certainly…

If your looking for a car in the new year, it may not be worth you holding on. With Christmas usually a quiet time of year for the trade, there are some huge savings to be had. Add the credit crunch, new car sales way down and used car values on their knees, you could be in for a real bargain. Best value cars to buy are executives, 4 x 4’s, convertibles and anything nearly new. So if you’re looking and waiting for more downward movement in the market, it might not happen.  I am predicting a tough year for the trade in 2009, but things can’t get much worse and we will be looking at a slight recovery of values at some point. So go forth and buy bargains! Kevin

New car sales have fallen to a 17 years low, according to the official SMMT figures. Registrations may have plummeted by more than 21 per cent decline in September and the figure could well be as much as 25 per cent, The Times newspaper has learnt. This would be the quickest decline in sales since 1991 and we all know what was going on with the economy then. This downturn is affecting every new car sector, especially larger vehicles or cars with high running costs. Every sector has been hit with people scared off by buying new, instead preferring to find a better value for money option. This decline is yet another kick in the teeth for an automotive industry currently ravaged by the credit crunch. Many British manufacturers and retailers are announcing massive layoffs or complete closures. When will we see this trend…