What is my car worth?

There is no single "right" price for a used car — there is a spread, and knowing where a car sits in that spread is worth hundreds of pounds on either side of a deal.

Book values vs the live market

Traditional valuations come from trade "books" updated monthly. The live market — what identical cars are actually advertised and sold for today — moves faster and shows the true spread: the same car can span thousands from a tired example to a pampered one. Look at the band, not a single number: the typical low, the median, and the typical high, with outliers ignored.

What moves a car's value most

1. History — a write-off marker or messy MOT trail cuts 20–40%.
2. Mileage vs age — below-average miles adds value; the average is roughly 7,000–8,000 a year.
3. Spec and trim — the right engine and trim (and even colour) can be worth more than the year.
4. Condition and tyres — four worn tyres is a £300+ line off any offer.
5. Season — convertibles peak in spring; 4x4s in early winter.

Valuing before buying or selling

Sellers: price at the median with room to move. Buyers: the history findings are your levers — every advisory, tyre and blemish maps to money.