Nearly new cars
Fancy the a brand new car but don’t want to pay the full recommended retail price? Save thousands by picking up one of these nearly new cars
If you want the best deal on a new car, buying brand-new is unlikely to get you the best deal, especially as the industry recovers from the pandemic and supply shortages. That's where nearly new cars come in.
The best way to save money on a new car is to look at a nearly new cars. They look and feel like the freshest new models on the market, not to mention still featuring that new-car smell, but they can cost substantially less to buy. What's not to like?
Nearly new cars will have been used to some extent and that might be a problem if you like to know exactly where your car has been.
You'll also have your choice restricted to whatever is available, relying on the taste of others. But, if you can find a car that ticks all of your boxes, you'll likely be able to buy it for far less than the list price.
Nearly new Dacia Spring from £11,895
If you're looking for the cheapest way of switching to a new electric car, the Dacia Spring will be in the mix. Despite the budget price tag, the Spring looks pretty good inside and out. The boot is a decent size, too, making the Spring a useful choice for a second car for running urban errands.
Go for nearly new and there are plenty of very low mileage options to choose from. We'd recommend opting for the top-spec Extreme trim, which includes sat-nav with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a rear-view camera.
Dacia Spring 27kWh Extreme 65 48kW 5dr Auto
Price: £11,895
OTR Price: £16,995
Saving: £5,100
Mileage: 555
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Nearly new Hyundai i10 from £14,560
The Hyundai i10 is a great choice if you're looking for a car that can do it all, but your budget may not stretch to a bigger car. For a start, the little Hyundai doesn't actually feel that small once you're up and running, as it can fit four adults without too much of a squeeze, and it drives comfortably, too, even at motorway speeds.
The i10 is also well equipped, with all models getting alloy wheels, smartphone-compatible infotainment and a rear-view camera, while going up the trims brings luxury features like ambient lighting, heated steering wheels and wireless phone charging. An automatic gearbox is also available.
Hyundai i10 1.0 [63] Advance 5dr [Nav]
Price: £14,560
OTR Price: £17,100
Saving: £2,540
Mileage: 625
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Nearly new Peugeot 208 from £17,725
The Peugeot 208 is a small car for people who like to make a style statement. Very distinctive exterior looks are paired with an equally interesting interior. The cabin features a split dashboard with the dials placed high up above the small steering wheel. The 208 shares a lot of parts with the Vauxhall Corsa, including engines and lots of technology, so it's comfortable enough to drive and is cheap to run, but stands out more.
This car is in mid-range Allure spec, which brings 16-inch alloys, a 10-inch touchscreen, front and rear parking sensors and plenty of USB connections, plus it's a hybrid, too. A solid discount over the new-car price is another reason to consider putting a 208 on your supermini shopping list.
Peugeot 208 1.2 Hybrid 100 Allure 5dr e-DSC6
Price: £17,725
OTR Price: £25,950
Saving: £8,225
Mileage: 66
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Nearly new Renault Clio from £19,645
More than 15 million examples of the Renault Clio have been sold in Europe, making it the continent’s most popular supermini. And the latest version makes it easy to see why. It's nice to drive and features lots of luxury equipment as standard.
The Clio's interior is a highlight, too, albeit a little tight on room for rear-seat passengers. The recent facelift has brought the Clio's design into line with Renault's latest models, and includes a fuel-saving hybrid option.
Renault Clio 1.6 E-TECH full hybrid 145 Techno 5dr Auto
Price: £19,645
OTR Price: £23,495
Saving: £3,850
Mileage: 15
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Nearly new Skoda Octavia Estate from £22,495
Although it's very much not a trendy SUV, the Skoda Octavia Estate acts as an antidote to the high-riding crossover-type cars that clog the nation's carparks. It's still a long car, but offers an extremely generous amount of space for passengers and their luggage, making it a formidable family car. It's competitively priced, too, offering plenty of equipment event from entry-level SE Technology trim, while it's pretty frugal and comfortable regardless of the length of the journey you're undertaking.
Skoda Octavia Estate 1.5 TSI SE Technology 5dr
Price: £22,495
OTR Price: £28,825
Saving: £6,330
Mileage: 17
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Nearly new SEAT Ateca from £25,995
The SEAT Ateca has been around since 2016, but remains a seriously impressive family car. What's more, given the fact that its rivals are many and competition in the family SUV sector is fierce, there are often excellent deals to be had on the Ateca.
The SEAT is well equipped across the range, and features a sporty look that's reflected in the way the car drives, too, with a firm ride allowing for precise cornering, albeit at as slight cost to comfort. The car we've chosen is the recently discontinued top of the range Xperience trim, with the larger 1.5 petrol engine and a DSG gearbox.
SEAT Ateca 1.5 TSI EVO Xperience 5dr DSG
Price: £25,995
OTR Price: £34,150
Saving: £8,155
Mileage: 11
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Nearly new Ford Puma from £26,132
The Ford Puma is one of the UK's best-selling cars, and it's not hard to see why. Sharp to drive yet cheap to run, seriously practical for a relatively small car, and very well equipped, the Puma is a great choice of transport for any small family.
This freshly facelifted model is in popular mid-range ST-Line trim, so includes all the equipment and touchscreens you could ever need, a sporty bodykit and 17-inch alloys.
Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost Hybrid mHEV ST-Line 5dr
Price: £26,132
OTR Price: £27,480
Saving: £1,348
Mileage: 0
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Nearly new Volkswagen ID.3 from £27,002
The Volkswagen ID.3 is really significant as it was the brand’s first car designed from the ground up to be electric, rather than one being based on an existing petrol or diesel model. The ID.3 is about the same size as a VW Golf, with its electric motor sitting under the boot floor and driving the rear wheels. Its design is more of a departure from VW's traditional models, while its user interface continues to evolve thanks to over the air updates.
This well-specced ID.3 Match Pro S features 18-inch alloys, LED Matrix headlights, a rear-view camera, ambient lighting, keyless go and plenty more, plus a very solid discount.
Volkswagen ID.3 150kW Match Pro 59kWh 5dr Auto
Price: £27,999
OTR Price: £39,940
Saving: £11,941
Mileage: 10
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Nearly new Audi A5 Avant from £34,200
The new Audi A5 arrived to replace both the old A4 saloon and estate, plus the two and four-door A5 Coupe models. And while it looks a little more generic on the outside than both cars it replaces, the new A5 has a fantastic interior that feels well built, and most of the controls are exactly where you want them. The A5 is good to drive, too, especially on a long cruise.
Whether you opt for the Saloon or Avant estate, all A5 models get heated sports seats, ambient lighting and rear-view cameras, while the S Line adds sportier looks and sports suspension.
Audi A5 Avant 2.0 TFSI 150 S line 4dr S Tronic
Price: £34,200
OTR Price: £47,435
Saving: £13,235
Mileage: 1,000
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What are nearly new cars?
Nearly new cars differ from brand new models because they have already been registered by a dealer with the DVLA and have a registration number. A brand new car only gets registered once it's been purchased. What's more, a car that's already been registered by a dealer can't be described as new.
Dealers often register new cars and sell them as nearly new in order to boost sales figures at the end of a month or quarter. This will help them to meet their sales targets set by the manufacturer, which earns the dealer a bonus. Nearly new cars are also described as ex-demo or pre-registered.
The good news is that these cars often represent great value, as they are often heavily discounted to shift them from forecourts. The dealer will likely register very popular models it knows will sell quickly, too.
What is classed as a nearly new car?
There isn't a specific definition of what constitutes a nearly new car, but we categorise them as having fewer than 1000 miles on the clock, and being less than a year old. However, nearly new cars are referred to by a number of different names.
They can be called ex-demonstrator cars, which means the car has been used by the dealer to give potential buyers test drives. This can mean the car has been fitted with a new or particularly significant special feature that can be shown to people deciding on how to spec their new car, like a top-spec infotainment system, which you benefit from as the buyer of the ex-demo car.
Nearly new cars can also be called pre-registered cars. This name tends to be applied to popular models that a dealer knows they will be able to sell quickly that have been registered towards the end of a month or quarter in order to meet sales targets.
Do nearly new cars come with a warranty?
Nearly new cars are still covered by the initial manufacturer warranty, so even if you're looking at a two-year-old Kia, for instance, you'll have as much as five years of cover remaining. Essentially, you're getting nearly all of the benefits of buying a brand-new car, without losing an awful lot and saving huge amounts of money in the process.
However, the clock starts ticking on a warranty as soon as the car is first registered, so bear that in mind if you're buying a low mileage car that happens to be a couple of years old. It’s also worth remembering that some warranty and breakdown packages only apply to the first keeper, so check with the dealer that these benefits will be transferred to you.
Is a nearly new car the same as a pre-registered car?
Nearly new cars differ slightly from pre-registered models, in that 'nearly new' tends to be a term used for all cars that have been registered and are likely to have up to 1000 miles on the clock.
Pre-registered cars are a form of nearly new car that have been assigned a registration number but have almost the same amount of miles on the clock as a brand new car. Both options can mean you can save thousands of pounds - and benefit from a range of flexible finance options. You'll probably still get most of that new car smell, too.
How much can I save on a nearly new car?
The answer to this is hard to put a figure on, as it depends on the type of car you're looking for. As a rule, luxury cars and electric cars tend to lose a lot more value when they're registered, so discounts can be bigger.
If you're looking to save the most, we'd recommend looking for nearly new cars in March or September when the number plate changes. This is when dealers want to shift the greatest number of cars to earn their sales bonuses, so pre-registering cars is common to boost those figures.
Nearly new bargains can also be found when a particular model is about to be replaced by a new version. Dealers don’t want old generation versions hanging around and taking up space they need for the all-new car, so they’ll be keen to strike a deal on any nearly new cars. If you’re happy with the outgoing model rather than the very latest model, it’s an opportunity to haggle for a very good deal.
One other place to find nearly new cars are some of the larger car supermarkets. If a dealer has ended up with a large number of nearly new cars it needs to sell in a hurry, they sometimes pass them on to car supermarkets to save themselves the hassle.