Nearly new cars: December 2024
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.
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 hardly needs an introduction, as it's been brightening up UK roads with its cheeky retro-modern looks since 2008. Naturally, the 500 has been updated a number of times, and features just about enough modern tech to keep it feeling fresh.
Thanks to its tiny size, the 500 is still easy to drive and, importantly, to park in small spaces, while it should be very cheap to run, too. The car's size does mean the 500 is a small on the inside, but for cheap urban transport it's hard to beat.
Fiat 500 1.0 Mild Hybrid 3dr
Price: £12,995 or 47 x £202.99 per month PCP, plus £1,949 deposit
OTR Price: £16,800
Saving: £3,805
Mileage: 6
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Dacia Duster
The Dacia Duster is one of the best-value cars on sale in the UK today. It combines decent equipment levels, comfort and reasonable efficiency in a popular and appealing small SUV package. Yes, the Duster might lose out to more expensive rivals when it comes to feeling upmarket, and it's not quite the sharpest to drive, but as a value for money proposition, the Duster is seriously hard to beat.
This car has barely turned a wheel, so if the all-new Duster is too posh for you, this rather down to earth example of the outgoing car should be on your shopping list.
Dacia Duster 1.0 TCe 90 Expression 5dr
Price: £15,641
OTR Price: £19,695
Saving: £4,054
Mileage: 799
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Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is a mainstream electric car pioneer. While other carmakers are playing catchup in launching new EVs, the second generation Leaf is close to replacement, with an all-new model due in next year. That familiarity has tempered demand, making the top-spec Leaf Tekna a stand-out nearly-new car deal.
Nissan Leaf 110kW Tekna 39kWh 5dr Auto
Price: £16,490 or 47 x £267.83 per month PCP, plus £2,473 deposit
OTR Price: £31,995
Saving: £15,505
Mileage: 10
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SEAT Arona
The SEAT Arona may be a familiar sight on UK roads, having been around since 2017. However, those buyers know a good thing when they drive it. The Arona is one of the best small family SUVs in its class, and has been kept current with engine and tech updates, plus this one has a DSG gearbox for ultimate ease of use.
SEAT Arona 1.0 TSI 115 SE Technology 5dr DSG
Price: £19,694 or 47 x £285.26 per month PCP, plus £2,954 deposit
OTR Price: £24,765
Saving: £5,071
Mileage: 1
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Hyundai Kona
The Hyundai Kona is bigger and better than before, but that may seem secondary to the fact that Hyundai's small SUV now features a particularly striking exterior. The style doesn't come a the cost of equipment, with plenty of tech and safety kit included as standard, particularly on this mid-spec N Line car we've chosen, while running costs should be reasonable, too. Shame the interior isn't quite as interesting as the outside, but otherwise worth a look.
Hyundai Kona 1.0T 100 N Line 5dr
Price: £25,450
OTR Price: £27,840
Saving: £2,390
Mileage: 16
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Read our review of the previous generation Hyundai Kona here
Ford Puma
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 has a decent discount thrown in, too.
Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost Hybrid mHEV ST-Line 5dr
Price: £23,995 or 47 x £376.86 per month PCP, plus £3,599 deposit
OTR Price: £27,250
Saving: £3,255
Mileage: 15
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Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is now more technologically advanced than ever before, particularly if you opt for the fuel-saving eTSI hybrid version we've picked here. What's more, this Golf is in high spec R-Line trim, including equipment like sports seats, a reversing camera and ambient lighting. A solid discount is offered, too.
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 eTSI 150 R-Line 5dr DSG
Price: £26,490
OTR Price: £32,300
Saving: £5,810
Mileage: 100
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Audi A4
The current Audi A4 is just about reaching the end of its life, with Audi no-longer taking orders for new models. However, while the A4 is in the process of being replaced by the new Audi A5, there are deals to be had on the outgoing model. Take this car we spotted in 35 Sport trim, powered by a 150PS 2.0 petrol engine and featuring LED lights, Audi's Virtual Cockpit Plus digital dials, 19-inch alloys and a solid discount.
Audi A4 35 TFSI S Line 4dr S Tronic
Price: £29,960
OTR Price: £40,560
Saving: £10,600
Mileage: 10
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BMW 3 Series Touring
The BMW 3 Series Touring deserves its reputation as one of the go-to, automatic choices if you are after a smart-looking, fun-to-drive family car with an upmarket badge - and one which could easily deal with long-distance road trips. This car is a plug-in hybrid version in M Sport trim, and comes packed with equipment and a head-turning discount.
BMW 3 Series 330e M Sport 5dr Step Auto
Price: £39,799 or 47 x £613.90 per month PCP, plus £5,969 deposit
OTR Price: £50,910
Saving: £11,111
Mileage: 24
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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.