Nice New Vauxhalls

It’s an uncertain time in the car market with many sellers reporting sluggish business. However, some areas are performing well with certain models proving highly popular. Such is the case for Vauxhall dealers who have been reporting a significant increase in sales last year.

What brings this on? Well, many of them are putting it down to the launch of the Astra. The old model had been performing relatively modestly running well down its class. However in December 2008 we saw a new model, the British built MK 6 and that has been fairly flying out of show rooms.

The result is a renewal of the brands image within the UK market, something that can’t come a moment too soon for hard pressed Vauxhall Dealers. Some of them have been reporting sales up by nearly 40 to 50%.

So what is this growth down to? Well, customers are increasingly migrating to versatile small hatchbacks. Ideally, anything that can offer good fuel consumption, and low emissions as well as the flexibility to be a good all-use car will perform well, and that’s what the Astra offers. It’s unspectacular but reliable and that seems to be very much in vogue at the moment.

During a recession as severe as this consumer behaviour can be termed with one simple phrase: ‘back to basics’. Reliability and dependability become the most sought after characteristics, replacing performance and luxury.

Economists refer to this as the Mummy syndrome. When times are tough we crave stability. We want the state to offer the security of a mother, rather than the aggression of a father. It’s a cheap analogy, but economists love them and there’s no reason not to follow them.

The same principal applies when analysing trends in the car market. On a subconscious level people are craving the stability in their lives. Remember; we’re in a time in which the banks, pillars of our society have proved to be built on sand. Our politicians have let us down and major retail names are disappearing by the day from the highstreet. At times like that we’ll migrate to anything solid.

Vauxhall dealers are tapping into this desire and presenting their car as the ideal solution to all life’s turbulent problems. It may seem ridiculous to think that a car can provide that, but when you consider the amount of time most people spend driving you can recognise the huge significance they place on the vehicle they drive.

For Vauxhall dealers, and indeed their competitors, the challenge is to find ways of presenting their products as being perfect anti-recession vehicles. For some that will prove difficult. Prestige cars such as Jaguar may have to suffer for the time being, but for the more run of the mill manufacturers, this is their time in the sun.

Dom Donaldson

If the recession has hit you quite badly, this Christmas might fill you with dread about how you’re going to afford everything. The wife needs a present, as do the children, and you’re likely to struggle thinking of ideas of what to buy. But that’s where used Vauxhall cars come in. At the moment, there are some superb deals to be had on used cars, and the Vauxhall brand in particular is a name that people trust for affordability and value for money. So, this Christmas, why not spoil your wife in a way you can afford – with a used Vauxhall car.

For The Little Town Trips

There are a wide choice of Vauxhall cars available for the husband looking to treat his wife this Christmas. From Corsas to Astras, the small hatchback is the most popular option for cash-strapped drivers at the moment. If your wife doesn’t currently own a car of her own that she can use for the school run or the shopping trips into town, she will be eternally grateful for a car of her own that she can put her name on. It may be that you have both looked at buying a small car for her to use previously, but the deal has never come to fruition. This time, it can. Used Vauxhall cars are at a price you can afford and there’s no reason why you can’t buy one at this festive time of year. Car dealerships are looking for a good deal just like drivers, and you will often find that the better deals are available at this time of year.

Old Or Nearly New

Whether it’s an old P-reg Corsa you’re after or a 05 plate Astra, these small Vauxhall hatchbacks are available at a price range to suit. After all, if your wife doesn’t do many trips into town then she doesn’t need a gas guzzling 4×4, just something small and nippy. Plus, with city congestion and tight parking spaces, the smaller the car the better! It’s easy to see why used hatchbacks are seeing increased sales, as people ditch their 4×4s for something far more practical and cost-effective.

If its been a hard old year and your wife has had a few setbacks, there’s little that will make her feel as good as a sparkling, shiny used Vauxhall car. Something that she can get the kids in, and maybe even the dog, when out and about.

Author Mark Woodcock

Yes, you did read that right. A survey conducted in early 2009 revealed that the Vauxhall Corsa was the second most popular car in 2008. Who would have thought it? Well, actually, if you think about just how many Corsas you see on the roads, it is easy to see why this has secured the number 2 position as the most popular car. Corsas are everywhere in the UK!

Affordable

In 2008, 99,574 Vauxhall Corsas were sold and it seems there is no sign of this figure decreasing. With the new style Vauxhall Corsa that’s been on the market for a couple of years now, drivers have renewed confidence in Vauxhall and the affordable appeal that it has always been known for rings truer than ever. Vauxhall Corsas really are the budget car for a hard-hit economy.

Suitable For Everyone

But its not just new Corsas that have sold like hotcakes. Used Vauxhall cars continue to cause quite a stir, as people know they can pick up even more of a bargain during the credit crunch. The new car purchase necessity is no more and drivers are hunting down the used Vauxhall Corsa bargains. As the second most popular car in the UK, Vauxhall have no worries about sales at the moment. Corsas are the preferred choice for school-leavers and elderly couples alike, and it is this broad age range appeal that makes Vauxhall cars a firm favourite. They are also really easy to drive, so if you’ve never claimed to be the next Lewis Hamilton, you can get to grips with a Corsa quickly and easily.

Corsas are also very affordable when it comes to insurance and tax, so this is a comfort to drivers who struggle with paying out for car necessities during the recession. You can buy a Corsa, or in fact any used Vauxhall car, and not have to worry about the additional costs. They also hold their value well, and this is one of the reasons why sales of the Vauxhall Corsa have increased so dramatically.

For your reference, the number 1 most popular car in 2008 was the Ford Focus.

Author Mark Woodcock

Anyone that finds themselves always nipping into town to pick up a few bits or do some supermarket shopping might want to take notice of this. It seems that more people are ditching their gas-guzzling 4×4s and buying used Vauxhall cars instead that are easy to drive, park and don’t drink petrol like its going out of fashion.

Used Vauxhall cars are great for people who need something to get them from A to B in a cost-effective way. 4×4s used to be popular, but during the recession, people have realised that they can’t continue to afford filling up their costly motor and need something much smaller that they can use. You might be surprised to learn just how many people are ditching their luxury cars for something much more modest. In big cities where it’s all about status, some people were once reluctant to drive anything other than a car that indicated how wealthy they were. Now they’re opting for vehicles that don’t stand out in the crowd as much, but ones that offer supreme comfort and money-saving alternatives to motoring. Used Vauxhall cars are one such example.

Heading into town can be tedious at the best of times. The hustle and bustle of pedestrians and other drivers can make it quite a stressful experience, especially if you live in a big city. However, with the new found popularity of smaller cars, drivers are making their town commute a much more pleasant one. In terms of town runabout cars, Vauxhall is up there with the best. There’s no need to drag out the 4×4 when heading into town, as you’re going to be using more petrol just taking it into town than you would on long journeys. The reason for this is that 4×4s are not intended for town trips – their basic premise is to be used for off-roading purposes, and it is a common misconception nowadays that they should actually be used for doing school runs. Leave the gas-guzzler at home and take a used Vauxhall car instead – you’ll get much more value for money in petrol alone.

Author Mark Woodcock