As new data reveals the cars most people are ditching through the UK car scrappage schemes, Christine Toner looks at the existing offers to see what kind of discount you could get for trading in your old banger.
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Car scrappage scheme: which cars are proving most popular?
It's been a few months since manufacturers started launching car scrappage schemes to entice us into upgrading to a more eco-friendly (and usually pricier) model.
While we don't yet have any official figures from the car-makers themselves revealing how many people are taking up their respective offers, car-selling magazine Auto Trader has released some research of its own.
It found that the Volkswagen Golf is comfortably the most-scrapped car to date. It noted that figure was significant, as VW's tend to retain value and command a decent second-hand price.
So which other cars are being hurled onto the scrap heap? Here are the 'top' 10, according to Auto Trader:
- VW Golf
- Ford Focus
- Vauxhall Astra
- Ford Fiesta
- Vauxhall Corsa
- BMW 3 Series
- VW Polo
- Ford Mondeo
- Honda Civic
- VW Passat
How you can save cash on a brand new car
As incentives go, the car scrappage scheme isn't a bad one. You get cash off, while the manufacturers are happy they'll likely be selling you another of their cars.
Thankfully the schemes are pretty straightforward, too. If you’ve got an old car that’s not exactly kind to the environment, you can swap it for a more eco-friendly version and receive a discount.
You don’t have to trade with the manufacturer of your current car either. However, you do have to have owned the car for at least six-12 months (except with Ford and Vauxhall, which will take the car after 90 days) and the car should meet Euro-4 standards or earlier.
The cut-off date differs between the manufacturers but, as a general rule, this means any car purchased before 2011 should be eligible.
So who’s offering the best scrappage scheme?
There are more than 20 car scrappage schemes currently on offer.
How much discount you’ll get and how much choice you’ll have when choosing a new model differs between manufacturers though.
Here's a rundown of some of the most popular schemes.
VW
The VW Scrappage Upgrade scheme promises a discount of up to £6,000 on a new car or £8,000 on a commercial vehicle, but you can only trade in a diesel.
It was the most generous scheme on offer at the time of publishing, with some suggesting it is part of a publicity drive in response to the ongoing 'dieselgate' scandal that damaged its brand.
Incentives start from a £1,800 saving off a VW Up!, with the most generous discount (£6,000) available on a new Sharan people carrier.
Vauxhall
Vauxhall’s Scrappage Scheme lets drivers trade in both petrol and diesel vehicles.
Buyers can get up to £2,000 discount off a number of new models including ADAM, Corsa, Meriva, GTC, Astra and Mokka X models (excluding ADAM JAM/UNLIMITED), Corsa Diamond, Sting and Sting R and Mokka X Design Nav.
New vehicles must be registered by 30 September 2017 so you’ll need to move quickly.
Ford
Ford will also accept petrol or diesel cars. Buyers can save between £2,000 and £4,950 on a new car or between £3,650 and £7,000 on a new commercial vehicle. Your vehicle must have been registered prior to 1 January 2010.
The new vehicle needs to be registered between 1 September and 31 December 2017.
The offer is available on the new Fiesta (excluding the Style model), the B-MAX Titanium, Titanium X, Titanium Navigator and Titanium X Navigator, the Focus Titanium, Zetec Edition and ST LIne, the C-MAX Zetec, Titanium and Titanium X and all new Kugas.
Discounts differ depending on the model you choose, from £2000 off for a Fiesta to £4,950 off for a Focus Titanium. Ford will scrap your old vehicle responsibly.
Toyota
Running until the end of the year, the Toyota scheme promises discounts of between £2,000 and £4,000. You can view the full list of new cars in the scheme and the available savings on this blog from the manufacturer.
BMW
BMW is offering a £2,000 discount when you trade in your old model for a more eco-friendly version until the end of 2017.
There are a wide range of new cars you can buy. The basic rule is any new BMWs that emit less than 130g/km of CO2 including petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric models are available through the scheme – that includes the 2 series convertible, the X1 and the BMW i i3 Range Extender.
Mercedes
Until the end of 2017 Mercedes is offering a saving of up to £2,000 on any new diesel or plug-in hybrid in exchange for old diesel cars. Available cars include the A-Class hatchback, B-Class MPV and G-Class SUV. You’ll have needed to own your current car for at least six months.
MINI
The MINI Lower Emissions Allowance runs until the end of 2017 and offers £2,000 off the purchase of a new model, provided you’ve owned your current model for at least 12 months and the car was built before 2011.
Cars available to buy under the scheme include the three-door Cooper, convertible Cooper D and Countryman Cooper.
What about the Diesel scrappage scheme?
Well, while a number of manufacturers have their own schemes in place to promote environmentally friendly cars, local authorities are currently in talks to launch their own schemes – provided they meet the Government’s approval.
The schemes would see drivers encouraged to ditch their diesel cars for a vehicle with lower emissions by receiving up to £2,000 for doing so.
The proposal, which the Government has yet to hold a consultation on, is not without its critics, not least those drivers who say they were encouraged to buy diesel cars in the past when it was thought diesel was a better option than petrol.