Frequently asked questions

You should buy a used car if you are trying to save money and need a car quickly. New cars lose the most value in the first year, depreciation continues steeply for about five years and you often have to wait for the car to be delivered. A new car can lose up to 20% of its value in the first year – almost immediately having been driven off the forecourt – and over the first five years falls on average to around 40% of the original price. That means it loses about 15% of the value each year after the first year. This is a high price to pay for that comparatively brief 'new car' thrill.

Because vehicle technology has advanced at an incredible rate over the past two decades or more, used cars are now considered more reliable than ever before. Buying from a reputable dealer like Skywood means that you are purchasing a car that has been inspected and tested thoroughly before being offered for sale.

Skywood carries out a rigorous 86-point PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) on all the stock it offers for sale. Unlike many dealers, this is reproduced in full in our advertising to provide complete transparency. A comprehensive vehicle check is also carried out which verifies the car's ownership, roadworthiness, finance status, mileage, theft and crash history. Again, this is reproduced in our adverts, as is a walkaround video with commentary which provides you with the opportunity to inspect our stock before deciding whether to contact us.

Yes. However, you will need to arrange your insurance and tax the vehicle before driving the vehicle away and here at Skywood we have a reputation for providing any assistance you may require to facilitate this.

Buying from a used car dealer gives you a greater selection of cars to choose from, and much more affordable cars. Reputable used car dealers like Skywood have the expertise to help you make an informed decision, and the purchase is risk-free as you are protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Buying from a private owner, on the other hand, comes with many risks and no such legal protection.

At Skywood, we encourage you to test drive your shortlisted car before committing to a purchase. Test driving a used car means you can check it feels right for you, as well as giving you an opportunity to identify any issues. Contact us today to book an appointment.

Many so-called warranties on used cars sadly aren't worth the paper they are written on – see Should You Buy A Used Car Warranty? (Which?). However, we're very pleased to say that there is an exception to this and Skywood is now able to provide extended Händler Protect warranty cover on all the vehicles we sell. This arrangement, which is only available from approved dealers like Skywood, really does work and is tailored by us to each particular vehicle we sell. Any claims within warranty are handled by us in conjunction with our dedicated Händler Protect Account Manager, with the result that we retain a personal interest in your car ownership experience in partnership with a company dedicated to saying "yes" rather than "no" when things go wrong.

Bring it back to us and we will fix it. If it's something that was pointed out or identified at the time you bought the vehicle from Skywood, there may be a charge for this but check out our testimonials as we value our reputation above all else and want our customers to become ambassadors, leading to repeat and referral business.

Here at Skywood, we're happy to offer part exchange for your car. We will provide you with a fair valuation of your vehicle based upon its resale value, mileage and condition and will explain the options available to you. In some cases, the amount we can offer may be lower than you were hoping for but in cases like this you may find our popular Sell a Car service of interest. Although less quick than part exchange, it does maximise the financial return for you and remove the hassle which can often be involved in you selling privately.

The coronavirus pandemic was the driving force behind the trend away from expensive retail forecourts toward internet-based sales. Instead of visiting one of the 4,500 car showrooms across the UK, or even several, test driving vehicles, then picking a car and haggling with the sales team, customers are increasingly trying something new. These days, people are far more likely to search online for the car they want, look at the videos and dealer reviews before picking two or three to look at. They then only visit to make their final choice and, perhaps, try to get some discount on the price advertised online. This approach fits perfectly with Skywood’s business model. We prefer to keep our overheads low as that enables us to be more competitive and invest in our workshop and preparation facilities, our staff and our equipment, which means that we can achieve our mission – to deliver sensible cars at sensible prices to our ever-growing customer base.

Thankfully, improvements in car design and technology means that cars now last and remain reliable far longer than they used to, but there are still a number of factors to consider:

• Where and how the car was driven – driving on a motorway for long distances puts less wear on the car than frequent, shorter, stop-start trips where the engine and mechanicals don't get a chance to run up to optimal temperatures.

• Make and model of the car – some manufacturers and models are better made than others, without naming names! Some clues may be found at Most reliable cars rated by JD Power UK (BuyaCar).

• Service history of the car – look at what work has been done and how regularly. Check the MOT history online at Check the MOT history of a vehicle (GOV.UK) and inspect the vehicle inside and out. If it looks and feels well looked after and 'previously loved' then high mileage in and of itself shouldn't keep you away from a bargain!

Skywood are happy to accept payments in cash, by bank transfer to our account, by part exchange or by all major credit and debit cards, apart from American Express. Our skill set lies in the careful selection of sensible cars and selling them at sensible prices, rather than sourcing and selling finance packages on commission. Fortunately, most of the vehicles that we sell are at a price point where finance arrangements are unnecessary. However, when finance is unavoidable, we recommend that the buyer would be best served by seeking their own finance, perhaps from friend or family, their bank or a mainstream online lender like Personal loan calculator (Sainsbury’s Bank) or Loan calculator (Tesco Bank). Normally the interest rates available from such sources are far more palatable than many of the other finance sources out there from more adverse credit lenders who shall remain nameless but charge inflated APR interest rates!