Used cars are a huge industry in the UK – so why are most of us knowingly accepting bad offers for our cars?

It can be hard to know how to get the best value possible when selling your car – and, according to research published by Motorway, two thirds of UK drivers simply accept that they will always lose money.

However, it doesn’t have to be a difficult or slow process to get your best price from a verified dealer.

You can get your best price within 24 hours when you sell on Motorway – and it can all be done from your phone.

Do you really know your car’s value?

Motorway offers instant, free valuations on their website, based on live sales data from their platform. That means that all bids and sales for similar vehicles are taken into consideration when calculating your valuation.

All you have to do is create a free account, and enter your reg and mileage to see what your car could fetch. And, with more than half of UK drivers believing that their car always decreases in value, it’s definitely worth checking it rather than guessing at your car’s depreciation.

If you want to go even further and follow your car’s value as it changes over time, you can also use their Car Value Tracker.

Once again, you simply create a free account and enter your reg and mileage, and you’ll see historic valuations for your vehicle over a two-year graph, so you can understand how fast your car is changing in value, and whether there are times when its value holds, increases, or decreases.

Motorway’s Car Value Tracker helps you understand not just what your car is worth as you check it, but how its value is changing over time, helping you to plan to sell for the best price.

How to sell your car at the best time?

What does selling your car at the best time mean?

For some, it means selling their car once they’ve no longer got as much use for it, such as selling a family car once the kids leave home, or selling a runabout following a house move or lifestyle change that makes it redundant.

For others, it might mean selling once they are in positive equity in their finance agreement, and can make a little money on their car by selling it early, rather than following the balloon payment and trade-in options that their lender will suggest.

By and large, it’s impossible to predict car values without getting an accurate or reliable valuation from a trusted provider. Selling at the best time can mean checking your valuation until you’re certain you’ve got good value out of your car, and can still sell it for a strong price.

There will be a huge amount of variation from car to car as to when this may be – for some vehicles, you may see a good time at three or four years old, once the price has stabilised after its initial drop in value. For others, it will still pay to sell at six, seven, or even eight years old, especially if your car is low-mileage and in good condition.

What affects your car’s value?

Of course, your car’s age, mileage, and condition are major factors affecting the value you can fetch for it. However, you might not realise that some cost-effective improvements could significantly increase your car’s value:

Interior

Making sure your soft furnishings are clean and fresh makes your car feel newer and more pristine. Consider replacing cheaper elements such as your floor mats, and undertaking any repairs necessary to leatherwork.

Exterior

Fixing scratches and small dents goes a long way in preserving your vehicle’s value. Even if it’s normal wear and tear, the closer you can get your car looking to new as possible will make it stand out from other cars on the market with the same age and mileage.

Service history

By maintaining your car well, and fixing small faults and wear and tear quickly to nip larger issues in the bud, you’ll see your value stay high compared to similar models. Keep proof of all of your service history so you can demonstrate you’ve taken good care of your car, and your buyer will have more trust in the value of your vehicle.

Clean Air Zone compliance

While you can’t change your car’s fuel type, or engine rating, selling to a nationwide network of competing dealers will give your vehicle a better chance of securing a strong value even if it’s non-compliant and you live in a CAZ such as Greater London’s ULEZ. Compliance affects your running costs, including for your road tax band (which are changing in 2025) so it’s key not to get stuck with local pricing when you can sell country-wide.

How does Motorway work?

When you sell your car on Motorway, you benefit from a completely online experience.

Motorway’s app makes profiling your car quick and easy, such as with its photo assistant for taking professional grade photos.

After securing your instant valuation, you profile your car from your phone using the Motorway app, available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Rather than having to write out a lengthy description as you would on a classifieds site, you simply select answers to questions about your car’s spec and condition, and upload photos.

With your profiling in place, your car or van can enter the online daily sale, which runs almost every day of the year. Once your vehicle is in the sale, the 5,000+ verified dealers in Motorway’s network have the opportunity to make their best offer. At the end of the online daily sale, Motorway will send you the top offer received for your vehicle.

When you accept your best offer, all that’s left to do is arrange free home collection with your buyer, who will come to your home or work on a pre-arranged day. Your buyer will check over your car, make payment straight into your bank account (and clear your finance balance with your lender, if applicable), and drive the car away.