Selling your car in Bristol? Sell it the Motorway way
Motorists in Bristol might worry that selling their car will be complicated and time-consuming. For one thing, the local Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has been in place for nearly a year, making it harder to sell a non-compliant vehicle locally. And, for another, the cost-of-living crisis and volatility in fuel prices have made the used car market even harder to predict than ever.
That’s where Motorway comes in. With a national network of more than 5,000 verified car dealers buying privately-owned used cars on the platform, it’s now faster and easier than ever to sell your car, whether or not it’s compliant with Bristol’s CAZ. The whole process is free, from your initial valuation through to collection from home or work.
Read on for everything you need to know about selling a car in Bristol.
How does Motorway work?
When you sell your car on Motorway, dealers compete to give you their best price. And, thanks to its speedy and online car profiling process, you can have a sale agreed in as little as 24 hours.
To get started, just enter your reg and mileage on Motorway’s website or in the app and you’ll get an instant valuation for free. The valuation uses Motorway’s unique smart tech, which analyses live sales data from its own platform for cars just like yours, to ensure the estimate you get is as accurate as possible, based on your car being in good condition.
If you like the price, you can continue to profile your car in Motorway’s app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play Store. All you have to do is select answers to some quick questions about your car’s spec and condition, and take a few photos with your phone’s camera.
Your car will then be entered into their daily online sale. Dealers will be shown your vehicle, and have the opportunity to send in their best price. Motorway sends you the winning offer at the end of the sale, and all you need to do to approve it is click the link in your email. Then it’s just a matter of choosing a date and time for your buyer to come and collect your car – for free. You’ll get the money straight into your bank account, and if your car is financed, the dealer will clear the remaining balance before paying you the surplus.
Over 5,000 verified dealers from all over the UK use Motorway’s platform to buy privately-owned used-car stock, like yours. Check your valuation and eligibility now.
Selling your car within Bristol’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) – check your compliance
Battery electric car/van – compliant – no charge
Petrol/petrol-hybrid engine car/van with rated Euro 3 standard or lower (typically made before 2006) – non-compliant – daily charge: £9 – penalty: £120, halved to £60 when paid within a fortnight
Petrol/petrol-hybrid engine car/van rated Euro 4 standard or higher – compliant – no charge
Diesel/diesel-hybrid engine car/van rated Euro 5 – non-compliant – daily charge: £9 – penalty: £120, halved to £60 when paid within a fortnight
Diesel/diesel-hybrid engine car/van rated Euro 5 standard or lower (typically made before 2016) – non-compliant – daily charge: £9 – penalty: £120, halved to £60 when paid within a fortnight
Diesel/diesel-hybrid engine car/van rated Euro 6 standard or higher – compliant – no charge
It’s essential to check your compliance if you want to avoid fines. Non-compliant cars on the road are detected by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, and fines are sent out to the registered address of the vehicle’s keeper. If your paperwork isn’t up to date, or the fine doesn’t land on your doorstep, you’re still liable for paying it, and the charge could escalate to higher than the original £120.
You may think it’s worth simply paying the charge and continuing to run your non-compliant car, especially if it’s particularly old and you doubt it’s worth much.
However, when you sell your car on Motorway, dealers throughout the UK have the opportunity to compete to give you their best price. That means that living in or near a Clean Air Zone or Low Emission Zone doesn’t automatically make it more difficult for you to sell a non-compliant car. You’re likely to get a better price by selling your vehicle to a verified dealer than by using a local or national scrappage scheme, unless your car is a write-off.
So, you could be surprised – get a free valuation today to plan the best way to sell your car in Bristol.
Bristol’s top car sales on Motorway
Bristolians sell all sorts of cars on Motorway, from Abarths to Volvos, to dealers based all over the country, including Scotland and Wales.
The highest-selling models so far in Bristol have been Volkswagen Golf, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, and Mini Cooper. These are all within the UK’s top 10 popular models, and are unlikely to dip in popularity with car dealers any time soon.
The bestselling car colour in Bristol on Motorway is white, followed by black and grey, popular neutral colourways that appeal to all buyers.
Petrol engine cars have the highest-volume sales in Bristol to date, followed by diesel. With Bristol’s CAZ now in place, we’re likely to see new fuel-type trends emerging, with plenty of Bristolians having invested in compliant vehicles and EVs.
In fact, in 2022, Motorway named Bristol as the UK’s 7th best city for EV-readiness. This was based on an index of new and used EVs, charger availability per person, and clean air policies. EV ranges are increasing all the time, making electric cars more and more viable outside of the capital.
If you’re looking to sell your car or van in Bristol, look no further than Motorway. Get started today with an instant, free valuation.