North vs South: which really is cheaper? - Classified result

Unsurprisingly, the best prices were found through private sales. On average, we could have saved £456 buying via classified adverts in the North compared with the South.

It's not always easy to find newer cars for sale privately, and models such as the Ford Focus on an '07 plate are in short supply, with most at franchised dealers or supermarkets.

The best-value car we found was in the North: it was an 04-plate Vauxhall Corsa 1.0 Life 3dr costing £2800, which was less than half the average price of a franchised dealer in the same region.