What Car? Q&A - Should a car's low price worry me?

Q: I'm looking at a 1998 Peugeot 106 with 57,000 miles on the clock. Your Used Car Price Guide says it should cost £2400, but the one I've found is on sale at £1600. Should I be concerned that it is so much cheaper?
Donna Evans

A: Whatcar.com and the What Car? Used Car Price Guide provide valuations on cars which are up to seven years old, so unfortunately we don't publish figures for a 1998 Peugeot 106.

Even so, a 1.1-litre 2000 V-registered car is valued at £1675, so that ties in nicely with the price you've found.

Perhaps you're looking at a valuation for a 1.4-litre car, which, on a W- or X-registration, is likely to be on sale for around £2200 to £2400.

The mileage on the car you mention is a little lower than we'd expect for a car of this age, but it's not very far away.

Nevertheless, if the old cliche 'if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is' is still ringing in your ears, we'd recommend you do an HPI history check on the car if you're concerned. This will tell you if it has been registered as stolen or has outstanding finance still needing paid on it.

If you still have worries, consider having the RAC or similar carry out a mechanical inspection and report on the car.

For more advice on buying used, click here.