Who knows but my speculative WBAC offer has dropped by about 10% in the last month on my 2018 Golf.

Open an incognito browser window, try again and see if you get a different value.

The rise in used car vales and especially in asking prices has been quite unusual.

In Sept 2017, 4 years ago, I bought a 6 month old Mazda MX-5 for £18,500 and I thought at the time that I slightly overpaid. This September I saw an identical car, also a 17 plate, being offered by a Mazda dealer at £18,700.

I thought values had dropped (it is a convertible, and it's October) but I see there is still one on Autotrader for £18,650. How's that for depreciation?

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110218734303

I paid 14k for a 10700 mile, two year old Avensis petrol auto estate. It now has 61k on the clock in the 3.5 years I have owned it and other than full main dealer servicing, tyres and brakes it has only needed a new battery. I gather these are quite desirable cars and just for fun I have been checking WBAC. Around 10 or so weeks ago it offered £8440, peaked at £9850 and today £9760. I think I could sell it privately for £11.5 - 12k. Quite an attractive proposition.

With it now being over 5 years old and 60k+ I am (somewhat seriously) considering cashing in as the depreciation will accelerate with age and miles, and the attraction of such a vehicle will decrease. With a leg issue and the car being quite low a sitty-uppy type of vehicle appeals, and I have always fancied a Lexus NX. Obviously much more expensive, and their prices have escalated too, but every now and then a sensible price appears, and then quickly disappears. With the Lexota ten year warranty that largely removes the low risk of a major failure and the new model just being launched this could suitably improve both supply and price. We have a second car so I could flog the Avensis and then sit on the cash for when opportunity knocks. Tempting, but tempting enough to overcome the inertia? well, not so far.

Yes that's the way it works. Dealers only survive on finance and how much you are prepared to part with.