Published: Wednesday, 26th May, 2010 5:00pm

The deals are still out there - it's your choice

The scrappage scheme has encouraged new car buyers into the showrooms in 2010.

The dominant theme in new car sales in 2010 so far is the scrappage scheme. Considered a success by the motor trade, it has encouraged more buyers into showrooms than came through the doors in 2009, and resulted in much stronger figures.

It's not just good for the people who sell the cars, of course; it's also good for the people who buy them - that's you - because the manufacturers and importers have been offering some seriously good deals on top of the government scrappage scheme to encourage you to part with your cash.

The scrappage scheme began in January and it runs to the end of the year, so if your car turns 10 years old in 2010, it will be eligible for a slice of money that would normally go to the government in the form of VRT. But don't worry if your motor is younger than that and you fancy a change, as that's where those deals from the major car brands come in.

Just about all of them have something to offer you in the shape of a discount of one sort or another. Ford is top of the scrappage sales table with its Fiesta, thanks to the excellence of that little hatchback and the deals from the Blue Oval manufacturer, and Renault has increased its market share by a significant margin with discounts that are extremely hard to beat. Those keen prices are for a line-up of Renaults that can match the best in their classes in terms of dynamics, styling and safety, so it's no wonder the French marque is doing well. Others that feature in the top 10 in terms of scrappage are Skoda, Toyota, VW and Opel.

Citroën Ireland has extended its scrappage to the end of June and is offering customers a choice of three special models: the new C3 VT 1.4 95hp, available from €11,900, the C4 VTR 1.6HDI 90hp, available from €15,900, and the C5 VTR 1.6HDI 110hp is available from €20,900. Those figures include the €1,500 government scrappage allowance and Citroën scrappage bonuses (the size depends on the model). Contact Bradys Cavan for the full details on those deals.

Some of the sales people The Anglo-Celt spoke to say things are quiet in the showrooms (which means they'll be more eager to do a deal with you), others say things have picked up. A change from last year indicates that more people are willing to spend money in 2010, though some appear to be calling in to view cars and saying they'll be back later in the year.

It's better than nobody going in and it'll keep the salesmen and women happy for another few months. As for why customers or potential customers are behaving like that, who knows? Perhaps it's because of the scrappage scheme - maybe they have cars that will be 10 years old later in the year and when they're eligible they'll do a deal. Maybe it's a question of finance...

Finance remains a complicating factor out there. There's no question that it's harder to acquire it, but if you have a good record it could be that all you need is a decent size deposit. The financial institutions are unlikely to want to finance your new car 100% these days, but if you can save a third or so, you'll be a much more attractive proposition for them.

Other garages have told us about the excellence of their diesel offerings in particular. That's not to say you should dismiss the petrol options, as some of the new ones have excellent fuel economy and competitively low emissions, but the diesel engines available these days are brilliant and well worth looking at.