Buying a car guide - What car?

The first thing you need to ask yourself when you set out to replace your car is whether you actually need to buy a new one.

Depreciation is the single biggest cost in running a car. Even if you only buy a one-year-old model, you'll be missing out on some seriously large losses as the biggest drop comes in the first 12 months.
Look at the sums, and you might be able to buy a better equipped, more powerful version of the model you want by opting for a used model. You might even be able to upgrade a whole class thanks to big second-hand savings.
Even if the car you're looking at is more than three years old, it doesn't mean it can't be protected by a warranty. Most approved-used schemes will provide 12 months of cover, and you can always take out your own policy with an independent provider for a few hundred pounds.
If you've got the budget and you're determined to buy new, haggle hard.
A new car will also obviously come with the full balance of the manufacturer's warranty, which repairs many faults free of charge. This will usually give you three years' peace of mind.
A new car will be to your exact specification, and you can't put a price on sitting in your own new car for the first time.

Thinking about what you need from your next car will help you avoid ending up with a roadster when an MPV is really the order of the day. Use Help me choose a car if you need more help in pinpointing some suitable cars, but always consider:

How much cabin space do you need? Do you ever actually use the rear seats or would even a five-seat compact MPV be too small to cope with your family plans?
Do you need a lot of boot space or will the car only ever be used for the weekly shop? If you carry lots kit around, you’ll benefit from added room.
What sort of journeys will you make? A tiny runabout is great if you just need to buzz around town but, if you take to the motorways often, a little more power and comfort would be welcome.
How many miles will you cover? The more miles you do, the more likely it is you’ll be able to pay off the added cost of a diesel and start saving cash.
Is outright performance important to you? Would you spend the next three years kicking yourself if you got a 1.6 instead of that 2.0-litre?
Is safety the top priority? Do you want the best Euro NCAP score and as many airbags as possible?
Understanding your budget and getting a good price from the dealer is crucial if you don't want the car buying experience to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.
Set a budget and stick to it, no matter what the dealer or finance company says you can afford.
Work out how much cash you realistically have to spend after mortgage/rent, tax, bills, entertainment and other outgoings have been considered.
Besides any repayments on the car itself, you also need to consider other running costs such as fuel bills, insurance premiums and servicing – these will cost you thousands each year. Look at our pence-per-mile/true-cost figure to see how much the car you've got your eye on will cost to run, on top of the loan/finance.
Consider whether you really need a brand-new car. Depreciation is the biggest cost in owning a car with the biggest drop coming in the first year. If you buy used, even just a one-year-old model, you could save plenty and still have two years of warranty protection left.
It's relatively easy to get confused when it comes to car finance. There are many variables and, if you're not careful, you may end up paying more than you have to.
You might think we're jumping the gun by talking about finance now, but it's never too early to start thinking about it.
Do your research. Find out the deals that the manufacturer currently has on offer. These might include interest-free or low APR rates, or even deposit contributions. Manufacturer websites are a good place to check.
Compare like with like. Check all the details and don’t just focus on the rate or monthly repayments. Look at the total repayable amount to understand exactly how much a loan will cost you over its lifetime.
A dealer should provide you with a written quote upon request, get everything in writing, so you can confirm an offer later.
Shop around.
Haggle. A salesman will not offer you their best deal straight away. Bargain hard and you could make some worth-while savings.
Don’t be talked or tricked into something you’re not sure off. It’s easy to get confused with numbers, so if you unsure of something say so. Don’t sign anything that you don’t understand.

Where you buy your car will affect the type of car you buy, and the level of service that you receive. Think about what you're looking for, and the best place to find it.

Main dealers' sticker prices – those you see on the windscreen – might be the most expensive but you should be getting the best service. You’ll be quoted the highest prices but you can haggle a good discount.
Brokers put you in touch with dealers offering competitive new car prices but you might have to travel to pick up the car.
Internet companies allow you to quickly search and find the best prices on a wide range of cars. However, just because they’ve advertised a car, it doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to supply one quickly. Sometimes they sell used cars as well.
Independent car supermarkets offer a huge number of cars covering the popular brands but, if you're looking for something unusual, you may be disappointed. These are sometimes a good place to pick up a nearly new car.
Importers can often supply cars at lower prices than anyone else, depending on exchange rates. It might also be a route to securing a car with a waiting list in the UK but make sure you’re buying a car with the correct specification.
Smaller independents usually stock a wide range of used cars but might not have the largest choice in terms of specification and colour. They tend to sell the cars that are too old for franchised dealers but they are more expensive than buying privately.
Online auctions like eBay are becoming more and more popular. You could find a real bargain through the internet.

It's all very well kicking tyres on a forecourt or shopping in the showroom but that's no substitute for getting behind the wheel. A test drive is a vital part of the decision-making process – never buy a car without one. Here's how to get the most out of your test drive.

If you’re comparing a wide range of cars, try to test-drive them back to back, or with the smallest gap between each. It’s difficult to remember how one car compares with the last if you drive them two weeks apart.
Weekends are a bad time for test drives if you’re looking at a popular car from a dealership. Test-drive in the middle of the week when the dealership and the roads are quiet.
Once you’ve decided on the best car for you, give it an extended test drive. A dealership will probably resist but push for at least a half-an-hour drive.
Don’t just drive around the block, make sure you cover a variety of different road types. Try towns, country roads motorways and A roads to get a feel for how the car handles.
If you have a bad back or suffer health issues, make sure you can easily get in and out of the car, and sit comfortably for a period of time.
If the car is to be used as a family vehicle, make sure they all fit in the car, can easily get in and out, and check for cubby holes and storage space if you need to.
If you have a hobby, or a particular need from your car, make sure you try it out properly.

You need to check all the aspects of how a car drives in order to access if it will suit you. When out on a test drive, make sure you’re happy with the following:

Steering
Gear change
Acceleration and brakes
Overall size
Ride comfort and noise
Seat adjustability
All-round legroom
Boot and storage space
Visibility
Entertainment systems (radio, CD, DVD etc)

Whether you're buying from a dealer or privately, make sure any used car you're thinking of buying is in fact what the seller says it is.

If buying privately, arrange to view the car at the seller's house – this way you can be more certain the car is not stolen.
Pay for a vehicle history check to see how many owners the car has, if there is any outstanding finance on it, if it has been written off, etc. It is vital that you carry this out before deciding if it is the right car for you.
Compare the data from your research and the V5C (the vehicle's logbook) to the car itself – make sure it all matches. If it doesn’t, you could be looking at a stolen car.
Ask the seller questions about their time with the car, why they are selling it, and check that they are the owner, or that they have the owner's permission to sell.
Examine the service history, and note the locations of the garages who have carried out work. Does this match the rest of the car's history? Also, check invoices to see if any other work has been carried out.

If you’re buying a used car, you will need to check the general condition of the car. A poorly maintained vehicle could cause you a string of problems later on. If buying privately, used cars are usually ‘sold as seen’, so check everything carefully.

It is also advisable to check the vehicle's history to make sure the car is what it claims to be.

Check the condition of the tyres. Don’t forget tread depth and side-wall damage. If a tyre has uneven wear, it could be a sign that the wheels are not correctly aligned.
The steering wheel should rotate smoothly from lock to lock without any unusual noise or vibration.
The gears should engage easily and smoothly without any grinding with the clutch fully depressed. A weak or extremely stiff clutch pedal could be a sign of worn components.
The engine should idle smoothly and rev evenly. Check the oil dipstick and the inside of the oil filler cap. If you find a brown sludge, walk away – the engine is damaged and will need expensive repairs.
Check the exhaust doesn’t produce lots of blue smoke when you rev the engine – this shows sign of excessive internal engine wear.
Check the body work and underside of the car for rust. Look at the exhaust system, does it look like it needs replacing soon?
Be suspicious of a very clean engine bay, has it been cleaned to hide something?
While under the bonnet, look for signs of flaking paint and rust around the panel joints at the front of the car. This could denote repairs after crash damage.
Does the wear on the interior of the car match the mileage on the odometer? A low-mileage car with very worn seats and pedals could have been clocked.
Open and close the doors to check they work correctly, and examine the rubber seals for signs or paint, another indication of crash-damage repairs.
Look down the side of the car to see if all the panels and bodywork line up smoothly. Be suspicious of wavy panels or cars with uneven gaps between panels.
When on a test drive, the brakes should feel responsive and provide adequate stopping power when travelling at speed.
Check all items work correctly, including electric components. This should include windows, sunroofs, seats etc.

If you’ve got a car to part-exchange, you’ll want to get the best price. There are a few simple things to do in order to get the most money for your old car.

Make sure you can find all of the paperwork, including the V5C registration document and current MoT certificate. (if applicable)
Check the details on the paperwork are correct, and get them corrected if need be.
Make sure your service history is up to date. If you have missing stamps or have lost the service book, speak to your garage about filling in the blanks. Your car will worth more if the history is intact.
Find all the sets of keys, including central locking remotes.
If the car needs any servicing or remedial work, investigate getting it carried out. However, it's possible this may cost more than the additional value your car will gain.
Dealers are unlikely to be bothered by a dirty car but ensure that it isn't filthy or unhygienic.

Depending on whether you’re buying new or used, you can expect a variety of delivery times but make sure you know when the car is ready to be picked up.

New cars may have to be ordered from the factory, depending on the specification, so you can expect to wait as long as six weeks, or more if the car will need to built in another country and shipped to the UK.
Pre-reg and used cars should be ready for collection fairly soon after you agree a deal, so agree a delivery time of no more than two weeks.
When buying privately, the seller usually wants to arrange the hand-over as soon as possible, so you should expect to set an early delivery date.
If the car requires servicing, optional extras fitted, or any other work, agree on a realistic timescale for it to be completed. Allow time for the work to be carried out correctly.
Stay in contact with the seller to ensure that you can collect the car when agreed.

When the big day arrives, you’ll want to pick up your new car with the minimum amount of hassle. However, get complacent or rush things and you could end up regretting it. Check your car carefully to makes sure all is as it should be.

Arrive on time and inspect the car before you hand over any money or complete any paperwork.
Don’t try to do a thorough inspection in the dark or wet: you won’t spot bodywork problems. If buying from a garage, take delivery of the car but ask it to be recorded on the sales invoice that you have not been able to adequately examine the vehicle.
Walk around the car and check all corners, along with body panels and windows.
Check that the car is as specified and that all the options you expected are present. If buying used, check that everything works correctly.
If buying from a dealer, make sure any accessories have been fitted to the car as requested.
If buying a new car, check the pre-delivery inspection (PDI) has been carried out, and the service book is stamped to reflect this.
Make sure you ask for both sets of keys, especially if buying privately.

When buying a new car check the paperwork carefully to ensure you get no nasty surprises.

Examine the V5C registration document and check the registration date, number of owners and chassis.
When you complete the sale, ensure that the new owner's section of the V5C is filled out correctly, and that you take the relevant sections with you.
Look at the service history and see if it has been completed and, if buying a used car, see if important services have been carried out.
If the car is old enough to require an MoT, check the expiry date to make sure that you can get the car insured.
Make sure you get an invoice and sales contract showing that you have completed the deal and that the balance has been paid.
If you’re opting for a finance package from a dealer, check the paperwork and sign.

Buying a car guide - What car?

Advice & Guidance