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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. Look
through our tips to get some pointers on making your cash work for you.
• 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
¨C these will cost you thousands each year. Look at sen-per-km/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 warranty protection left.
• Use the
121motor car search
to find out the most you should be
paying for any new car. There are very few models that you will need to
pay the full list price on.
• Use the
121motor Price Guide
to get the best price for your old
car when you trade in, or to make sure you're not paying over the odds
for the second-hand model you're after.