Important Tips For Buying A Brand New Fuel Efficient Car & Some Tricks of Dealing with the Dealers.

Posted on 14. Jan, 2009 by Frank in cars

Top Tips For Buying A Brand New Car

Years ago, things were much simpler than they were now when it came to buying a new car. You’d simply go to the local dealer, select a model from the range in the showroom and then buy. Now though, when it comes to buying new, there is a much wider range to choose from – not least in terms of where to buy. So let’s take a look at this first.

Where To Buy
Franchised dealers of the brand that you’re looking to buy are now more competitive than they used to be – not least due to the rise in competition. Franchised dealers also tend to be very well represented, meaning you shouldn’t have to travel very far to find one. They’ll tend to offer a part-exchange service though you won’t get best price. Warranties of 3 years are typical, though some will offer more.

My experience of franchised dealers: Most expensive, but in this day and age they are far more willing to negotiate than previously. If you’re looking for nearly-new they’ll offer extremely low mileage cars. The easiest way to access brand new vehicles.

UK brokers source cars from franchised dealers but then bulk-buy in order to get big discounts. The best should offer these discounts to the customer, giving a deal on a new (or almost new, i.e. last of model line) that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Brokers should also be able to match services such as low-interest finance or free insurance if offered by the franchise they purchase from.

My experience of UK brokers: Good service, many cars of the same type so you might find it easy to get ‘that particular colour’. You may not be able to spec up a car and then have it due to the way that UK brokers operate.

Car supermarkets are independent (or at least they should be, though some may feature special deals from certain manufacturers) traders with a wide range of models. They will often offer cheaper cars as they have lower overheads, whilst pre-registered imports can be great for those hunting a bargain. Under the same roof, there’ll be a range of almost-new and used cars too.

My experience of car supermarkets: A good range of cars at varying prices, many of which are low mileage. If you want to see a range of models across a range of manufacturers, then this is your place. Even at a supermarket prices can be high, though the lowest of the three here. Least likely to offer an absolutely brand new vehicle.

As a word of caution, don’t automatically assume you’ll get better service levels from any one of these places. Talk to someone who’s already shopped where you’re thinking of buying, if at all possible. Remember, as soon as dealers hand over the keys it’s then that you’re dealing with a different animal. Try to rebuild a rapport with the Sales Manager, be polite and friendly and you should do fine.

Generally its the second most expensive purchase we make, so it pays to do everything you can to get the best possible deal.

Despite all the news headlines about the credit crunch and rising fuel prices, in 2007 there were just over 2.4 million new car registrations, an increase of 2.5% on the previous year.

The most important thing is to do your homework. Work out how big a vehicle do you need, what size engine, and what type of fuel would be most efficient for you. Draw up a shortlist of the cars you are interested in.

Then, buy some independent car magazines – these compare the various models taking into consideration important points such as running costs and re-sale values. Spending a few quid at the newsagents could save you cash in the long run.

Go to the garages and see the cars up close and personal. They may be different to how you’d imagine. Look on the internet and see if there are any deals on offer on your chosen model – if you can’t decide between two different cars then this may help you to make up your mind!
WHERE SHOULD I BUY IT FROM?

There are a variety of places to consider. Nowadays you can buy a car from absolutely anywhere. I suggest that if you wanted to buy a car from a dealership, it may be better to go to one outside town rather than in the city centre.

Many experiences has shown that you may get a better deal that way because in centrally located garages they can be a bit blasé – if you walk out without buying anything there will be another potential buyer along behind you.

Another place I would suggest looking into was a car broker. As they buy in bulk from the dealerships they qualify for fleet discounts. They then pass some of this discount on to the customer. Brokers can be found on the internet or in the back of various car magazines.

The downside to using a broker though is that there isn’t any real follow up – they just sell cars. So you wouldn’t get the after-sales service you may get using a dealership.

HOW TO PAY

Once you have decided what car you want, there are a whole load of choices about how to pay for it.

First, cold hard cash. Sometimes a salesman will give you a good deal if you have all the readies, and there’s no part exchange involved. But not all of us have that kind of money tucked away under the mattress so if you’ve got a good credit rating you could shop around for a personal loan with a decent interest rate.

That way you are effectively buying the car for cash and that often gets you the better deal. Look on loan comparison sites on the internet to see what’s on offer. If you decide to go for the dealer’s finance – otherwise known as “hire purchase”, then it’s worth remembering that you don’t actually own the car until ALL the payments have been made.

But, could you get them to offer you a 0% deal? It’s worth asking and often achievable if you put down a larger deposit. That means you won’t pay any interest on your purchase at all! Remember, as with all money matters, make sure that you’ve read and understood the terms and conditions before you sign on the dotted line.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE

One of the most important things is to take any car you’re thinking of buying for a test drive.

If your commute to work involves a motorway, take it on the motorway, rather than just drive it around the block. Try and spend as much time as possible behind the wheel and ideally without a salesman with you.

“Some dealerships are now doing a twenty four hour test drive, some are even offering weekend test drives where you get to take the car home for a couple of days.” So it’s well worth asking if your garage is willing to consider this.

Another thing to look out for is whether the model of car you are interested in is going to be discontinued soon. Is there a new model coming out? If so, that might mean that the manufacturer or the dealer is going to want to clear their stock of the older model so you may find a good deal there.

For example, this year a new shape Ford Fiesta is due out, so there may be price reductions on the old model.

Think about buying your car out of season. December for example is a great month to buy a car as very few people think of doing so towards the end of the year.

Motorists who hope to reduce their CO2 emissions have no need to compromise when buying a new car. Simply choose a more fuel efficient version of a car that fits your needs and you’ll be well on your way to reducing your carbon footprint. The more fuel efficient the car, the less fuel it burns, so the less CO2 it produces. If everyone buying a brand new car chose the most fuel efficient car in its class, CO2 emissions from new cars could be reduced by up to 24 per cent and save up to three months worth of fuel per year.

1. Consider the car you want
2. The engine matters
3. Petrol or diesel?
4. Look for the label
5. Ask about fuel efficiency
6. Be a smarter driver

Find a fuel efficient car that’s right for you

Six useful tips when buying a car

1. Consider the car you want

In very general terms, smaller cars tend to be more fuel efficient and emit less CO2, so ask yourself questions about what you want the car for. Do you really need six seats for a family of four? Could you make do with a smaller boot if you only use the car for shopping?

2. The engine matters

Once you’ve decided on the type of car, check out the different makes, models and engine options. Most models offer a range of engines that vary in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.

Top 10 fuel efficient cars

3. Petrol or diesel?

Petrol pumpPetrol and diesel engines have different effects on the environment. Engines powered by diesel generally produce less CO2 but more air pollutants than their petrol counterparts. But which one should you choose? As a rule of thumb, if most of the driving you do is long distance or motorway driving, then consider a diesel engine for fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. On the other hand, if you spend more time in town, where air quality is a greater consideration, then a petrol engine may be better suited.

4. Look for the label

Fuel economy labelMost new cars in a car showroom have a colour-coded fuel efficiency rating like fridges and washing machines (like the one shown, right). The coding is from band A to band G, with bands A and B representing cars that emit the least CO2, as well as having lower car tax. The lower the emission band, the lower the tax you’ll pay. The label is also a guide to the running costs you can expect for that car over 12,000 miles, so you can compare how much different cars cost to run.

5. Ask about fuel efficiency

Ask your car sales staff about the efficiency and environmental performance of your chosen car and the helpful extras available. For example, ‘particulates’ are emissions released when fuel is burned that are harmful to local air quality. But on some cars an optional extra called a DPF (diesel particulate filter) can be fitted to reduce these emissions from diesel engines. As petrol cars produce fewer particulates, filters are not generally needed for petrol engines.

6. Be a smarter driver

There are smarter ways to drive your car that help to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. The smarter driving tips offer useful suggestions you can put into practice to help you cut down.

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