carmine : helping you buy your next car

• Why change? Write this down so that you don't lose sight of your objective. Cars can be very emotionally charged and it's very easy to buy the wrong car because your heart takes over the decision.
• What are your typical journeys and with what frequency? Go for a car which is best suited for the use
  it's going to get. If it's mainly town and local driving, anything up to a 1.4 will be good for economy. If you do occasional longer trips or like a bit more 'umph', aim for a 1.6 or more. If you do lots of longer trips and you like to get a move on, go for at least a 2.0 litre.
• What sort of gearbox will you prefer, auto or manual? Automatics are thirstier on fuel but easy to drive. Manual gearboxes are more economical and more involving to drive.
• What will the vehicle get used for? What will you put inside it? How many doors will suit you? You may
  find a hatchback more useful than a saloon if you want to carry bulky or large items.
• What shape of car do you want, a 4x4, saloon, hatchback, supermini etc.?
• Is size important? Do you have a garage or driveway to consider? What is the turning circle like?
• Who will you influence with it (clients)? Depending on your job, some clients will have negative feelings towards certain cars and unfairly pre judge you. A suitable car may on the other hand, enhance your image.
• Who will drive it apart from you? Make sure they like it before you buy it!
• Are there other people you need to consider? If you carry elderly people, access may be important. Number of children being carried could determine size and number of seats required.
• Where will the car be kept? This may affect decisions about security and protection. If considering a soft top, is there a hard top option if leaving it on the street?
• What accessories will you want/need and how will this affect the overall price? Decide on these before entering a showroom and include them in your budget.
• Is there a private plate involved in the exchange? DVLA charge £80 for a transfer and most garages will carry out all the paperwork for you including making up new plates. DVLA is also the best place to look to buy a private plate, they can make great gifts.
• When will you need the new vehicle? It may be worth seeing what delivery times are for the specification and colour or the cars you are looking at before spending time test driving and negotiating.
• What do you like about your existing car? Try to choose a car which has these elements.
• What do you dislike about your existing car? Obviously try to avoid these elements.
• What is your new budget? This may be the total amount, part of your own savings or a monthly finance option.
• Consider which method of finance is most suitable for you, loan, HP or PCP with a balloon payment at the end.
• What are you going to do with your existing car? Part exchanging is the easiest option but you will usually suffer financially. Many garages will arrange the deal on the basis that you are part exchanging and allow you to sell privately should you get a better offer.
• What insurance group? Insurance groups go from 1 (the cheapest) to 20 for out and out performance cars. Get a feel for insurance costs before spending too much time test driving.
• What warranty comes with vehicle, how long is it for and what sort is it? There are big differences between manufacturers and 'insurance' warranties. Also, is there any breakdown cover, who/what is covered and how long is it for?
• What servicing is required, when is the next service due and how much will it cost? Speak to the local
  franchise service department to check prices. Also consider any other services such as courtesy cars, pick-up schemes, shuttle bus and lifts.
• One of the biggest costs of motoring is DEPRECIATION! Make sure you research the cars you are considering. Most magazines will have a depreciation indication in the listings at the back. If the car you like depreciates like a stone, make sure you buy at rock bottom prices. The two biggest things that increase depreciation are high numbers of fleet cars being disposed of into the market and the car simply being undesirable.