How do you choose a car?

Ex dealer here. Are you buying new or used? That’ll make a difference to how much you can ask off. Are you part exchanging your car? If so, check with one of the online car buyers the price they would offer you so you know your ball park for that before you begin. (Remember you don’t have to sell your car to them if you think you can get more for it elsewhere) then you need to consider your cost to change (the new car cost minus your p/ex value) and then work backwards from there.

For new cars, The car industry is based on a very low return on sales model so the price tag doesn’t necessarily mean that the dealer is making ‘loads’ from it - unlike say buying an expensive watch where the retailer there is making a very healthy profit. Dealers make as much money via the back end of the deal from the supplying manufacturer for things which the customer may not notice - the correct showroom standards etc but they also need customers to give great scores on customer service so they should be keen to display those skills. Often dealers are given incentives from the manufacturer to allow deal enhancements - such as deposit contributions, 0% or low finance rates etc so ask about those. Buying at the end of a month will be more likely to yield a better deal as dealers chase targets , even more so at the end of a quarter so be aware of that. You might also really fancy a black car, but can get a better deal on a blue one because that’s all they have in stock, so be open to buying a variation on the car you want (within reason). The amount you can negotiate off will vary enormously from manufacturer to manufacturer and from car to car. It only really matters in the end if you are happy with the deal / they’ll always be the bloke down the pub who’ll tell you his mate got ‘thousands off’ whatever you just bought but this is highly unlikely. It’ll be in the 00’s.

Consider a pre-registered car if saving money is a priority/ these are new cars which the dealer has to legally own for 90 days before selling to you. They are brand new with delivery mileage but you will be the second owner. There will be less incentives on these as they are used cars.

For used cars, you might find you can negotiate up to £500 or so off regardless of the screen price. Mostly cars are priced to sell and the dealer will be monitoring competitors to stay keenly priced so don’t be disillusioned if they won’t budge, negotiate elsewhere in the deal - more for your p/ex/ better finance rate etc. With used cars you can negotiate the condition of the car you want to accept - not happy with the tyre depth? Then ask them to put new tyres on it. Want a longer MOT? Then ask for a fresh one. Ask lots of questions about the car’s history. If the car is older than 3 years old then you can check the MOT history online via the .gov site and ask about anything reported at the time to ensure that work was done. You can also check that the mileage corresponds with the mileage the car is showing currently.

If you don’t like the dealer, use the experience to get a test drive and then buy online elsewhere… you are not obliged to deal with them because they gave you a ten minute spin around the block. Customers captive in the showroom are customers the dealer should be keen to serve. If they aren’t, then exercise your right to vote with your feet and give your custom to a business more deserving. Good luck for later today!

Look at what is available in your budget, a good way is to look at Autotrader online, set your budget in the search & look at what it brings up, then look at every car, read what you would get for your money, then you have an idea if you can buy now or save for a bit longer to get something better. If you have makes or models you already like, add that to the search. If you can afford something nearly new, look at main dealers, they often have ex motability cars at 3 or 5 years old which have been well maintained with low mileage, mine went back at 5 years old with less than 1500 miles on the clock.

Don't think of it as haggling. You're making an offer. So don't take on board the quoted price, but offer what you think is reasonable. Usually they either accept or come back with a counter offer. You can then accept or counter. If they just laugh and give you a flat no, you know you're paying the price they're asking or going elsewhere.

Second this. They are great cars

@Tollington I have heated seats windscreen etc but think tax is £30

We are a VW family - can’t beat reliability - quality of build - price of spares etc
I have a Passat, DD and DP have Passat estate, DS and DB and DM Golf, DDs DH has an ID4 nuff said

For me, road tax and mpg and then I wanted a heated windscreen and heated seats so I soon narrowed it down as not many cars have a heated front windscreen and £20 tax

I've just ordered a Peugeot 3008 for boot space and back seat leg room.

I know nothing about cats but I like a car with a big boot. I transport about 2 teen boys with huge cricket bags and they like a bit of leg space in the back.

Our Honda Jazz is 18 years old now. We'll have to get a new car eventually but it keeps running and running. I've been thinking about what to buy next. Apparently the newer ones aren't quite as good. We're in a similar situation without a drive to charge on, but a hybrid could work for us. So we'd probably go for whatever the most reliable hybrid is.

you can have an electric car if you charge it at tesco you don’t have to have a charging point at home

look at Nissan Qashqui or Juke.

After recently purchasing a 2008 plate golf from an employee at my husband’s workplace I’ve ended up spending nearly £400 on it to get it fixed 🤦‍♀️

The woman who sold it is 72, careful driver, low mileage, and her daughter owned it before her. The problem was sorted by the 3rd mechanic, the other 2 stated it was repaired but it wasn’t, wankers!

It transpires that the engine was filthy and clogged up in the Turbos veins, causing the sensor to put it into limp mode. Apparently diesels are no good if you just tootle around at low speeds, which the old dear had done, she did less than 3 thousand miles a year, so many components were covered in dirty soot like carbon.

I myself won’t be doing much mileage either, the mechanic has recommended taking it for a good blow out once a week. Fortunately my hubby travels on a dual carriageway every day so he can do this for me.

After this experience I would say that if it’s just for popping the kids to clubs and activities and doing the shopping go for a petrol. The car is a Golf, we’ve had another Golf for 25 years, a petrol, our daughter has this car now. I love Golfs, brilliant cars and the parts aren’t too expensive, plenty big enough for a couple of kids and a dog. I’d have another Golf no problem, love them. The old Golf has been so reliable, it’s never broken down on us.

The other Golf should be good now, had it MOT’d in July, serviced in August, and latest repairs. Have virtually spent the same amount as we bought it for 🥴. At least we know it’s been properly maintained now 😝

My stepdad always used to go on about how I needed a Japanese car, but in my naive youth I just went for cars that I liked the look of. When I met my husband he was also team Japanese. I had 3 cars, all of the which were in and out the garage for one reason or another, and usually failed their MOTs. Last car got hit and written off and ended up buying Nissan (Japanese), it's been 4 years since I've had it and the car is 18 tears old. Never had a single fault (touch wood) and never failed an MOT. Wish I'd gone with a Japanese car earlier. Also has low millage which is a bonus.

I worked for a car dealership so had ruled out a load already under reliability
I also want a petrol, manual gearbox and more oomph than a 1l so that left me with very few options! I’ve ended up thinking I’m going with a Kia xceed

Look on autotrader, use the filter to pick what’s important to you and see what comes up a reasonable distance from you that you can afford.

By test driving them. I usally have a list of ones that meet what I need first but the one I have now I went completely off script and fell in love with the comfy seats, big cup holder, gear change, interior build quality and ride. Most cars have rubbish seats, even some supposedly well made cars feel cheap and nasty.

Ps I’d only ever buy from a garage but that’s just because I’d be afraid of being messed over

I’ll always always recommend Skoda in terms of reliability (they have a vw engine) and great boot size. I s as Keats start with engine size, I drive on the motorway long distances so need over a 1l, I have a licence for an automatic and then - gulp- cost. (As cheap as possible!!!)

I would first narrow it down into which brands are worth exploring. Japanese brands tend to be reliable - Toyota/Lexus, Honda, Hyundai, Suzuki, Mazda. The only ones I haven't heard great things about are some modern Nissans and Mitsubishi I think is a bit hit and miss. German cars are ok but more expensive and I think proper maintenance matters more. With Japanese cars you can get away with missing a service but German cars like Mercedes/Audi/BMW will need servicing on time. Stellantis brands (most European car brands - Fiat, Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, DS) tend not to be as reliable. I think Ford can be mixed depending on the engine.

Once you've chosen brands you want to stick to then find out what models they do and choose some you like and that tick all the boxes. Then I would go on Youtube and watch reviews, have a look on forums too and find out what common faults they have (if any) and whether you're prepared to deal with them. I have a Citroen C1 and the most common fault is water leaking in the boot which isn't a deal breaker for me. My dream car is a Mazda MX5 and although the engine is reliable, they are notorious for rust and I don't have time for that right now so it'll have to just stay as a dream. My next car will be a Suzuki Swift and I haven't seen any off-putting faults online!

If you don't care about anything other than reliability then I would say a Toyota Yaris or Auris.

I have to get a new car because fixing my current one just isn't worth it anymore. We've got several dealerships in town and I just went and test drove a few cars. One of my main points was boot capacity. I've got two DC and a large pushchair. We currently have a 7-seater van so I'm used to a big boot.
I went and tried

• Skoda Octavia station wagon, hybrid, nice but too low for me..also too expensive
• VW Touran, similar to my current car but felt really basic for the price (my current one is older but a much higher specification)
• a Dacia Jogger Hybrid, looks nice but sounds weird when driving
• a Dacia Jogger with a normal petrol engine, better, drives nicely, unfortunately a vomit green colour...but would have been a good choice, price was good, too

I've now settled on a Forthing 3, which was coincidence and just because the guy at the dealership said to at least have a go in it. First new car ever. Hoping to avoid costly repairs in the next few years. Boot was also bigger than most other SUVs I've looked at.
An alternative would have been the new Dacia Bigster.

So, I’ve bought a few in my lifetime, in fact only once did I take hubby. My first was a clapped out Vauxhall, which died a death on its way to the part ex garage, where I had bought a Fiat 45, six months old ex demo, I drove that car to 103,000 miles, sold it to my BIL, who used it for a few months and then sold it on, 9 years later I saw it on someone’s drive and had to look at the mileage, it was at 239,000 miles.
Loved that car and only got rid of it because of space for my twins car seats.
Bought a semi-auto Vauxhall Corsa, hated it. Had it less than 3 months.
After that I bought a Kia Carans, the best car ever. Reliable, sturdy, dependable, easy to drive and on one occasion transported 9, 18/19 year olds to a party. At 209,000 miles somebody made a good job of banging it up. I then drove my dream car, a Suzuki soft top Jimny, but only I loved it, because it was built more for fun and off roading, than comfort.
I’ve had a few in between, my advice take a car nut with you, if you know one, or ask the local mechanic, what he’d recommend, unless buying from a main dealership. Read Auto Trader reviews, buy a copy of Auto Mart (monthly) and do some swotting up on what you can get for your budget.
Look at cars that are one owner from new, but no more than 2 owners.
Look at cars with a full service history and paperwork showing any works done on the car.
Watch out for high mileage, that could have been used as a taxi, check the miles per gallon and insurance group.
You can check the car out on the DVLA website with a registration number. Ask about any Insurance claims.
Always give it a good inspection, even if you know nothing about cars, even us females can spot dirt and duct tape under the hood.
Choice should be about practicality and future use, think about your kids older, think about loading and unloading your shopping, think about elderly relatives, holiday suitcases etc….
My husband fell in love with the Audi GT and I had seen one, was all ready to buy it, there and then.
Then he opened the boot and decided he’d changed his mind!.
Because, the boot was too small to hold his golf clubs!.
Watch out for salesmen trying to offload a really nice girly colour car, (hate that) colour should not come into it, except for white cars, they need forever cleaning.
Do take a test drive, do ask the AA or other body offering pre sale inspections if you have doubts, do walk away and think overnight about it, do not part with any money without a receipt,
Buying from a garage will give you some sort of warranty, buying privately unless with a credit card is done on trust, but even buying privately you do have some limited recourse.
Your other choice is buying at auction or using an agent (although fees will apply).
If you really are doubtful about your ability, I would always ask a friend, relative, local mechanic or even the guy down the road that’s forever tinkering with cars (we all know at least one).
My choice would be a Kia or a Toyota, followed by Fiat.

We needed to replace a car in a hurry recently. Chatgpt was honestly so helpful at coming up with a list of suitable models. Not just screening based on criteria I gave it but helping me come up with my criteria in the first place.

Economy. Mainly.

Well I’ve never met a mechanic who doesn’t rate Kia’s so I’d probably get a Sportage in your situation. I know they are kind of uncool but super reliable and great spec for the price. We have one that is 8 years old and I’ve barely spent a penny on it.