Some used car dealers are more specialised than others. While most sell all types of used cars, there are others that only concentrate on a single type of vehicle. For example, Exeter Small Automatics has only small used automatic cars for sale. They are aware of their customers’ concerns for the environment and so give them what they want; small used automatic cars. This may sound very limiting, but with around a hundred automatic cars for sale, they clearly do not find such specialisation to be overly constraining for them. 

The company’s website has detailed information on driving an automatic car, as there are clearly concerns that many of their customers will have only driven manual cars in the past, and may be worried about the prospect of changing to an automatic. The website reassures the reader that an automatic is much easier to drive than a manual car. Exeter Small Automatics also provide access to financing from Black Horse, making it possible to arrange a loan and buy a car on the same site.

read comments (0)

Today’s market offers a variety of ways to purchase a car that were unheard of even 15 years ago. The meteoric rise of IT means that there is less need to trawl around car salesrooms or plough through the small ads in the local paper. Now it is common to not only select the preferred model online but also to study its performance and check out 3D views of the interior from every angle. In addition, a potential buyer can read customer reviews so the purchaser is armed with technical specs and vehicle performance details long before being anywhere near ready to go car shopping.

Even if the buyer is not a car enthusiast, the chances are they will have come across some car related information before purchase. Nowadays the car buyer is much more product-aware, thus being in a stronger purchasing position and meaning the seller must up the ante and be expected to do more than simply match the customer’s knowledge. Consequently the car business has opened up and now includes the prospective buyer within the hallowed realms of mechanical knowledge erstwhile only know to the chosen few.

For the seller, however, the basic methods of sales and marketing have advanced along with IT, and those in car sales really have to know the product inside out. With global competition growing tighter they must be prepared to be flexible in terms of cost and other incentives to purchase.

It is not all bad news for the seller though, because with most UK vehicles purchased with finance, customers have more access to loans than they had before so those who are seriously in the market for a vehicle have a higher percentage of acquiring finance than ever before. In addition there are more company cars on the road too, giving scope for tendering cars by the fleet and incorporating a maintenance contract.

read comments (0)

There are many car sales forecourts and dealerships that have a wide cross section of automatic cars for sale, depending on the individual’s requirements and budget. Both diesel and petrol automatic cars are widely available.

The prospective purchaser has to decide whether they are looking for a small city car, a model that will be suitable for long distance driving or a high-performance sports car. Whatever the reason for choosing to buy an automatic car, you will be assured of a smooth and effortless drive to your destination; short or long journeys become a pleasure.

If you have a particular make of car and model in mind you can look at various websites to find out what is currently available. Bearing in mind this could involve you having to travel some distance it is essential to make a firm appointment for a test drive, so that you do not have a wasted journey. 

Once a suitable automatic car has been found, a decision has to be made regarding whether a part exchange deal is preferred, if it is to be an outright purchase or if car finance will be required to complete the deal.

The car will most probably have a warranty and you should be able to take it to a dealer in your own area, should there any repair work be required.

read comments (0)

Everybody that loves cars has one model that they dream about buying if money was no object. One new model that will have ‘car people’ dreaming for years to come is the Ferrari 458 Spider. It was first realised in 2009 under the name of the 458 Italia Coupe and the new convertible version was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Spider has a V8 engine making it extremely fast and powerful. The interior is designed to maximise comfort and safety. It has better cushioned and more supportive seats and the buttons are laid out to maximise convenience for the driver. The convertible roof is metal but can fold in 14 seconds and is considerably lighter than an equivalent fabric roof. The car has a number of setups ranging from a safe mode to a turn-off-every-aid mode.

Although the only noticeable difference is the fact that the Spider is convertible, it is still £25,000 more expensive than the earlier model, the 458 Italia Coupe. Although that seems a lot, if you can afford the £198,856 it costs to buy a Ferrari 458 Spider, the extra would be hardly noticeable. The rest of the car people in the world will have to make do with dreaming.

read comments (0)

The winter is approaching, and some are saying it will be even colder than the last. While nobody is calling for snow chains or gritting lorries just yet, there are a few sensible precautions to take to ensure your car can deal with the winter.

The first step to take is to make sure your car is functioning properly. Car servicing can go a long way to helping a car get ready for the winter. If a service is due, take it. Things to look at may include batteries, car batteries will generally suffer in the cold and old batteries may even stop working completely. Also take care to check your car’s electrics and tyres.

It is also a good idea to have warm clothes packed away somewhere just in case you do have to stop or breakdown. The weather is fast changing, and a freak snowfall or icy conditions could leave you stranded. Warm clothes, a bright jacket and a breakdown plan are sensible precautions.

For those icy mornings, ensure you have de-icing spray and/or a scraper. Do not drive with ice still on the windscreen, as it can impair vision and is very dangerous.

Antifreeze for the engine is another sensible precaution and can ensure mornings run smoothly.

Most of these tips are fairly cheap and can save a lot in breakdown recovery or lost earnings. So make sure you prepare this winter and don’t be caught out.

read comments (0)

As well as making sure that your new car will fulfil your needs and those of your family, the costs associated with the car you buy must also be taken into consideration when purchasing a new vehicle.  Particularly if you have opted for car finance for the actual purchase price, you will want to ensure that the other costs associated with your vehicle are kept to a minimum. 

Car insurance will likely be the single largest expense you have to pay out after the actual purchase price of the car itself.  Many insurance companies will allow you to make monthly payments so that you do not have to pay out one large lump sum all at once, which would be a hardship for many people especially in these financially challenging times.

Fuel is a constant cost that all car owners have to budget for if money is not in abundance, but it is not the only continuing cost.  Parking, tolls, tyres, general maintenance, and car servicing will also have to be covered, and all these seemingly small costs mount up over the life of your car; running a car is one of the most expensive things most people who own one do.

There are ways of keeping these costs down.  For example, buying a more fuel efficient, smaller car will help keep fuel costs down.  Deciding to buy a ‘green’ car will help cut fuel costs further, and with the government offering lower road tax for people using more energy efficient cars, they provide an added benefit.  Regularly servicing your car will ensure that it runs at peak efficiency which will not only help cut down on fuel costs, but will also help with the wear and tear on the tyres and other car parts which can be quite expensive to replace.

read comments (0)

Owning a car can be expensive in the best of times and with fuel prices rising on what seems to be a weekly basis, cutting down on the number of miles they drive has become a priority for many motorists.  The news that the number of petrol stations in the UK has halved since the early 1990s therefore comes as blow to car people who, in some cases, are finding that they have to drive longer distances simply to fill up their cars with petrol.

There are currently fewer than 9,000 petrol forecourts to be found in the United Kingdom – a significant drop from the 21,000 which were in operation in 1991 – and this is causing added misery to the already stretched wallets of drivers across the country.

Brian Madderson, Chairman of the RMI Independent Petrol Retailers Association, said, “The particular area of concern is the UK’s important rural economies where consumers will have to drive substantially increased distances to fill up if their local independent petrol retailer is forced out of business.”

Blame has been placed at the door of some supermarket chains which the RMI Independent Petrol Retailers Association accuses of using low petrol prices as a lure to get people to come to their shops.

Chris Etherington, Chief Executive at Palmer and Harvey, a wholesale company which provides most of the UK’s petrol stations with their fuel, said, “These fuel deserts lead to massive inconvenience for the already hard-pressed motorist, and also to the loss of a focal point in communities that have often lost their local pub, village shop, post office or even, in the worst cases, their entire high street.”

With prices not looking like they will drop anytime soon, times are getting tougher for motorists, and the increased distance some have to travel just to fill up comes as yet another blow.

read comments (0)

If you have decided that you want to buy a brand new car, your next step is to narrow down your options and decide on a particular make and model of vehicle.

The car you buy will usually depend a great deal on the budget you have available.  Auto Trader is a good place to start, to find out what options you have available.  Although often associated with second hand cars, autotrader.co.uk is also a great place to look for new cars for sale. 

You can enter your price range into the search facility and the website will show you all of the cars available within that range.  Auto Trader gives the key information you need for each car and you can then carry out a more in-depth search into any models in which you might be interested.  It will also provide you with a link to dealers from which you can purchase that particular car.  All of the results given are based on your postcode, meaning you will hopefully find a dealer not too far away from where you live.  Another website to try is motors.co.uk.

Take your chosen car on a test drive first, to make sure it really is the right car for you.  If possible, test the car on a variety of roads and at different speeds.  Make sure the boot space is adequate for your needs and that the car itself is big enough for all the people it will need to carry.  Also, check out the average running costs and ascertain into which insurance band the car falls, as this can add greatly to the overall cost.

read comments (0)

An important part of deciding which of a short list of very cheap cars to buy is the test drive and there are a number of things you need to look out for.

The Longer the Better

A quick spin around the block is not long enough to get the feel of a car you have never sat in before or to be sure everything is in order.  Plan out a route, prior to testing, which includes a mixture of driving conditions; you should try to include local streets, a dual carriageway or derestricted route and a big car park.  This should give you a good indication of the capabilities and condition of the car.

Check the Controls

During the test, you should check how responsive the steering is; the car should respond immediately as you turn the wheel.  Find a quiet area and try an emergency stop to ensure the brakes are effective.  When safe to do so, take your hands from the steering wheel to see whether the car pulls to the left or right.

Visit a Car Park

Try to park in a bay or parallel park if you live in a built up urban area.  Ensure you have no visibility problems completing these low-speed manoeuvres.
 
Test the Suspension

Driving on an uneven road surface or over speed humps will be an adequate test of the car’s suspension.  If everything is in order, you should experience a smooth ride.

Next Steps

If the car performed well at the test drive, you should ask to have it checked by an independent mechanic to identify any underlying faults before finalising the purchase.

read comments (0)

Purchasing a new car usually involves parting with quite a large sum of money and as such it is not a decision to be taken lightly. There are several key questions that everyone should ask themselves before choosing between cars, to avoid regretting their choice afterwards. 

Ask yourself whether your chosen vehicle fulfils every requirement you have. You may like to make a checklist of features that you feel are essential before you start looking, so that you know exactly what you want and can be sure that you have not missed anything. Do not feel tempted to settle for anything that you are not completely happy with, no matter how good the deal may seem. 
   
Next, consider whether the price you are being offered is the best deal that you are going to get. Different car shops and outlets tend to offer a variety of deals and promotions and you may find it easier to bargain at some places than others. It is a good idea to shop around and thoroughly research all of your options, so you can be sure you are getting value for money. 

Finally, determine whether there are any hidden costs that you should know about before you sign anything. If you choose to use simply car finance to pay for your purchase, for example, then there may well be additional charges. Taking these into account will allow you to determine the true price that you are paying and will also prevent any nasty surprises later on.

read comments (0)