FIRST TIME BUYER - DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME?

Looking To Battle Through The Minefield Of Buying Your First Car? Andy Enright Offers A Few Pointers

For many, buying a car for the first time can be a stressful experience. Bombarded with well meaning but conflicting opinions, baffled by financial jargon and bereft of unbiased information on the best sources to buy a car from, many buyers would rather take pot luck than spend hours doing rather dull research into how to land the best deal.

It needn't be that way. Armed with just a short primer on what to look out for and what to expect, there's no reason why you should catch a cold when it comes to landing your first set of wheels. This brief guide is divided into sections devoted to those looking for a brand new car and those looking for a used model.

Buying A New Car:



Choice:

The first task is to identify what kind of car you want. Be honest with yourself and make sure you are realistically operating within your budget. Take into account servicing costs, fuel bills, insurance, road tax and any road tolls you may have to pay. Your final balance available may not be as big as you at first thought. Modern 'supermini' cars like the Ford Fiesta, Citroen C3, Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Corsa all offer the sort of space and refinement that our parent's luxury saloon cars used to offer with the added benefit of low fuel bills, especially if you choose to opt for diesel versions. With the vast majority of cars now available as diesel versions, the savings are plain to see and you'll get a better price for a diesel when the time comes to sell it on.

Where To Buy:

Most first time buyers will look no further than their local franchised dealer, and if you want a low-hassle, safe way of buying a car this is still the tops. With nothing to part exchange, however, you may well find other avenues that can offer savings. Independent dealers can slash a lot from the sticker price of your chosen ...