About buying a new car – for women

Read FOXY’s latest car review – the Lexus CT 200h hybrid

Buying a new, nearly new or used car can be stressful, no matter your budget.

• Should I haggle or not?
• Is it a good deal?
• Are there other leading car makes and models to compare?
• What should I check if it seems cheap?

If you’d like 1:1 advice, friendly support through the buying and selling process, to know that your car dealer is trustworthy or simply to get a second opinion from a foxy female… these are the sort of car buying and selling advisory services FOXY members count on.

Don’t pay more than you need to, simply because you didn’t know you had a better choice.

Join the Club to enjoy a better motoring deal in good company.

If you prefer to go it alone

But if you prefer to go it alone, here is some advice to mull over….

1. Do your homework online. Even if you think you know the car you want, do your homework to confirm it still has one of the best specifications in its category. Visit manufacturers websites and download model brochures for your homework. Identify your shortlist by list price and any must-have features. If you want to maximise the resale value and hold depreciation at bay, choose one of the smallest cars with an engine that’s man enough for the job, comparing mpg, CO2 emission ratings, VED and the insurance group (the lower the better – groups number from 1 to 20) for motoring economy.
2. Check out the reliability of the cars on your shortlist. How likely is each car to need repairing and how much is this likely to cost? See www.reliabilityindex.co.uk to give you an idea of current costs.
3. Compare the safety record of your car at the National Car Assessment Programme www.euroncap.com. See if it has ESP (a stability programme that is one stage on from ABS.). The safest cars have a 5-star children protection rating, a 5-star adult protection rating and a 4-star pedestrian protection rating to date.
4. Having identified your dream car and the essential features you require (for example parking sensors, anti-skid stability control, automatic transmission, diesel vs petrol, big boot, eco-model) check the price online using a leading discount website. You then have an idea of the target discount to aim for in a local car showroom. Have a list of questions you need answering and use this trip to see if you can find someone you trust and then want to do business here.
5. Don’t buy in a hurry. Sample the initial price deal and the showroom service and retire to consider your buying strategy. By all means take a friend or family member with you. If you feel the salesman is patronising you ask to deal with the Manager. Some dealerships employ female sales staff if you would prefer to deal with a woman.
6. NEVER be seen to fall in love with a car in the showroom. The salesman will be delighted, this will weaken your negotiating hand and you will inevitably pay more than you would do otherwise!
7. ALWAYS take a lengthy test drive and by all means ask if this could be overnight and the car delivered to your home. If you don’t ask you won’t get and this is the manufacturer’s chance to demonstrate superior service levels. Either way, invite a friend to come with you. A third person alters the negotiating dynamics and whilst you are concentrating on the road ahead, your friend could be checking out the onboard and boot space, passenger seat and ride comfort.
8. Now you know what you want to buy, find out how much your car is worth from one of the many competing websites. Remember that this price can vary. You should also investigate any insurance and/or finance deals online too so you have all your negotiating ducks in a row, so to speak.
9. When doing the dealership deal, keep discussions as simple as possible. Don’t let the salesman confuse you with a smoke and mirror deal involving part exchange and finance. Know your choices so you can perm the best combination to suit your needs.
10. Come D-Day (new car delivery day that is) take time to check everything carefully and if there are any faults, sign nothing. Check that everything works and ask the dealer to show you all around, from how to open the bonnet/boot and fuel cap to the workings of any gadgetry such as remote controls, parking sensors and audio/SatNav equipment. If it’s too dark or too wet to do the job properly just make a note on the paperwork to this effect; in case you find a fault the next day. If you are unhappy with your car in the first few days, discuss any problems with the Dealer Principal. For advice you can contact the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) OFT-approved Advisory and Conciliation service at either 0870 751 8270 or by visiting newcars.motorindustrycodes.co.uk.