Due to depreciation (the money you lose as soon as a car is driven off a forecourt) I’d almost never buy a new car. However, some relatives have done just this and I can certainly see the appeal. Not least the fact that there’s something special about all of it, from speccing up your vehicle, to choosing the colour – all the way through to sitting in for the first time and taking in that ‘new car smell’ (that’ll be the chemicals in the plastic then).

A new car should arrive with you in absolutely pristine condition – it should be free from scratches, rust, odd dents and of course foreign bodies. It should look, in short, perfect. Naturally, for a new car, it should also have very few miles on the clock. That’s a given. You’ll get the treat of either wearing the engine in nice and soft, or ragging it around depending on where you get your advice from. Most people, luckily I think, still wisely go for the former. Check your manual for further info on this.

I’ve got an interesting little anecdote before I begin my advice on what to look for with your new car, and it goes something like this. I’m in the market for a new used car, something a little bit special. I was lucky enough to meet a very honest dealer who said, “Please bear in mind, all of these cars are used”.

He then promptly showed me a car that had stone chips (they had been filled in but they were there) on the bonnet. He said “I don’t want to mislead you – what I’ll sell you will be mechanically 100%. However, it may have some cosmetic niggles. It is a quality used car though”. I wasn’t shocked – I am after all in the market for a used car. I rightfully responded with the fact that if I was looking for a Resprayed, overpriced car I would have went to a main dealer.

There, they would have probably made the car look cosmetically perfect but would have added a few grand to the price tag – pushing said vehicle out of my budget. This brings me nicely on to what get your beady eyes on when going for your brand new motor.

* Don’t get caught up in the excitement and rush through anything – it could be costly not only in terms of your wallet but also for what you end up getting.
* However you’ve settled and whatever you’ve signed beforehand, never just get out your pen. Take the time to have a nice long inspection for the car. At the end of the day, this is something that is no doubt costing you significant amounts of money.
* A new car should look exactly that – it should be clean, tidy and polished inside and out. Don’t settle for picking it up in the dark or wet. If you’re taking delivery at home, mark on the invoice (if you accept it in these conditions) that you haven’t been able to inspect but you will do so as soon as you can and will inform them of the outcome.
* Take the time to look at all panels, windows and tyres. Is everything looking as it should do?
* Any extras that you have specified should come with delivery of the vehicle, almost without exception. Have your copy of the invoice ready and go through it all. Does it have the 30 GB hard drive that you wanted? How about the optional 18 inch alloys? Did you choose the red or the orange stitching? Each of these options could well have added to the price tag, so make sure they’re in place when you pick up.
* When a new car is dropped off, it should be treated to a very special PDI. This is a pre-delivery inspection – basically a piece of paperwork saying the car is everything it is meant to be, the VIN info is correct and it’s all working. Your service book should have a stamp for this.
* Generally speaking, most cars come with two keys. You don’t want the dealer to have a spare or indeed your log book. Take receipt of all of this when you sign, along with all information related to warranty, servicing and any special dealer benefits. Naturally, you’ll want a contact name and number in case of problems.

The bottom line really comes down to this – whether it’s mechanical or you feel that your brand new car has been test driven before you’ve had a chance to get in it and make your driver’s seat your own, you really shouldn’t sign anything off. You have an extremely strong case if you keep your invoice and purchase records to show that the new car you want isn’t what is sitting waiting for you.

A word of warning – whatever sort of car you’re in the market for, you may well find it difficult to buy the very most basic option with no specced extras. I can’t remember where I saw the report but naturally enough, dealers are trying to up sell. Not only that, but it’s worth less to the manufacturer themselves (whoever they happen to be) if all they are producing is a tiny-model variant with no alloys and a single CD player.

For the time and the effort, I’d always recommend going that little bit further, even if it means saving up an extra month or whatever. For starters, unless you’re planning on keeping the car for life (these days that could well be in excess of 15 years based on engine life and average mileage of 12k) it’ll help resale values if you have some of what many people consider ‘the basics’. What are those and what colour should your new car be? Well there’s another article in itself.

In the meantime, if you’re lucky enough to have a brand new car, really do enjoy it. They are a marvel of the road and it’s the buying of those vehicles that allows the rest of us to see the decent stuff trickle down until we can afford it. New cars, I salute you (but only if you meet your purchasers’ options!)

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Selling your car these days is not only easier, but you have such a wide variety of choice that it can seem bewildering – especially when it comes to online wheeling and dealing. I’d like to tell you a bit more about your options when being a seller, and highlight some of the sites that I’ve had experience with.

No doubt you’ll find them of use too if you want to use the latest tools to move your motor. Advertising online is one of the quickest and easiest ways to sell your car. It’s a very simple way to get in touch with hundreds (if not thousands) of potential buyers and a great way to showcase your motor in the best possible way.

Of course, the way your ad looks, the length of time it is displayed and the number of images you can use all differ. What about your ad though? Well it’s crucial to get the tone right and emphasize why someone should buy the car. I wouldn’t recommend setting it out like you’re talking to a mate (you aren’t, after all), but I’d certainly make sure that you state why it’s a good purchase, how well it has been looked after and how you have used it.

This part of the ad is really about building up a level of trust and being honest – no-one wants to buy a lemon after all. One thing I would recommend avoiding is a long list of acronyms – unless you’re actually selling to a dealership or a specialist then an online ad (where you can frequently use far more words than a standard ad) can really benefit from having the full description such as Power Assisted Steering.

I’ve heard anecdotes of people selling with only the vaguest of information, but this is rare. The more information you provide in an honest fashion the more likely a buyer is to say to themselves “oh yes, this car is me. It’s exactly what I’m looking for”. If something attracted you to the car in the first place, make sure to mention it. It will certainly appeal to someone else. Without further ado, here are some sites you could use to sell your car.

Ebay
For many, this is the obvious choice. Why is that? Well, how about more than 40,000 cars and one of the best-known auction sites on the Internet. That not enough for you? Well, as a seller you have got a very versatile and powerful formatting tool that can set up everything from single ‘Buy It Now’ auctions all the way through to a much more familiar ‘Classified Ad’. The costs vary depending on how you want to sell your vehicle but a classified costs about £12.99. You have one picture for free to upload, with up to twelve slots being available. You should be able to relist your car if it doesn’t sell.

Pros: A very well known site with a wide range of tools for selling.
Cons: If you get ‘burned’ by a buyer, you won’t be able to offer feedback saying so (new Ebay rules).

Auto Trader
Arguably one of the most famous trade papers for selling a vehicle in the whole of the UK, this is really the bible for those who are looking to buy or sell. The online version is no different really, with access to more than 370,000 motors listed. Sellers get a great deal of advice for free, and there’s the option of paying £2.95 for a proper Glass’s Guide Evaluation (this will allow you to set your car at the correct asking price). The average fee will be around the £18 mark. All ads can be added to or edited once placed.
Pros: Nine images can be used, a huge amount of buyers.
Cons: A lot of competition on the site itself.

Fish 4 Cars
Part of the ‘Fish 4’ brand, this is one of the of the off-shoot sites and provides a range of sales tools. Most of the ads on there are for trade, but private sellers are certainly welcome. It costs just under a tenner for two weeks visibility – this can be stretched up to two months if you think your car isn’t going to shift. There’s more than 110,000 vehicles on there at the moment, giving the sellers a wide choice.
Pros: A huge amount of coverage including 500 local press titles.
Cons: Your ad might be lost in amongst the ‘trade’ offers etc.

Each of the three above offer something slightly different to the seller – though my personal pick would be Auto Trader. The reputation of the service should please most – as will the customer service. You might find you get a better price on one of the others though. If you have any experience as a seller, make sure to give some feedback.

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