Introduction 

With massive oversupply of many mainstream new cars, anybody who wants to splash out on a new motor has never had it so good. Whether it's a super mini or an estate, there are some fabulous deals to be had at any time of the year - but just because you're being offered an incentive or two, don't assume that you're getting the very best deal that's going.

Even the most basic new cars come with plenty of kit as standard, whether it's safety or comfort-related. When you're selecting your new transport it's up to you to haggle for the maximum amount of car for the minimum amount of money. It may be that you can get the next trim level or engine size up, without paying extra. Perhaps you can negotiate some free extras - or maybe you can just get a decent discount on how much money you have to fork out. Whatever you do, don't pay the asking price for any new car - at least get some free road tax, insurance or fuel out of the deal.

Finally, the only thing that matters when buying your new car is the cost to change. How much of a discount you get on your new car, or how much you're offered for your old one are irrelevant - it's the difference between the two that matters. Don't be taken in by a dealer offering you a huge part exchange but no discount on the new car - or vice versa

Researching Your Purchase

There's no shortage of places to read up on any car you may be considering buying, but some are more useful than others. Some publications are never critical because they're worried about upsetting advertisers, and even those who are critical may not be balanced because they're out to entertain rather than inform. This is why it's so important to research as widely as possible and get a feel for how well regarded any car is.

If you can narrow your potential purchases down to a shortlist, it'll help you settle on the best car - but make sure you try a range of models before committing to a purchase. Whatever you do, don't go out and buy a car on the strength of what you read about it - car reviewers often have a different set of personal circumstances and requirements from those who read their articles, and what suits them might not be right for you.

Once you've taken into account the elements in the What to buy section, you can narrow down which cars you're interested in.  

What to buy

What you want and what you need are two (possibly very) different things. When it comes to buying a car, you need to choose whether your head or your heart wins; assuming it's the former you need to consider the following:

• Think about what you can afford, but don't just look at the price you're paying. It's the total cost of buying and running the car that matters.

• Buy a colour that won't go out of fashion; bright colours such as orange or yellow aren't a good idea, but there will always be a demand for silver, black and red.

• What do you need the car to be able to do? Don't buy a sports car if you need to carry a family. Don't pay a premium for a diesel if you do a tiny annual mileage.

• If you sit in traffic a lot, it's worth thinking about buying an auto. They're much smoother than they used to be although cars with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) can take a bit of getting used to - as can paddle shifts on the steering wheel. But bear in mind that any car with an automatic gearbox will use more fuel than an equivalent manual.

Most city cars and super minis are very economical even in petrol form - 55mpg is quite normal for some of the smaller 1-litre city cars. Buying a car of this size with a diesel engine may cost hundreds of pounds more, but it won't necessarily be that much more economical. When you consider that diesel is usually more expensive to buy than petrol, it takes even longer to get your money back.

However, there is something else to consider. When you come to sell your car, if it has a diesel engine it will probably be more saleable, so worth a bit more. Ultimately, you need to work out what the price difference is between the petrol and diesel variants of the car you're considering buying. You then need to look at the difference in fuel economy, how many miles a year you typically drive and how long you'll keep the car. Once you've established all those things you can decide which fuel makes the most sense.

Your fuel choice should really be between petrol and diesel. Liquid Petroleum Gas is not as widely available as it was, and there are no longer any grants available to convert your car. You might also want to think about a hybrid car, but bear in mind that the fuel consumption figures quoted for these cars are rarely attained in the real world because of the way the testing is done. In reality, if the car is driven flat out on the motorway, a hybrid car is no more efficient than a conventional one. You’ll only reap the benefits of a hybrid if you're using the car in urban or more areas regularly, where you're braking and accelerating more frequently.

Specifying your car

Don't specify options you don't really need - especially as you get your money back on very few of them. Things like a CD player and air conditioning will not only make the car much nicer to live with, but they'll also make it much easier to sell. However, not all options make a car more saleable so be very choosy before you tick any of those option boxes. These are some of the most commonly specified options:

· Metallic paint: Makes any car more saleable, but doesn't usually increase its value.

· CD player: Any car buyer expects one nowadays - whether buying new or used. It also makes the car nicer to live with.

· Alloy wheels: They're now expected, but only on family hatches and above. City cars and super minis look very scruffy by the time their alloys have been kerbed endlessly.

· Xenon lights: Very expensive to fix when they go wrong, and might ultimately make a car less desirable.

· Parking sensors: Very cheap and worthwhile on any car because you'll quickly save money by not having to visit the paint shop.

· Satellite navigation: Great to have, but very poor value. You won't get your money back and you're better off buying a hand-held unit so you can move it from car to car.

· Leather trim: It's expected on premium cars, but not on the typical small or family hatch. While it's nice to have, you won't get your money back at resale time.

Where to buy, Franchised Dealers

If you assumed you'd have to go to a franchised dealer for your new car, think again. There are more places than ever, but if you pay a rock-bottom price you'll probably get a rock-bottom service. The most common new-car outlets are:Franchised dealers, which are appointed by the manufacturer they represent. They generally charge the highest prices, but should offer expertise along with ease of servicing.Car supermarkets hold massive stocks and work on tiny margins - so you can make huge savings. There's usually no haggling, and you can't choose the car's specification (as it's already in stock), but bargains abound.Brokers can order in bulk and secure savings accordingly. But read any contract before you sign it, because there are often hidden costs hiding in the small print.

Selling your current car

Unless you're in the fortunate position of your first car being new, you'll have a car to get rid of. Unless it's fit for scrap only, you need to get the best price you can for it. These are your options:Sell it privately, on GhanaCarTrader.com. The higher the car's value, the further people will come to buy it; nobody will travel 300 miles to look at a 400GHc banger.Trade it in; it's convenient, but you'll get (often much) less than if you were to sell it privately.Sell it to a second-hand car dealer. You'll probably get little more than if you traded it in, but if you shop around you could be better off ultimately.

Collecting your new car

The purchase of any new car represents a major financial investment, so you're entitled to perfection. Often, that isn't what's offered; check these out to see whether or not you're getting it.

•  Is the paintwork scratch and chip-free?

• Are there any dents in the panels?

• Is the glass damaged in any way?

• Is the paint a uniform colour all round?

• Is it exactly what you ordered in terms of trim level, engine and specification?

•  Is the interior marked in any way?

• Are you the first registered keeper on the registration document?

• Has the car been taxed?