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This is the website of Whichdeal Limited, operating under the trading name of CompareCarFinance (‘CCF’). Whichdeal Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Registration number 456327. We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller under registration number Z8890305.
‘CCF’ is referred to throughout this Privacy Policy as “we” or “us”. We are committed to protecting and respecting your personal data and we want you to be confident that your data is safe and secure with us. Your information is safely secured, and we shall protect the confidentiality of this information in accordance with our legal obligations and internal procedures. Whilst we will advise you of the type of information that is required and how it will be used, the discretion of whether you wish to provide this information is up to you.
Please note that we may change this privacy notice from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page to ensure that you are happy with any changes. We will communicate any changes to our privacy policy to our clients and individuals who have previously provided us with their personal information and we continue to process them. By visiting and using our site, you agree to our use of your personal data as set out in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it, you should not use this website and you should abandon your application.
If you have any questions about how we collect, store or use your personal data, our contact details can be found under the ‘How to contact us’ section of this notice.
Information regarding the type of cookies we use on our site, including how you can enable or disable them can be found in our separate ‘Cookie Policy’.
The companies Privacy Policy is broken down into the following areas:
The company’s website may contain links to other websites operated by other organisations. Please make sure that you read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of these third parties before you provide any personal data as we cannot accept any responsibility or liability for websites of other organisations. If you cannot locate a privacy policy/notice on another organisation’s website, please contact them directly for guidance.
This section explains what personal data we may collect when you use our services. Personal Information is any information which we would reasonably expect to identify you as an individual. The application form highlights which information is mandatory for you to enter into a contract with us and failure to provide such information may result in your application being declined.
We will collect data if you express an interest or apply for any of our products or services via our website, “www.comparecarfinance.co.uk” over the telephone or via social media. The basis upon which we collect and process your personal data is set out in our Privacy Policy, Application Form, Cookie Policy, our website Terms and Conditions and any relevant information provided to you during the application process. This will also include terms and conditions of lenders which we may introduce you to, or any third-party agents who supplies the products or service that we offer on their behalf.
Whilst most of the information that we collect is obtained directly using online forms, email communication and telephone conversations between you and your advisor, we may also collect personal data indirectly for example through the use of Cookies and this information may include:
Data is also collected to reduce and identify fraud and protect your identification.
We collect information about you for several different activities as described below:
As part of assessing your application for credit, to confirm your identity, to prevent fraud and to prevent money laundering, we may;
If your application is declined by all of our available lenders, your personal data and information may be passed to a 3rd party lender for consideration for alternative financial products.
The following internal uses may be:
We may use your data for training purposes to improve and enhance the service that we provide.
Your information may also be used to ensure that the website remains effective and to provide site performance, system administration and evaluate the use of the site to provide you with an improved service.
Upon receipt of your CV and/or application form, your details will be used to consider you for any current or forthcoming roles. A separate Employee Privacy Policy is accessible to all potential candidates prior to application which will set out the basis upon which personal (and if applicable) sensitive information will be collected.
We will use your data to respond directly to you. In the first instance, we will acknowledge your complaint with a copy of our complaints procedure and keep you updated as to the progression of our investigation. We may, if appropriate and necessary, consult with third parties such as dealerships, expert engineers or relevant lenders to collate correct information and obtain advice to enable us to make informed decisions and to respond appropriately. Please see the list of third parties at the end of this policy for further information.
When we share your personal data, we require those parties to keep it safe and they must not use your personal data for their own marketing purposes. We do not accept liability for the failure of data protection practices carried out by third parties of which we have no control. However, we shall inform you if we believe that a security breach may have occurred and if your data has been in anyway compromised
We will share your data with our affiliates for administering our business and maintaining our business relationships. These may include our advisors who provide compliance and legal advice and support our legal function.
We use service providers to enable us to carry out certain duties within the business such as email distribution companies, electronic signature processing, data storage and IT services.
Due to the nature of our comparison business, your details may be shared with third parties on applying for finance with us, as per our terms and conditions. Should you wish for your personal data to be removed, we will contact all third parties to also require that they also remove their data.
Upon making an application with us, we will assess whether we can assist. Should we be unable to provide our services, your data will be provided to a third party who will contact you to offer their services. Information as to the contact details are provided at the end of this policy.
Due to this company operating at distance, it may be required for third party dealerships involved in your prospective transaction to undertake identification checks on our behalf. The dealership may be required to utilise video conferencing to confirm that you are the applicant of the agreement and to carry out enhanced money laundering checks by way of obtaining and providing to us verification of your ID
Your application, including your personal data will be provided to a third-party lender following the completion of the soft search (see section 6.7). If your application is declined by all of our available lenders, you may be considered for alternative loan options taking into consideration your circumstances. Those third-party lenders may carry out further searches against you to access your credit score and to establish whether they may be able to assist further. Details of the prospective lenders are available to you by contacting us by email to data.protection@comparecarfinance.co.uk
We may be required by law to exchange and share your information with other organisations in the following circumstances:
If we sell or transfer any part of our business or enter into negotiations to sell or transfer the business), the successor of the title of the business may use your personal data in the same way as adopted under the terms of this privacy notice.
To assist in the recovery of debt or monies outstanding on your account, we may exchange information with third parties such our lawyers, enquiry agents, High Court Enforcement Agents and any other relevant organisation including other lenders. We reserve the right to sell aged debts to debt recovery agencies.
‘CCF’ is based in the UK, however information shared by us may include third parties who are located within the UK or within the European Economic Area. Any information transferred to these locations are protected by the General Data Protection Regulation. Companies operating outside of the European Economic Area may not be protected by the same quality of legal protection however we will only transfer data if we are satisfied that compliance is met, with applicable privacy laws and appropriate contracts are put in place and adhered to.
We use computer safeguards such as firewalls and data encryption, and we enforce physical access controls to our buildings and files to keep this data safe. We only authorise access to employees who need it to carry out their job responsibilities and we continuously screen employees after their appointment for any undisclosed criminal or financial implications.
We enforce physical, electronic and procedural safeguards in connection with the collection, storage and disclosure of personal data.
We carry out enhanced data protection procedures to verify your identity before we share your personal data with you. This includes obtaining your consent to share the information with another person whom you have previously given authorisation to speak on your behalf.
We will not reveal over the telephone or by email any banking or financial information when confirming an order or providing a refund.
Whilst we take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of any personal data that you transfer over the internet to us.
In the unlikelihood that we become aware of a security breach involving your personal data, our dedicated Data Protection Team will be responsible for informing the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and you as to the details of the breach. You will be notified of any breach which may give rise to any detriment to you and/or your personal data.
Upon making an application to us, you will have a choice to opt in to general marketing and market research (please see section 5.0). Your information will only be used upon receiving your explicit consent to use your information. You may receive this information by telephone, SMS, letter or email. All communications sent to you will give you information as to how you can unsubscribe from the marketing communications and electronic communications will include a link to enable you to opt out.
By agreeing to this Privacy Policy, you agree to us marketing information specific to your needs, such as offering the renewal of finance and products and services (for example, GAP and Warranty products).
We will refer your personal information to third party companies, if we consider that there is a legitimate interest in doing so. Details of those companies are noted at the end of this policy. Marketing by third parties will be limited to activities specific to your needs.
10.1 Notwithstanding our investment into security and firewalls to protect your data and our website, it is still nevertheless not 100% guaranteed that any communication via email cannot be intercepted. On this basis, we cannot accept liability for any unauthorised or unintended access that is beyond our control.
Due to the nature of our business, our policy is not to actively market our products or services or encourage interaction with minors (i.e. with anyone under the age of 16). Anyone under this age may only use their site with parental consent. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under the age of 16.
Parents/ Guardians should monitor and supervise their children’s internet usage and ensure parental controls and tools are in place.
If you are unhappy with the way we have stored or processed your data, please download our complaints form and return it by email to complaints@comparecarfinance.co.uk
You can also contact us directly over the phone on;
Tel: 0333 9000 290
Overseas: +44(0)333 9000 290
When you call, ask to be put through to the Complaints department and a member of our team will connect you. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt. We'll then attempt to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible, liaising with you to keep you updated of the process throughout.
If you're still unhappy after we've resolved your complaint, you can then take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (if 8 weeks has passed since the initial complaint).
The contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are as follows:
Tel: 0800 023 4 567
Overseas: 0300 123 9 123
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Address: The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London E14 9SR
You may also lodge your complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if we have been unable to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction. The ICO may be contacted on 0303 123 1113 or https://ico.org.uk/concerns/.
We use cookies to record visitor activity and improve our service to our customers. This information is anonymous and not personally identifiable. It does not contain your name, address, telephone number, or email address. You can disable cookies from within your browser. From time to time, we may use customer information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at some time in the future, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and you can opt out of these new uses by contacting us. We will actively communicate any updates to our practices to our existing customers and individuals whose personal information we process.
Under the new data protection law starting in May 2018, we have several lawful reasons that we can use (or 'process') your personal information. One of the lawful reasons is called 'legitimate interests'.
Broadly speaking Legitimate Interests means that we can process your personal information if:
So, what does this mean? When you provide your personal details to us we use your information for our legitimate business interests to provide you with information regarding car finance options in the market place and to sell and deliver vehicles across the UK. Before doing this, though, we will also carefully consider and balance any potential impact on you and your rights. We will process the personal information you have supplied to us to conduct and manage our business to enable us to give you the most appropriate marketing, information, service and products and provide the best and most secure experience. These are what we consider to be our 'Legitimate Interests'. We only use individual’s data in ways you would reasonably expect and will continue to monitor the safeguards that we have put in place to reduce any impact and if circumstances change.
We have conducted a Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) and identified the relevant legitimate interests that we rely on. Some typical examples of when we might use the approach are for;
When we process your personal information for our legitimate interests, we will consider and balance any potential impact on you and your rights under data protection and any other relevant law. Our legitimate business interests do not automatically override your interests – we will not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law).
For more information about your rights, please see 'Your Rights' in our Privacy Policy.
Remember, you can change the way you hear from us or withdraw your permission for us to process your personal details at any time by emailing: dataprotection@creditplus.co.uk
We are committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of our customers and to ensure that the processing of your data in kept safely and securely in accordance with all our legal obligations. We hold personal data about our employees, clients, suppliers and other individuals for a variety of business purposes.
16.0 Your individual Rights
Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 you have the right to
The right to be informed encompasses our obligations to provide ‘fair processing of information’. This privacy notice provides all information regarding how your data is stored.
You have the right to access your personal data and supplementary information. You have the right to see the personal data we hold about you. This is called a Subject Access Request.
You have the right to have any incorrect or incomplete data to be rectified. Please contact us should you require any amendments to be made to the data we store.
The right to erasure is also known as ‘the right to be forgotten’. The broad principle underpinning this right is to allow you to request the deletion or removal of personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
You have a right to ‘block’ or suppress processing of personal data. When processing is restricted, we are permitted to store the personal data, but not further process it.
The right to data portability allows you to obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes across different services. We will provide copies of your personal data in a machine-readable format, for example, Excel or CSV.
You may object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing (including profiling).
You may opt out of any automated decision making (including profiling) which we conduct. You can request to obtain human intervention of any automated decisions, express your point of view or contest the automated decision (e.g. an automated creditworthiness assessment).
If you would like a copy of the personal data we hold about you, or would like to exercise your rights as detailed above, please write to:
Whichdeal Ltd t/a CompareCarFinance
Waterloo House,
Fleets Corner,
Nuffield Road,
Poole, Dorset
BH17 0HL
There will be no charge for a copy of the information however we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee or refuse to respond when a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, particularly if it is repetitive. We may also charge a reasonable fee to comply with requests for further copies of the same information. Information will be sent to you at the latest and within one month of the date of receipt of the Subject Access Request. We may extend the period of compliance by a further two months where the request is complex or numerous and we shall keep you updated as to why the extension is necessary.
Our postal address is:
CompareCarFinance
Waterloo House
Fleets Corner
Nuffield Road
Poole
Dorset
BH17 0HL.
Our Freephone telephone number is: 0333 9000 290
Our email address is data.protection@comparecarfinance.co.uk
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When it comes to car finance, we all want a great deal. So how can you ensure that you are getting the best possible finance package for your circumstances? By getting CompareCarFinance to compare car loans for you.
All it takes to find a great car loan with CompareCarFinance is a few simple and straightforward steps. We do all the hard work for you, giving you all the information you need to make the right decision about your car finance deal, starting with our unique eligibility calculator tool.
Before you apply for car finance, you will want to get an idea of what packages are available to you by comparing car loans. That’s why we’ve created an eligibility calculator to give you an idea of what finance deal you might be able to get. Simply input the amount you want to borrow or how much your monthly budget is, how long you want the car finance agreement to be, and what your credit rating is. You can then see what sort of finance package you might get when applying.
When you compare the car loans available to you, they will generally be divided into two main types. These are the most popular car finance products and are suitable for different types of consumer.
Also known as PCP, personal contract purchase is a finance agreement where you don’t pay for the car, but the depreciation in value from its initial price to its price at the end of the agreement. As a result, payments are generally lower. At the end of your finance agreement, you have three options:
PCP is ideal for consumers who want to change their car every few years. PCP finance deals are generally available to those with an excellent or good credit rating.
Hire Purchase, or HP, is a finance agreement where the total cost of the finance agreement is divided across the entire length of the agreement. This includes the amount borrowed AND the total amount of interest charged during the agreement. This finance package is perfect for those who have a fixed monthly budget and know exactly how much they can afford each month. It is also more readily available to those without an excellent credit rating.
Only you know how much you can afford on a car finance package. When you apply for an online car loan with CompareCarFinance, we will compare car loans from a wide panel of lenders to present you with as many options as possible to choose from. Your dedicated customer advisor will help talk you through the options available, explaining in detail the pros and cons of the quotes provided to you. All quotes are no-obligation, and when you compare car loans with us, it won’t affect your credit rating or future applications.
Ready to get started? Complete our simple online application form and start on the road to your new car.
Finding a great new car at a price you can afford can be difficult. Saving up enough of a lump sum to get the car you want is not always an option, leaving you having to settle for an older car that might not be what you wanted.
But when it comes to choosing a car that’s right for you or your family, you don’t want to make any compromises. Newer cars are more economical, comfortable and safer. Having to choose a car based on the money you have saved means you might miss out on a better model. By spreading the cost across many months, you can afford a better car. This is where car finance becomes the perfect option for your car buying needs.
Car finance works by spreading the cost of your new car into affordable monthly payments. So instead of having to have a large amount of money saved up to pay for your new car, you can break it down over a fixed amount of time, normally 2-4 years.
All car finance deals are based on a number of different factors:
The total cost of your car finance package will be calculated using these factors along with the car loan rate. However, not all providers will give you the exact same car finance quote, so you will want to compare car loans before agreeing to any deal.
The key selling point of car finance is the ability to spread the cost across a fixed period without the need to save up a large sum of money. And while you may end up paying more for the car than if you were to buy it outright at the start, the rate of interest charged on your car finance deal will be set at the start of the agreement. So you can ensure that the amount you borrow is evenly spread across manageable monthly payments.
There are also a range of different providers on the market who cater to people with different credit ratings. So even if you have a poor credit history, you can still find a suitable car finance package for your circumstances. You can even get an idea of what packages you can get using CompareCarFinance’s eligibility calculator tool.
And remember, if you are buying a newer car, you will save money on fuel economy, car tax and on repairs and upkeep.
When applying for car finance, you want to make sure you are getting the best possible package for your circumstances. CompareCarFinance will compare a wide variety of different finance options so you don’t have to go from site to site getting quotes individually. We will then help you find the ideal car finance deal for what you need. You will receive a no-obligation quote based on your credit history, how much you want to borrow and the length of the agreement.
Applying is simple, and won’t affect your credit rating thanks to our ‘soft credit check’, meaning even if you don’t find the right package now, it won’t affect future applications.
So ready to get start? Complete our online application form and you’ll soon be on the road to a fantastic car finance package.
When you take out a car finance package, interest will be charged on the total amount borrowed. The amount of interest charged is the ‘car loan rate’. What rate you will be charged depends on your credit rating. This is your financial history, so a provider can see how much of a risk it is to lend you money. The provider will assess your credit worthiness before approving any car finance deal.
A car loan rate is also known as the ‘APR’ or annual percentage rate. It is the amount of interest the provider charges you for taking out the car loan. It is based on a number of factors, most important of which is your credit rating.
A credit rating is based on your financial history. The five main ratings are:
Those with an excellent credit rating will be charged the lowest car loan rate, with poor credit ratings generally seeing higher rates. However, you can still get a car finance package with a poor credit rating. Check out our online eligibility tool for more information.
There are two main types of car loan rate.
A variable car loan rate means that the rate of interest can change over time. It can go up or down during the finance agreement, depending on a number of factors including how much the Bank of England charges borrowers.
A fixed car loan rate stays the same across the agreement, so it won’t change up or down during the term of the car finance package. While it means you can find out the exact cost of your car finance package at the start of your agreement, it can also mean that if the financial market improves, you miss out on savings.
All finance packages are based on how much of a risk a finance provider thinks it is to lend money. Your credit rating is the way your lender will calculate this risk. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get a car finance package if you have a poor or bad credit rating. There are specialist lenders who cater to each type of credit rating, including those deemed to be more of a risk. To ensure you still get a good finance deal, you will need to compare car loans.
When you apply with CompareCarFinance, your dedicated customer advisor will be able to talk you through the options available and help you get the best finance deal for your circumstances. Apply online today to find out more.
When it comes to finding the perfect car finance package, the best way is to buy online. Simple and straightforward, online car loans save you time and energy searching for a great deal.
When you apply for an online car loan with CompareCarFinance, we will search through a wide number of different providers to find the best car finance package for your circumstances. Whereas, if you went to a dealership, it would take more time and you would be limited to the providers the dealer works with. You may also be pressed into making a commitment before a quote is provided.
Applying with CompareCarFinance is no-obligation and you’ll receive an instant online decision on the car loans available to you. Your dedicated customer advisor will be there to talk you through the process step-by-step and can answer any questions you may have about your online car loan.
To apply for an online car loan, all you have to do is complete our simple online application form. We won’t ask you hundreds of questions. All it takes is a few details about you, your employment history and where you’ve lived over the last few years. We will then conduct a ‘soft credit search’ on your credit history to see what car finance packages you are eligible for.
You’ll then be provided with an instant online decision. From there, your dedicated customer advisor will talk you through the options available. Whether you’ve found a car already, or wanted to find out what finance options were available first.
Applying for an online car loan with CompareCarFinance is no-obligation. And, unlike some providers, applying won’t affect your credit file. When you apply for a car finance package with a company that doesn’t conduct a soft search, this application is registered on your credit file, whether you were approved or not. Some lenders will look at this and see that you have been applying before. If you apply more than once, they may think you are desperate for credit and so a risk to lend money to.
That’s why getting an online car loan through CompareCarFinance is the best option. Not only will it not affect your credit rating, but we will also compare car loans from a wide variety of lenders so you can easily see the options you have available.
If you haven’t found the car you want to buy with the online car loan, then why not let us do all the hard work for you? Whether you know the exact make and model of car you’re after, or only have rough idea, we can help track down the ideal car for you.
Searching thousands of cars from all across the country through a network of approved dealers, we will find your ideal car to go with the perfect car finance deal. We’ll also give the car a good RAC approved check over before it’s delivered to you.
We can also help find you a car warranty, so your new car gets that added protection across the term of your car finance agreement.
Choosing an online car loan with CompareCarFinance is the simple way to find the perfect car finance package. Apply online today and start on the road to your new car.
If you would like to to talk to one of our experienced customer advisors, or you would like further information on any of the deals, then please contact us.
Telephone: 0333 9000 290 (UK residents only, calls may be monitored or recorded)
Email: help@comparecarfinance.co.uk
Mon - Thurs: 09:00 - 19:00
Friday: 09:00 - 17:30
Sat - Sun: 10:00 to 16:00
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Put on the kettle, grab some biscuits and take a read - you never know, you may learn something new!
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This lead to breakdowns. That was - unless - the plucky motorist stumped up for regular servicing…
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But that’s because selling a car is unique…
A car is freedom.
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Considering the amount of traffic and road works (sorry, road improvements) choking Britain’s roads, any colour is the wrong colour.
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The Fiesta was a practical, affordable car for a junior exec or a family on a modest income.
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Awesome. Right? Well, maybe not…
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Toys…
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Read more…Have you ever driven past a car dealership and noticed the barrage of promotional offers they send your way? Scrappage schemes, guaranteed minimums on trade ins and dealership contributions on all new registrations.
Read more…There has been a sharp rise in car thefts in the UK over the last 12 months. Although this can be attributed to fewer bobbies walking the beat, the reason is more often than not down motive, opportunity and whether or not the individual believes they will get caught.
Read more…We’ve all seen the adverts. Loan companies, credit cards and other lenders promising you all of the monies with seeming none of the catches. Even if you have a poor credit history.
Read more…If you’re someone who clocks up major business miles you need a car that’s comfortable, well equipped, reliable and with enough grunt to get your out of a tight spot on the M25, during rush hour, in the p*ssing rain.
Read more…Advances in design and battery technology means owning an electric car is now considered not only an ethical choice, but a practical one. Despite this, however, they are not without their limitations and therefore not right for everyone.
Read more…The ability to jump in, pick a direction and just drive is very liberating. So much so they’ve made movies about it. And ended countless more with the hero and heroin driving off into the sunset together.
Read more…So you’re in the market for a nearly new (or pre-loved as some would have) it baby crossover. It’s one of the most popular markets at the moment, although the amount of choice is fairly limited.
Read more…To celebrate the official launch of Compare Car Finance we are giving away a HD Smart TV, an Amazon Fire Stick and a 1 year Amazon Prime subscription! That way you can watch all your favourite car related shenanigans from Clarkson, Hammond and May on The Grand Tour!
Read more…Compare Care Finance launches today, a new way for consumers to get the best finance available to them for the car they want. Compare Car Finance’s fintech platform gives total control to the consumer…
Read more…If you’re someone who clocks up major business miles you need a car that’s comfortable, well equipped, reliable and with enough grunt to get your out of a tight spot on the M25, during rush hour, in the p*ssing rain.
The good news is there’s plenty of choice for the high-flying sales types. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and others all offer a host of cars that will get you where you need to go in comfort and style.
Be it the 5 Series, the A6, the E-Class or even a Land Rover Evoque, there is choice in abundance, and they all come with the creature comforts that make life on the road a tad more bearable.
Including more toys than a Smyths toy shop and more cup holders than a National Express coach, so those much-needed recharge breaks at a Starbucks drive through can be navigated with ease.
They all have reliable engines that put the power down where it’s needed to ensure you make good time but still allows you to enjoy the drive. And the diesel versions - although controversial because of the emissions - will outlive you because they simply go and go.
So, when it’s time to chop in the old set of wheels for new, the decision is obvious, right?
Well perhaps not. With the impending retirement of the Ford Mondeo - an undeniably good and reliable car, if not as fancy as it’s contemporaries - is the saloon becoming a thing of the past?
It’s reasonable to say that the eruption of rep-mobiles on British roads has been largely due to a shift in how we do business.
The perception of success - certainly in the 80s and 90s - was more important than actually being successful. Faking it until you make it was more of less the motto of the last few decades.
This meant providing sales reps, managers and directors with a suitably flash set of wheels that communicated both their personal status and the success their organisation. Because who in their right mind would spend that much money on that many cars.
The lease company as it goes, but that’s by the by.
A company car was an indication of one’s standing. During the 90s, if you drove a Vauxhall Vectra you were no one. Rock up in a 3 Series on the other hand and people took notice. Drive a 5 Series and they’d practically usher you in through the door on a bed of rose petals.
A business saloon was the must have perk that most people attempted to negotiate to have.
And the tradition has endured to this day.
Or has it? For all the Audi A4s and BMW 3 Series we see thundering up and down the M3 Corridor they are vastly outnumbered by cars that do anything but fit into the stereotypical category of a 4 or 5 door rep-mobile.
In fact, sales data suggests that overwhelmingly drivers are steering away from the traditional saloon cars. The top two selling cars in the UK is the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus respectively. The only saloon making into the top 10 being the Mercedes C-Class at number 7.
Broadly speaking - everything.
Specifically…
Twenty years ago, cars were far less reliable. Especially small cars. A small engine was code for a terrible engine. If it wasn’t at least a 1.6 then it would simply explode the second it hit 70, killing you and everything within a 5-mile radius.
They were for local driving only and woe betide anyone who should venture out on the open roads.
Small cars were also considerably less safe and could accommodate fewer luxuries. In short - they were the worst.
Then the automotive industry did what it does best - it started innovating.
They began devising ways of making the smaller, more affordable cars, safer, more reliable and equipped with the technology that had made their larger cars the popular choice.
Engine technology also made huge leaps forward to the extent that in 2019 a turbocharged 1.2 litre engine can throw down more torque and BHP than some engines more than twice its size.
This is a significant breakthrough as it means smaller, cheaper, more economical and efficient cars can do the kind of journeys you’d only dare approach with a saloon in the past.
But that’s not all. Hybrid and electric vehicles occupy 6.6% market share which is impressive under any circumstances.
A clear indication that attitudes towards hippy-mobiles and milk floats is changing to something entirely more positive and accurate.
Regardless, there is no denying the economic benefits of running either a smaller car, an electric vehicle or a hybrid.
Of course, the rise of the electric car and or the popularity of the Ford Fiesta is irrelevant if neither of those types of vehicle meet your requirements.
Ego aside, if you spend most of your day on the road then you need something comfortable, with reasonable power and the mod cons so you can stream music, ask Siri to tell you a joke or have your buttocks warmed and massaged when you’re stuck in traffic.
However, it’s important to do your research as it isn’t just the larger cars that offer that level of luxury. In fact some hot hatches offer technology that can only be found in cars of their size class.
Meaning that if you want all the toys then you may need to consider a Ford Focus after all.
However, Spotify, air con, self-parking and sentry mode aren’t the only things to consider.
Space is a factor. As great as an Audi A1 or A3 may be to drive, they both lack the boot space compared to the A4, A5 and A6.
If you’re on the road you want to know that your suitcase will actually fit in your car without you having to strap it to the rear passenger seats.
Similarly, if your role requires you to entertain clients, you need the level of comfort and space that few cars outside of the saloon class can provide.
Nothing says ‘we don’t want your business’ like cramming potential clients in to a 3-door hot hatch. It doesn’t matter how fuel efficient your car is - there’s no coming back from that.
The truth is that car designs have evolved so significantly that even small cars aren’t that small anymore.
The current Fiesta is the same size as the original Focus. But no amount of convincing will make you buy one if it doesn’t match your requirements.
So understanding what those requirements are, on a seriously deep and honest level, is important. There is no point setting your sites on an Evoque if it’s not going to work as both a long-distance cruiser and a car you’ll use around town at the weekends.
Identify what you need the car to do and then figure out if it’s got the stuff you want as well.
If it does, then - regardless of what it is - that’s your new car.
If not, decide whether you can compromise.
Whatever your personal requirements it’s important you make the decision with all the information to hand as well as knowing what your financial liabilities would look like.
Compare Car Finance can help you find the right car for you, at the right price and then help you buy it. Click here to visit our car search page or see what finance package you're eligible for…
Check my eligibilityChoosing a car is a deeply personal thing. What may be a thing of beauty to one, is an absolute shed to another.
Ask the presenters of the Grand Tour what they think of the Nissan Juke and you will be met with a tirade of abuse. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the most popular mini SUVs on the roads in Britain today.
Beauty - as the saying goes - is in the eye of the beholder.
If only choosing a car was that simple. Size, capacity, comfort, gadgets, car tax, insurance group and colour are just some of the factors the average household has to contend with when buying a car.
Let alone mileage and whether to choose petrol or diesel. Or electric.
It can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that the EV star is on the rise. The success of the Nissan Leaf, the Renault Zoe and the high-profile Tesla range has seen to it that electric cars are no longer sniggered at when they cruise past.
Advances in design and battery technology means owning an electric car is now considered not only an ethical choice, but a practical one.
Despite this, however, they are not without their limitations and therefore not right for everyone. Here’s a few things to consider if you’re considering investing in an electric car:
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. Mainly because it’s usually the biggest stumbling block for car buyers when considering an electric car over a conventional engine.
The Nissan Leaf has a range of around 200 miles before it requires charging. That may seem low but depending on the size of your current conventional engine and how you drive it, you may not be getting many more between fill-ups.
The difference is that to fill the average tank will cost £40+ whereas an electric car can be charged from flat to full for a couple of pounds.
However, when on a long journey it’s a heck of a lot more convenient to stop for fuel than it is for electricity. For two reasons - the first being not all petrol stations have charge points.
This isn’t unreasonable seeing as electric charge and combustible liquids aren’t a great mix. The other is it takes far longer to charge a battery than it does to fill a tank.
It’s worth noting that other electric vehicles - like a Tesla - have ranges of up to 370 miles. Although - as with conventional engines - it depends how you drive it.
Ultimately, your personal circumstances will dictate whether an electric car is right for you.
If you’re job requires you to drive long distances, then an electric car may prove an inconvenience. Although some have longer ranges than others, motorway driving will drain the battery a lot quicker than town driving.
This isn’t an issue providing you can charge your car at each end. Fortunately, there are apps that tell you which compatible charging stations are around, what charge card you need, if they are working and how much it will cost.
It’s undeniably a greater consideration than driving a conventional car but if you’re spending hours in the car then 30 minutes at a Welcome Break for a Costa and an M&S sandwich while your car charges isn’t that bad an idea.
If - on the other hand - your driving is largely limited to driving around your local area. The endless misery of the stop/start commute to work, the weekly shop and a few sorties to take the family to wherever they need to go.
Then the electric car represents a genuinely viable option. Providing you’re able to fit a charge point at your home.
Although some electric car dealerships will let you charge your car for free, it's first come first served so you can end up waiting for an hour or more in order to top up.
That aside, electric cars were built with town and city driving in mind.
The low energy consumption in heavy traffic, the quiet, comfortable ride and the abundance of technology means that you will be relaxed and comfortable.
You also won’t ruin your knees with endless gear changes as you crawl forwards in rush hour traffic.
Plus electric cars benefit from huge amounts of torque so when windows do open up you can exploit them fully. Often beating far more powerful cars to the punch. Much to their abject horror.
Although linked to the range and the need to charge the car overnight, there are other considerations too.
It’s important to understand that when you buy an electric car you will need a charge point fitted at home. If you’re in rented accommodation this will be a tough sell to your landlord or lady.
Bear in mind that with the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and the inexorable ban on new combustion engine cars within the next decade, having a charge point fitted to your house may actually increase your property value. We emphasise the word may.
That aside, electric cars are as practical as it gets. Because of the number of power cells required you end up with a good-sized car that can comfortably fit 5 adults (with the exception of the Tesla Roadster). The absence of a fuel tank also means that the storage is capacious too.
Then there’s the issue of sound. Or lack thereof. Driving an electric car means being able to hear people in the back of the car - no matter how fast you’re moving. Song lyrics will also start to make a lot more sense.
Due to the nature of electric cars you also tend to get far more toys as standard which makes for better value and greater convenience.
You can also do cool things like set your heater to come on at a certain time so during the winter months you get into a blissfully warm car with clear windows. Whereas everyone else is stood in the freezing cold, scraping off the frost, while questioning a number of life choices.
There is a downside however. Because there is no engine and therefore no waste heat with which to warm the cabin, all the heat from electric cars comes from heaters.
Which can be a little bit heavy on energy consumption.
That means on those especially cold days when you have the heater on the entire journey, you can expect the range to drop at close to twice the rate it would normally.
Providing you’ve planned accordingly this shouldn’t be a problem but it’s definitely something to be aware of. Again, the need for a charging point at home is pretty high.
While the lower (and sometimes) inconsistent range can be a frustration, its low cost to charge means that popping your car on to charge when you get home everyday - or every other day - will become as second nature as doing the same for your phone.
There’s also next to no deconditioning of the batteries so you can drive the car every day and top up the charge every night and the cells will not drain just because. Unlike your phone.
Electric cars are expensive. A Renault Zoe will set you back around £21,000 with the prices going all the way up to over £100,000 for a top of the range Tesla.
The average is around £35,000 which could buy you a reasonably specced BMW 3 Series.
It’s not a small amount of money, especially as there are plenty of other cars out there that’ll do the same job for a lot less. And without all the compromises.
The main cause for the high prices is the lithium batteries. They’re incredibly expensive to produce which drives the costs up. The abundance of technology plays a part too.
However, the experts believe that the cost of owning an electric car will dip below the cost of owning a conventional car within the next couple of years.
Considering the average cost of fuel, that’s not hard to believe. According to research conducted by Ovo Energy, it costs an electric car owner an average of £400 to travel 10,000 miles compared to £1,300 for petrol or diesel powered cars.
That is a genuine saving. And while £35,000 will undoubtedly buy you a BMW, the tax, insurance and fuel bills will be vastly outstrip that of owning an electric car.
Be warned though - the changes to road tax rules means that any car valued at £40,000 or above and registered after 2017 incurs a £310 road tax charge. This will no doubt frustrate those looking to reduce their monthly or yearly costs. But even taking that into account, it is still - mile for mile - significantly cheaper than running a petrol or diesel car.
The arguments for and against buying an electric car are largely balanced. The main factors come down to whether or not its practical and whether or not you can afford one.
Lucky for you, we may be able to help you with the second issue. Check your eligibility today with our no-obligation soft search which will not affect your credit score.
Check my eligibilityThere’s a sense of freedom to owning a car that you don’t really find anywhere else.
The ability to jump in, pick a direction and just drive is very liberating. So much so they’ve made movies about it. And ended countless more with the hero and heroin driving off into the sunset together.
Even buying the car is an expression of that freedom. It’s a deeply personal choice that’s really only limited by budget.
Otherwise you get to choose a car that both meets your needs and reflects your personality.
But more than that - depending on whether you’re buying new or used, and the range available, you get to pick the make, model, spec, colour, engine type, engine size. Even the number of doors.
But once all that’s done you need to get down to the business of paying for it.
Cars aren’t cheap. Obvious but worth stating because buying one usually represents a significant financial commitment. For most people it’s the second biggest purchase of their lives behind buying a house.
In the UK the average sale price of a car is £12,919 which means, without some proper savings, very generous parents or an inheritance you don’t know of, buying a quality, safe and reliable car is going to be a stretch.
Of course, this takes into account everything from 18 year olds buying a cheap Renault Clio so they can convert it into a bass powered spaceship. And the top one percent who can spend more on cars that most people spend on their aforementioned homes.
Regardless, if you want either a new car or a nearly new car that’s in good condition, with all the mod cons and everything else, you’re still looking at £8-10,0000.
Not exactly walking around money for most.
Fortunately, there are plenty of financial services available to make that big purchase a little more manageable. Although it’s important to understand the different approaches you can take towards purchasing a car.
Arguably the most common way to bag a new set of wheels - trading in an old car for a new one is a time-honoured tradition.
It’s like a modern-day duel in which the car salesperson tries to give you as little money as possible while you try to hold your ground without blowing the deal.
And all the while knowing that the car you’re trying to get shot of needs a small fortune spending on it and you’re not sure if it’d pass its next MOT.
Ultimately what you’re getting here is convenience.
If you’re replacing an old car, you’ll never get as much for a trade in as you would selling it yourself. But trading in means you don’t have to go to the trouble of selling it yourself.
If you need to get a new car sharpish, this may be your best bet.
Remember - if you’re existing car is on finance then selling it will likely breach the terms of that finance agreement. Mainly because legally speaking you don’t own the car. Until the finance is cleared that is.
So, if you are planning on trading in, make sure the finance is cleared first.
The alternative here is - if you plan on buying another car through the same dealer/broker as last time then - providing you’ve made sufficient payments - you can return your current car and use any residual value as a deposit towards your new one.
Depending on how much this is, it may be sufficient to ensure finance on a new agreement.
As mentioned above, a new car is a weighty investment. That means any finance or loan agreement you take out will mean monthly repayments.
Now, you don’t necessarily need a deposit in order to buy a car. However, be aware of the following:
Putting some money down reduces the overall debt and therefore the amount of interest you pay. Therefore you’re less likely to find yourself in negative equity once the finance is cleared.
It will also reduce the repayments and possibly the duration of the finance. Which means you’re paying off less over a shorter period of time. Which is good.
However, depending on your circumstances, you may be in a position to secure finance without a deposit.
Again, this is impact how much you pay each month. It may also result in a higher interest rate as the finance company or lender is taking a bigger risk as you are borrowing the full amount.
This may seem arbitrary as the deposit needed to get a lower interest rate could be relatively small. However, a £500 deposit on a ten grand car tells the lender that you’re good for the money.
Admittedly the credit checks should confirm that but still, it’s 5% less than you were going to borrow.
The other downside of borrowing the full amount is that you get stung for the full amount of interest too. If you clear the finance early then you pay less interest, obviously, but that’s true of all circumstances.
The point is your liability is much greater which could impact your ability to borrow money for other things or apply for credit cards.
Depending on the finance agreement you sign up for you may find that - at the end of your payment term you are required to pay a final instalment. Or balloon payment.
Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with brightly coloured foil shapes filled with helium and everything to do with paying a lump sum to settle the balance of the debt. Or give back the car.
Most car dealerships will try to sell this as a benefit but just be aware.
While it’s useful to know that - if by the end of the term you want to walk away you can - also consider that you’ve been essentially paying all that money for nothing. Admittedly it’s exactly the same as having a lease car.
The other option is to - as referenced earlier - trade in the car before the term is up, clear the finance and use the residual for a new agreement.
It’s a fairly effective way of tying you into a particular brand and/or particular dealership franchise as they’ll usually be more willing to help you out, find contributions and the like in order to keep your business.
This is great providing the car you’ve chosen will actually have any residual value. So you need to take that into consideration when it comes to making your purchase.
Buying something that’ll be worth the tank of fuel and a Mars bar will make it very difficult for you to trade in. Leaving you with little alternative beyond walking away or paying more than the car is worth in a final payment.
Again, the more you’ve paid in at the start, the less you have to find at the end, so buying a car without a deposit can make things that little bit harder for future you.
But it depends how bothered you are about keeping future you happy.
Although - if your plan is to save and pay the finance off early anyway, then it really doesn’t matter. The point is - whichever route you choose to take in getting your new car, plan properly. Make sure that you are in a position to make the repayments and - when the time comes - either clear the debt, refinance or walk away.
With finance packages starting at 6.9% APR without the need to put down a deposit, there has never been a better time to get a new car!
With our soft-search, completely free eligibility checker you could be in the driving seat of your new car in days! Check today and see what you could be driving away in!
Check my eligibilitySo you’re in the market for a nearly new (or pre-loved as some would have) it baby crossover.
It’s one of the most popular markets at the moment, although the amount of choice is fairly limited. This is partly because crossovers - as their name suggests - are neither one thing or the other.
That isn’t a bad thing but by their very nature, they are a compromise, so it’s important to know that going in.
But their popularity is understandable. They offer a little bit of SUV ride height and solidity will retaining the agility and fun of a supermini.
The result is - supposed to be - something that’s fun while still being practical and giving decent MPG.
We compare the 66 plate Nissan Juke and the Ford EcoSport.
The Ford EcoSport is not the most beautiful of cars. You can see its heritage but it’s had all the fun beaten out of it so it looks a little too functional for its own good. Which is a shame considering its built on the Fiesta chassis - arguably one of the best cars on the road pretty much anywhere.
Despite its ancestry, the EcoSport looks a little bit like someone put a transit in a compactor. Or saw a Kuga in a funhouse mirror and said ‘I have an idea’.
Regardless, to look at it feels too tall and too narrow, despite its best efforts to appear both rugged yet quintessentially Ford with the now distinctive pseudo-Aston front grill.
The Juke on the other hand is a much quirkier, curvier design and can be a tad marmite as a result. Not everyone loves the Juke’s features but it’s been largely unchanged since it’s original release in 2010.
It’s also consistently sold well, being the 8th most popular car in the UK.
Of the two it feels more like a mini off roader, despite the EcoSport’s higher ride height and ground clearance.
Both cars benefit from a host of styling options although the Juke - in keeping with its ‘mad as a bag of spanners’ design, can have everything from wing mirrors to alloys in a second colour.
If you buy your Juke from a dealership they may be able to offer vinyl wrap services in lieu of your chosen model lacking any of the pizazz afforded by buying new.
The EcoSport’s interior - like the exterior - is agonisingly practical. If you take regular trips to the local recycling centre, or you own a large dog, or needs to transport the occasional corpse, then it’s the car for you due to the folding seats giving you a huge amount of space in the back.
However, like the exterior, it all feels a little squashed. Although the benefit is plenty of headroom for the taller individual. The seats are comfortable too. Even rear seat comfort hasn’t been compromised despite the multirole use the designers had in mind.
The console is more a less a flat copy of the Fiesta, only with a more angular aesthetic which does nothing to help with the sense of claustrophobia.
The 66 plate EcoSport also suffers from the fact that it’s the older Fiesta console so it’s a mess of buttons and a clunky D-Pad all pointing at a tiny two-tone screen.
It all works but it’s not slick or terribly pleasant to use.
On the other hand the Juke’s interior is a little more premium. Depending on the spec it can get a lot more premium with all the toys one would expect from a Japanese car manufacturer.
The sloping roof and curvaceous windscreen makes the car feel slightly sporty without compromising on space.
In the back you can comfortably stuff a couple of six footers in without hitting heads and the boot has a Millennium Falcon-esque false floor providing a decent sized boot for the size of car. It is overall a little on the small side so if you’re taller than 5ft 10, don’t expect the person behind you to have much leg room.
The console won’t be to everyone’s taste but it’s a nicer design. The touchscreen interface with all the integrated gadgets, as well as engine settings makes for a nicer experience. The seats are good quality too and the steering wheel feels far nicer to hold than the Ford’s.
Other than the legroom, the other major niggles are: the armrest - despite everything else feeling quality - is flimsy and a little on the cheap side. And the touchscreen can be a pain in the backside to navigate if you hit a bump in the road. Plus the sat nav relies on a memory card that’ll set you back £150 a time to update – And it’s nowhere near as reliable as Google Maps.
The Ford EcoSport uses a 1.0 EcoBoost from the Fiesta. A hardy and reliable engine that is known for its good performance and impressive grunt.
The EcoSport bumpf claims the engine can put 125bhp on to the road. Maybe in the Fiesta. The EcoSport never really feels like it can deliver on that promise. Maybe it’s the weight or the high ride height but whatever the reason, it just doesn’t have what it takes at higher revs.
That said the gearbox is as smooth as one would expect from the new Fiesta and will likely be the one part of the car that’ll never give you a day’s trouble.
The Juke’s gearbox, on the other hand isn’t quite so slick. Perhaps it’s because it sits that much higher on the console, but shifting to second rarely slots in nicely. And having a 6th gear on 1.2 litre (or even the 1.5 litre version) seems a bit too much like a hat on a hat.
It’s understandable however because the 1.2 litre engine is turbo charged which means, when you need it, the power is there in spades. This makes it tremendous fun to drive, especially as the Juke handles so well.
It’s responds well and with superior stability to the EcoSport you can stick it in the corners without feeling like you’re going to roll and hurtle through the Pearly Gates on fire.
The only thing to watch out for is the turbo lag. If you’re being a bit cheeky at roundabout you may find the Juke a little gutless for those first crucial seconds. At best you’ve got a horn blasting behind you as the engine suddenly wakes up. At worst you’ve got someone ploughing into the back of you.
Nissan claim it can do 49.6 mpg combined although that’s likely on the Eco setting, which sucks the power and the fun out of the engine. In normal conditions you’re looking at closer to 37mpg. Ford claim between 45 and 53mpg combined for the EcoSport with the 1.0 litre EcoBoost. But, again, this will be under optimal conditions so expect it to do roughly the same as the Juke.
It would be easy to say definitively one car is better over the other and while we may have a preference, it’s important to recognise your needs and wants in a car.
The Juke is arguably more fun but far less practical. Plus the amount of technology stuffed into it means there’s more that can go wrong with it.
The EcoSport is built on one of the most popular and most reliable cars on the market, with one of the best engines. Throw in the folding seats, ride height and high ceilings and you’ve got a comfortable, practical car that will do you proud.
It just may not bring a smile to your face while it does it.
Whether you're looking at the Nissan Juke, the Ford EcoSport or even a Tesla Roadster - we can help you get the best finance package available to you and then deliver the car straight to your preferred address!
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Check my eligibility[Poole, Dorset]: Compare Car Finance launches today, a new way for consumers to get the best finance available to them for the car they want. Compare Car Finance’s fintech platform gives total control to the consumer and offers them the ability to finance their next car completely online – with their new car delivered to their door!
“With more and more finance options available to the public, complete transparency and honesty form the cornerstones of our offering. By showing consumers all their available finance options and giving them access to over 280,000 cars nationwide, the days of being overcharged at your local dealership are numbered,” says Shaun Armstrong, CEO at Compare Car Finance.
Features and benefits of Compare Car Finance include.
Compare Car Finance is live now at https://www.comparecarfinance.co.uk/
About Compare Car Finance:
Established in 2019 by Shaun Armstrong, co-founder of Creditplus
Our mission is to disrupt the car finance market – giving control back to the consumer to get the best finance available to them for the car they want.
Through marketing leading technology, we’re the only UK business to provide the car buying trinity – affordable finance, reliable cars, & delivery to your door – completely online.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 17/06/2019
For more information please contact: Adam Looker, Marketing Director // 07479 466750 // adam.looker@comparecarfinance.co.uk
To celebrate the official launch of Compare Car Finance we are giving away a HD Smart TV, an Amazon Fire Stick and a 1 year Amazon Prime subscription! That way you can watch all your favourite car related shenanigans from Clarkson, Hammond and May on The Grand Tour!
You can enter the competition a number of ways across our various social platforms:
You can enter more than once, by commenting more than once and tagging different friends
You can enter more than once, by commenting more than once and tagging different friends
As always, there are terms and conditions attached to the giveaway, so read on if you want to know what they are!
We’ve all seen the adverts. Loan companies, credit cards and other lenders promising you all of the monies with seeming none of the catches. Even if you have a poor credit history.
Of course the fine print reveals why - a contract that will essentially sell your soul to them and staggering penalties if you miss just one payment.
All this on top of interest rates that can be in the hundreds of percent. The industry has improved slightly as some could be as high as 1200% but still, it’s financial abuse at best. Indentured servitude at worst.
But it happens all the time and it’s terrible.
Although it’s not ideal to have a bad credit rating sometimes it’s beyond the individual’s control. Especially as most of us have no idea just how credit ratings are calculated.
Which makes it pretty hard to know exactly where you sit in the financial pecking order, let alone whether or not you’re a good bet for car finance.
A growing number of people are falling foul of a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ banking system.
An entire generation has been discouraged from taking out credit cards and loans in order to reduce the overall amount ‘bad debt’ the UK currently shoulders. According to research conducted in 2017 debt exceeded £1.5 trillion with £207.5 billion just on credit cards.
That’s a staggering amount of money.
The problem is, unless you have some form of debt you can’t build a credit score. So, in repayment for fiscal responsibility, millennials have found themselves unable to get mortgages because the lenders have no idea whether they’ll repay the debt.
As we said - damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
So, we’re forced to resort to the ‘all things in balance’ argument of some debt is good. Providing you pay it off.
It’s important to understand that there isn’t a central register somewhere with your credit rating emblazoned on it in gold filigree. Although that would be cool.
Your credit rating can be collated multiple times by multiple lenders, depending on what how much you’re borrowing and for what reason.
For example - applying for a mortgage through a mortgage broker could result in multiple credit checks being carried out by the various mortgage companies to determine if you’re a good borrower or not.
They take into your entire lending history. How quickly you paid the loan back. Whether or not you’ve missed payments or had to take a payment holiday for any reason.
Crucially they also determine your exposure. This is your debt to earnings, less outgoings. So basically whether or not you can afford to repay the debt based on pre-existing financial commitments.
That includes everything from rent and your weekly shop to your Netflix subscription. While some of those costs can be cut - who needs food anyway - lenders will always play it safe.
Mainly because after the 08/09 credit crunch, the government has tightened up lending laws.
Yes with a but.
Having a bad credit rating doesn’t necessarily preclude you from being able to get some form of car finance. However, the lower your credit rating the more of a risk your lender will perceive you.
It’s important to understand that, a credit score is about predicting future behaviour based on past behaviour. Which means that the money you owe or want to borrow is only part of the equation.
It’s about intent. Do you intend to repay the money on time and in full? Or early? Or are you going to take the car and head for the nearest non-extradition country you can find?
After all there are ways for lenders to get their money back if you give them the run-around. They’d just rather not have to resort to those methods.
Getting a County Court Judgement against someone for no-payment of debts doesn’t help anyone and the lender loses a customer.
Bad credit doesn’t mean you can’t get finance or even a loan, it just may mean that there are special conditions or higher interest rates.
This may seem like kicking someone when they’re down but you’re asking a lender for a lot of money and they need to be confident it can be recouped as quickly as possible, even if they effectively lose out on the interest.
After all the credit crunch happened because of bad lending practices. Just as a customer can overextend and can’t afford to pay, a bank can overextend and have no money to lend or - more importantly - give back to its customers.
After all a bank effectively borrows its customers money (deposits like salaries) to lend to borrowers who, in turn pay interest. The bank then returns that borrowed money to its customers, with interest.
Although they seem to forget to do that last part.
The point is - this: yes, in many cases you can take out car finance but you may have to agree to certain conditions in order to do so.
Again, yes with a but.
Depending on your circumstances a small amount of controlled borrowing can help boost your credit rating.
An interest free credit card that you use and pay back helps to give you a good boost to your score without you having to worry about interest.
Just make sure that you don’t borrow more than you can easily repay within that interest free window.
If you’re in rented accommodation paying your rent on time will also give you a big leg up.
So, if possible, arrange a standing order so your rent is paid on the same date each month.
Although with most reputable letting agents this is a requirement anyway.
The same applies to your utility bills. Late payments - even though they may give you several warnings before anything gets switched off - will help you with your credit rating.
Plus you don’t get cut off. Win win.
If you have recently had a finance application rejected, check that file compiled was correct. Although the systems are pretty robust mistakes can and do get made.
This could mean that you were wrongly rejected and any subsequent searches could cause further damage.
Check the file thoroughly (it’s your data remember so you have a right of access) to make sure that everything is correct. Any mistake, no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant needs to be corrected before you submit another application.
It is possible to get erroneous searches wiped by the credit checker and the lender but they don’t like doing it so delegate negotiation will be required.
Finally, the break glass in case of emergency option is a credit rebuild card. They charge a staggering 35% APR but providing you pay any purchases off in full every month you won’t get charged interest.
Six months of small purchases and full repayments and your credit rating should start to improve. After a year your credit rating should be looking rather good. Providing you don’t do anything stupid in the meantime.
The good news is - if you have bad credit - there are options. They’re not the easiest but with some careful planning you can improve your credit rating before you make a car purchase. Or you have the option of exploring car finance options that accommodate your circumstances.
Whether you have a perfect credit score or you borrowing history is a little shaded, we should be able to help! By searching over 90 lenders we give you your options, so you can choose your best car finance deal!
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car!
Check my eligibilityLondon is a remarkable city. Its origins stretch back to the Romans and has survived invasions, plague, the great fire and terrorism.
It boasts one of the most diverse cultures in the world and possesses some of the most iconic buildings too.
It is also one of the most congested and polluted cities in the world. Hardly a mantel worth clinging on to.
More than 2 million people live in parts of London with illegal levels of toxic air, including 400,000 children.
Over half of the air’s pollution comes from vehicles, most notably from older vehicles.
London has been wrestling with the issue of emissions and congestion for the last 15 years and it looks like things are about to get another shakeup which will have London residents clutching their wallets in despair.
In 2003 Ken Livingstone introduced a congestion charge in an attempt to dissuade road users from driving into the city. At £5 a day critics claimed it would cripple the city. Environmentalists said it wouldn’t make the impact needed to make a difference.
Over time the fee went up to £8 and then £10 making an already expensive trip into London just that little bit more so.
However, as an initiative to get people out of cars and into trains and buses it seems to have worked.
Research suggests that between 2003 and 2006 traffic reduced by 15%. Today's figures show a 25% reduction against a decade ago.
The charge zone covers a 21 square kilometre area of central London. Residents get a 90% discount (which seems rather pointless as they’re the ones doing most of the driving). Individuals with physical disabilities, emergency services, taxis and motorbikes are all exempt.
A year after the charge was introduced an additional 29,000 were using public transport to navigate the city. Between 2002 and 2014 cars coming into the congestion zone fell by 39%.
The congestion charge worked for two reasons - it had a clear reason for being: to reduce pollution and improve the quality of life for Londoners. The other was the money raised went into improving public transport to cope with the increased demand.
However, despite the overall success of the congestion charge, London is still choked by pollution produced by cars.
Part of the problem is a lot of people travelling into the congestion zone swapped their own car for a taxi or similar.
Taxi journeys have increased nearly 30% since 2000 and as of 2018, more than 18,000 different private hire vehicles enter the congestion zone a day.
Considering their exemption, these vehicles - many of which are old with high emissions - are contributing to the problem without paying for it.
This has also had a knock-on effect of reducing bus usage because the roads are - once again - becoming too congested to make it viable.
Something needed to be done.
On Monday 8th April 2019 the Ultra Low Emission Zone came into effect.
It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year and sits within the same 21 square kilometre patch of central London as the congestion zone.
Whereas the congestion charge was a flat fee - regardless of vehicle type or age - the new charge is focused on emission standards.
Therefore older cars, trucks and the like will be charged £12.50 or £100 a day respectively.
The ULEZ standards are based on Euro standards - which first appeared in 1992.
They are a range of emissions controls that set limits for pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) from engines.
To be road legal, all cars must have documentation to prove they meet these emission limits. Otherwise they can be banned from sale.
The ULEZ standards are (taken from the TfL website):
Euro 3 became mandatory for all new motorcycles in 2007 and Euro 4 became mandatory for all new cars in 2005 and light vans in 2006. So, if your vehicle predates the noughties then chances are, you’re going to get slapped with the charge.
Euro 6 became mandatory for all new heavy-duty engines for goods vehicles and buses from January 2014, September 2015 for cars and light vans, and September 2016 for larger vans up to and including 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight.
This is likely to hit the courier and freight industries and bus companies hard as a great many run older fleets. All with dirty great diesel engines that belch out copious amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere.
But the stance from the Mayor's office seems to be that the people (and the planet) aren’t going to pay to help a business make a profit.
Where the ULEZ differs from the congestion charge is that there are no exemptions this time.
There are graces periods ranging between 2021 and 2025 but after that, you either get a vehicle that meets the emission standards, or you pay the charge.
Not even not-for-profits have escaped the charge.
With one exception.
Taxis. Which rather defeats the point but they are subject to a 15 year age limit - although this may be reduced to 12.
Private hire vehicles, however, will have to pay if they don’t meet the emission standards.
Although there’s no hard numbers on the Transport for London website about the potential revenue or the projected emission reduction, we have to assume that Mayor’s office is expecting either a big cash injection or much quieter roads.
Or both.
Although the congestion charge was a begrudgingly necessary inconvenience of travelling into the central London, the Ultra Low Emission Zone is an almighty doubling down.
For non-compliant car users, it’s a nominal increase on the congestion charge. For bikes, private hire cars and trucks it’s a sharp and exceedingly unpleasant increase in costs.
It’s also a major headache for businesses who rely on shipments of goods via truck.
A potential daily charge of £100 will inevitably passed on to the courier’s customers. But if slightly more expensive parcels is the price for forcing old, dirty, fume belching vehicles off London’s roads then perhaps it’s worth it.
There’s no denying the need to reduce traffic, congestion and emissions. And - in the absence of an incentive scheme, the Ultra Low Emissions Zone is the next best thing.
It is clear that a greener tomorrow is on the cards - we only have one earth and if we want it to be around for our children then it's time we all did a little to help. A greener car is one way you can do your bit…
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car!
Check my eligibilityThere has been a sharp rise in car thefts in the UK over the last 12 months. Although this can be attributed to fewer bobbies walking the beat, the reason is more often than not down motive, opportunity and whether or not the individual believes they will get caught.
With cars becoming increasingly expensive and growing in sophistication, they are being stolen for various nefarious objectives. Be it to strip them for parts, used in other crimes or to be sold on the black market. Often to Eastern European countries.
There famous example being when - in 2008 - the Public Order Minister for Albania was found to be driving a stolen car when he crossed into neighbouring Greece on an official visit.
The car industry has changed a great deal in the last 30 years. In the 80s and 90s the Ford Sierra Cosworth was the getaway car of choice. In the noughties it was the Audi A3 Quattro.
Now the cars themselves are the commodity. Crammed with technology, on the right markets, modern cars can earn as much money as more violent crimes, and with far less effort.
Car theft is seriously big business in a world where the haves are grossly outnumbered by the havenots and they’re willing to do what it takes to redress the balance.
Amongst the most popular cars for thieves are cars with keyless entry fobs.
Strictly speaking all car theft uses some form of keyless entry. That’s sort of the point. It’s just for some the keyless entry takes the form of a delicate positioned brick through a window.
However, whereas traditional locking systems require brute force or some car thief wizardry in order to get past the central locking and alarm, keyless entry cars appear to have an exploit.
Keyless entry is a cool piece of innovation. It allows the user to unlock the car and start the engine with the fob in their pocket or bag.
And feel like Michael Knight the process.
It works by the fob broadcasting an unlock command that - when in range - the car receives and unlocks the car when the appropriate button or handle is used. It eliminates the need to rummage around in pockets and purses for keys. Or having to fumble about trying to get the key in the ignition.
When they first appeared on the market, some argued that this was staggeringly unsafe as it meant that car thieves could - in theory - unlock your car and jump in before you were close enough to stop them.
The car companies thought of this, though, by requiring the fob to be in the car in order to go any distance. The car would start without the fob being present but would become immobilised as soon as it was out of range. Usually just a few metres.
So despite criminal ingenuity, they would ultimately be thwarted by a car that wouldn’t let them go anywhere.
But the thing about criminals is they are quick to innovate and adopt new technology.
The threat of being caught and prosecuted encourages them to give anything a try that will keep them one step ahead of the law.
Not to mention rival car thieves.
Using a signal booster and relay - acquired, again on the black market - thieves can pick up the signal emitted by the car’s keyfob and effectively tell the car to unlock.
They can then trick the car into thinking the fob is in the car and start the engine without the risk of the immobiliser cutting in. And they can do it in seconds.
Manufacturers are scrambling to implement a solution to the problem but that doesn’t help anyone buying a car built in 2019 or before.
Frustratingly some manufacturers deny there’s an issue - presumably because they’re afraid it’ll hurt sales - so getting clear advice isn’t always easy.
However, we’ve compiled a few tips that can help keep your car safe.
While automotive companies work hard to solve the problem - and criminals work equally hard to overcome their solution there are things that you can do that make it harder for the crims to get their hands on your wheels.
It may seem a little obvious but, hiding your fob so it’s both out of sight and away from exterior doors and windows will limit the chances of anyone being able to attack it with the signal relay.
It’s worth noting that there have been some instances where cars have still been broken into despite the owner hiding their fob in a draw or box.
A homespun remedy is to put the fob in a metal box of some sort in addition to securing it in a safe place. However, the success of this is purely anecdotal so we strongly advise you to proceed with caution regardless of whether you choose to hide the fob in a draw or a box of McVities Victoria biscuits.
Similarly, we’ve heard reports that tin foil works but the bottom line is - a low budget solution to whether or not your car gets stolen or not, probably isn’t worth considering. Especially as other options are far more effective.
An equally low-tech solution that would - at least - deter criminals is opting for the low-tech, tried and tested steering wheel lock.
Some - but not all - fobs can be deactivated. This is both convenient from the perspective that your car can’t be stolen but it also preserves battery life.
The batteries in the fobs usually last about 18 months and can cost up to £80 to be replaced so it’s not an inconsiderable saving.
If you’re able to deactivate the fob yourself, it will usually tell you in your car’s user manual. Otherwise an authorised dealer will have to deactivate it for you. Although it’s not entirely clear under those circumstances how you’re supposed to start the car once they’ve done so.
While undoubtedly effective, turning off and on your fob every time you drive the car is a tiresome solution to a problem not of your own making. There’s also a risk of damaging the fob, rendering your car little more than a very expensive lawn ornament.
Inspired by the Faraday Cage, invented by Michale Faraday in 1836, Faraday bags simply block the signal emitted by the key fob.
They work essentially the same as an RFID blocker. Because that’s exactly what they are.
However, the RFID blocker prevents a signal from interrogating the debit and credit cards in your wallet or purse.
The Faraday Bag works in reverse, preventing the signal from being broadcast.
They are also relatively inexpensive. Packs of 2 Faraday Bags start on Amazon from around £7.99 which means you’ve got one for your spare fob too.
Combining a Faraday Bag with a sensible place in the house to put your key fob is - we believe - the most effective protection available. At least until the manufacturers come up with something better.
A word on personal safety
While these methods may prevent someone from using technology to steal your car it’s important to understand that if a criminal really wants to steal your car then they will.
Whatever their motivation, they will keep trying until it’s theirs. That means, if they can’t break in with their villainous hardware, there’s a chance they could break in to search for the fob.
For this reason it is better to leave your car keys separate from your house keys and leave your car keys downstairs. Obviously still keep them in a Faraday Bag and out of sight, but the last thing you want is someone coming upstairs at night looking for your car keys.
This isn’t intended to alarm, merely offer up some safety advice.
The challenge for car owners with a keyless entry fob is that it’s almost impossible to test whether or not your chosen security measures work. Which is why it’s better not to take chances and spend the eight quid needed in order to keep your fob and therefore your car safe.
Because whatever you drive, the last thing you want to see if your pride and joy wheel spinning out of the driveway.
Whether you have a perfect credit score or you borrowing history is a little shaded, we should be able to help! By searching over 90 lenders we give you your options, so you can choose your best car finance deal!
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car!
Check my eligibilityHave you ever driven past a car dealership and noticed the barrage of promotional offers they send your way?
Scrappage schemes, guaranteed minimums on trade ins and dealership contributions on all new registrations.
All in a desperate bid to help you part with your hard-earned cash in exchange for the car of your dreams.
It’s easy to get sucked in. There’s nothing quite like the excitement you feel when you see the car stood there on the forecourt.
The bodywork glistening and every piece of trim Back to Black’d to within an inch of its life.
You get in and the smell hits you. That smell of newness. Of leather, chemicals and - of course - freedom.
Of miles and miles of pleasure filled motoring behind the wheel of your cool new car.
Then reality hits you right between the eyes. Someone (and by someone we mean you) has to pay for it.
And that’s when they get you.
For most of us buying a car for cash isn’t an option. Unless it’s a £500 shed found on Gumtree because we either have a death wish or we’re taking part in the Mongol Rally.
As fun as that second one might be, for the car that we plan on driving every day, we may want to raise our expectations ever so slightly.
The average cost of a car in the UK is around £12,500. That’s more money than most of us have knocking around the house which means we either need to find an elderly relative and ask for an early inheritance (after all, they can’t take it with them) or the money has to come from somewhere else.
There are plenty of loan companies out there who specialise in small loans for cars. Companies like the AA can offer sizable small loans for reasonable interest rates. However, few car salespeople will suggest that option, entirely because they are incentivised to sell you their own products.
Which is actually fairly reasonable. At the end of the day you want their car and they want as much of your money as you’re willing to part with.
When it comes to car finance there are usually two types of car finance on offer:
Hire Purchase normally requires you pay a deposit - usually around 10% - and you then make monthly payments over an agreed period to pay off the value of the car, plus interest.
At the end of the payment terms you walk away the proud owner of your car.
It’s essentially a loan but with the car dealership’s finance company. With one important caveat. You don’t own the car until you’ve cleared the debt.
That means should you miss a repayment they could potentially reclaim the car. In reality, unless you miss a lot of payments that’s unlikely. Entirely because they’d rather have your money than the car back. But don’t put it to the test.
PCP is similar to Hire Purchase but with a twist. While it’s still recommended to put down a deposit and you still make monthly repayments, it doesn’t clear the entire amount of the debt.
At the end of the finance agreement you have three choices:
In theory PCP allows people the option of making lower repayments and potentially saving to make the final payment. Or they get to trade in for a newer car.
Depending on the terms of the agreement you can sometimes trade your car for a new one once you have paid off half of the value of the car.
But what if you can’t afford a deposit?
No deposit finance was a direct response to increasing competition in the car market. As cars became cheaper more people wanted them. Except we’re in a price driven economy which meant no one wanted to pay for them.
Customers were and are always going to gravitate towards the best deal, even if it’s not necessarily the best car. Cost efficiencies - it turns out - is sexier than nice body work.
Who knew?
Most £0 deposit car finance agreements use PCP and - on the surface at least - are awesome. Because you get to leave with the car you want at the price you’re happy paying. Nothing.
Except that isn’t really the case, is it?
No deposit means that both your monthly payments are higher - bad for present you. And usually your balloon payment could end up being significantly larger - bad for future you.
No deposit finance agreements may seem too good to be true, because they are.
If you do go for a no deposit agreement, keep an eye on the small print and interest rates. No deposits, or small deposits can sometimes cause the interest rate to creep up.
The last thing you want is to end up paying well over the value price for a car that in 4 years isn’t going to be worth half that.
And if the residual value isn’t there, you’ll find yourself in the exact same position at the end of the agreement when you want to get a new car on PCP.
Ruling out committing crimes and get rich quick schemes, there are a range of lenders who specialise in small loans with which to purchase a car.
We can help you find a lender that matches your budget and your circumstances. After all there’s no point taking out finance if you’re going to end up over exposed.
Remember, lenders don’t want to see you forfeit the loan. They want money, not a car.
In the vast majority of repossessions, the lender loses money as they have to sell the car quickly - usually below market value - in order to recover the debt as quickly as possible.
That’s bad business for everyone except the luck sow-and-sow who just bought your car at a massively discounted rate.
So whichever option works best for you make sure you fully understand what you’re agreeing to, for how long and what the financial implications are.
Double check interest rates, mileage limitations and whether or not there is a limit to the number of days you can take your car abroad for.
There may even be stipulations about the frequency of service and who has to carry them out.
Some of these are extreme examples but they happen – so be aware. However working with a comparison service like us will ensure you get the best deal that’s right for you.
Our comparison engine can run both PCP and HP deals and by searching over 90 lenders we give you your options, so you can choose your best car finance deal!
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car!
Check my eligibilityWhen we buy a car - assuming we’ve already settled on a make and model - our minds turn to the second most important thing after engine size.
Toys.
Although engine size is still something of a status symbol, the level of technology in a car is arguably more important.
As cars are generally built to much higher standards, and with far more attention given over to styling, it’s possible for everyone to have a nice (if not modern) looking car.
Which makes it much harder for people to determine the depth of your pockets. Especially as engine size matters less and less in a world ever more preoccupied with emissions.
Gadgets redress the balance. Whether it’s Spotify connectivity, reversing cameras, digital engine management or built in satnav, there’s a cornucopia to choose from.
However, does the ability to stream our favourite playlists or get dynamic traffic updates make us better drivers?
Modern cars are awash with advances that make cars from 20 years ago look like antiques. Developments in engine technology, airbags, crumple zones, ABS, traction control and intelligent engine management and a host of other active and passive safety features, have made cars a cocoon of efficiency and safety.
However, according to official statistics and insurance companies, we are having more collisions.
In the winter of 2017 insurance went up - on average - by almost £500. Because of technology.
Indications are having connected cars - or cars with complicated touch screen interfaces, built in satnav and all of the other gadgets and gizmos - are distracting us from the business of driving.
It’s not hard to imagine. How many times have we been laboriously scrolling through the songs on our phone, via the radio interface and almost drifted into the oncoming lane? Or almost drive into the back of someone?
It happens - and has been happening - so frequently that the £481 premium increase in 2017 was the eighth successive quarterly increase.
Even looking away from the road in order to answer a mobile phone call using a hands free system can be all the distraction we need.
Despite the knowledge that we are required to give our full attention to the road and other road users, our obsession - or dependence - on technology is forcing car manufacturers to give us what we want.
Even if we don’t need it.
The result? We have become remarkably good at:
It’s a risky game that ultimately boils down to the fact that we have become so dependent on our mobile devices and the convenience of streaming services and the instantaneousness of communication that we have come to expect it in our cars too.
Which is a little absurd when you think about it.
It’s rare that a SnapChat message will be that life and death you need to see it while driving.
Although even the car manufacturers themselves seem to be trying to kill us as some cars bombard us with information like torque meters, lateral G readings, amongst others, in an effort to make us feel sporty.
Because rush hour on the M3 is exactly like the Nürburgring. When what really matters is not dying in a fiery conflagration because we were too busy trying to get Spotify to play our ‘get psyched’ Dubstep playlist.
For all the added extras that seem to add little value in exchange for trying to brutally murder us with our own stupidity, car manufacturers have crammed huge amounts of technology into cars that are designed to help us.
The ability to use built in satellite navigation to plot a route through a congested town or avoid a fiery conflagration on the M3 is undeniably useful.
Receiving dynamic updates allows drivers to avoid the worst of the traffic which has been proven to lower stress levels. Even if there’s no escaping the congestion, the long red line on our route at least warns us we’ll be in for a tough time.
Companies like Honda are taking it one step further with its Automated Network Assistant which is designed to monitor heart rate and use face recognition technology to determine when you need to take a break.
Presumably then it tells new parents to take a break a lot.
On a more passive level, the improvements in safety technology like airbags, ABS and traction control has all helped to make driving safer.
Equally tech like reversing cameras can give us a better view of what’s behind us making it easier to park or navigate oneself out of a tricky sport.
Unfortunately as the screen tends to be much lower down than your rear view mirror or your wing mirror, the potential for getting distracted is high.
The most significant change to how we drive is - of course - Tesla’s autopilot.
Although officially an aide to driving, rather than a replacement, the potential is undeniably there.
Although there have been a few fatalities resulting from people misusing the autopilot functionality, it has effectively paved the way for self-driving cars.
Which presents no shortage of legal issues from a range of different angles. For example - in the event of a collision - who is the responsible party?
The car owner or the manufacturer whose software ultimately caused the car to make a mistake and cause the crash?
When you consider a self-driving taxi could - theoretically - own itself and pay for its own upkeep from its fares we start to stray into some very weird territory.
By 2021 94 million connected cars will be on the roads, of which it is predicted 82% will be connected to the internet.
Coupled with experiments with smart cities - in which vehicles and the infrastructure share information - it’s hard to see how self-driving cars won’t take over.
When you consider replacing all cars with automated vehicles will cause fewer accidents when compared to human drivers.
By leaving it up to a machine that uses calculations and statistics in order to make a decision we are removing the human element. If that approach was adopted across the entire road networks then collisions would be all but at an end.
This would have the added benefit of making car journeys significantly more pleasant - partly because you can finally take advantage of all that technology.
But arguably more important than that - insurance premiums will fall as no one will be crashing into one another.
Again, the legal implications are a nightmare, especially as not all self-driving vehicles will be cars.
There are more than a few players in the automated electric passenger drone market that are looking to transform how we travel. Or at least for a percentage of the population.
The market is worth billions and companies like German based Lilium and Volocopter are well ahead of the pack when it comes to offering up a viable proposition.
A world of autonomous cars - ala Minority Report - and indeed autonomous aircraft, seems increasingly likely.
It would be a world where you can just sit in your car and virtually point to where you want to go and it would oblige.
Collisions would be the result of an impossible logic problem rather than an impossible decision between Spotify or Audible.
It would be a much safer world.
It just might not be as fun.
If your car still has a cassette deck it's probably time you updated your ride. With offers and deals being thrown at you every which way, take back control and get car finance on your terms!
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car - all online, all in your own time!
Check my eligibilityOver 8 million people buy second-hand cars each year in the UK. Compared to the 2.3 million new cars sold each year, the second-hand market is booming.
This may come as a shock to those who see the second-hand trade as a collection of shady sorts with sheepskin coats and flap caps.
In reality, the majority of used car dealerships are highly reputable. Especially as the sale of second-hand cars - as of 2015 - falls under the Consumer Rights Act.
This gives you - among other things - the right to return the car within 30 days if there’s a problem or if you feel you’ve been mis-sold to.
You also have a further 6 months to return the car if it develops a fault providing you can prove it wasn’t your fault.
However, despite the legal protections in place, you still want to make sure that what you’re buying is a good car for a fair price.
And while the dealership you’re buying through may be acting with good intent, there may be things they’ve missed.
Here’s our list of top things to look out for before you hand over your hard-earned cash:
A vehicle history check allows you to find out of the car you’re interested in buying has ever been stolen, has been written-off following a collision or has outstanding finance on it.
This should cost around £20 but prices vary so shop around as there’s a few services out there.
Unless you’re buying the car for an authorised dealership a vehicle history check is essential. Authorised dealerships do all those checks whenever they take a car as a part exchange or as a cash purchase.
Although, if you’re the cautious type, it does you no harm to double check and what’s twenty-quid compared to ending up with a stolen car?
Especially as if there is an issue and your car gets impounded or repossessed you’ve got very little chance of getting your money back.
It’s all too easy to get swept in the excitement of getting a new car. Especially when you see the perfect set of wheels sat on a forecourt, the back to black gleaming in the sun.
But before you so much as breathe in the direction of the sales executive make sure that the price in the window is fair.
Don’t forget, although it’s a buyer’s market, the dealerships or the individual are out to turn a profit. Which is fine providing they don’t try to abuse their position - which some do.
Know what the car you’re buying is worth and don’t let the person doing the selling play down scratches, dents or faded trim.
The moment you drive the car away it stops being their problem. So either get them to commit to putting things right or walk away.
In addition to the little cosmetic issues, make sure that the car itself is in good condition and the price is a fair reflection of that.
Get a proper look under the car and under the bonnet. Rust, fatigued suspension coils, cracked alloys and signs of oil leaks are all red flags.
Check the locks to make sure they match and look out for any buckling, damaged trim or scuffed paintwork around the doors and windows as this could be signs of forced entry.
Clocking (where the odometer is wound back) is a practice that’s been around as long as second-hand car dealerships.
It’s far less common than it used to be - mainly because odometers are behind glass or digital - but it still happens.
For every 1,000 miles a car salesperson can scrub off the mileage the more money they can charge.
If the condition of the car - especially the engine - doesn’t seem to tally up with the mileage, go with your instinct - unless the seller can produce some form of evidence that the mileage is legitimate.
Before you sign on the dotted line or hand over your hard-earned cash make sure you see the V5C to ensure that the car is registered to either the individual selling the car or the dealership you’re buying the car from.
Next take a note of the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and make sure that it matches the VIN numbers printed on the windscreen, under the bonnet and stamped into the framework under the driver’s seat.
If they don’t match (both each other and the VC5) - or worse, they’re missing, then you’ve either got a stolen car or a cut and shut.
In which case – run away!
There’s a couple of things to look out for here.
First - make sure they’re legal. If not insist on a new set of tyres be put on the car. And make it clear that you’re not paying for them.
Next, look out for signs of uneven wear. This could suggest the wheels haven’t been balanced properly. Or - importantly - there could be something wrong with the car itself, such as worn chassis components, like tie rods in the steering linkages.
Also check the brand of the tyres. Not to be snobbish, if you’re buying a premium car and the previous owner put budget tyres on it you need to ask two things:
One - if they were running the car on a budget, where else did they cut corners?
Two - if they were getting through tyres at a sufficient rate to skimp, what condition is the engine in?
It may be obvious but take the car for a proper test drive. Check your insurance policy before you leave the house to make sure your policy covers you for Driving Other Cars.
Make sure you spend at least half an hour with the car, trying it on different roads so you can give it a thorough sake down at different speeds.
Make sure the steering doesn’t pull or the car doesn’t veer in one direction under braking.
Also look out for juddering under breaking, any suspect sounds - rattles, clunks etc - and make sure you test all the electrics and other gadgets.
If the salesperson you’re dealing with is even halfway trustworthy they should be encouraging you to play with the car and get a proper feel for it anyway.
If they seem even slightly hesitant about you trying any of the car’s features that’s a red flag that something is majorly wrong. Or at least expensive enough that they don’t want to pay for it.
There are - of course - other considerations such as emissions, road tax, insurance group etc but those are things you should research ahead of time. This is about whether or not the actual car you buy turns out to be a shed or not.
Follow our list above and you’re in with a shout of getting something reliable that’ll give you many happy miles of trouble-free motoring.
All the vehicles in our database of over 280,000 cars are RAC approved. That means it undergoes an 82-point preparation check and a car data check. It also comes with 12 months RAC Breakdown Cover and RAC accident car too!
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car - all online, all in your own time!
Check my eligibilityYou’re in the market for a new car. You know the make, the model and roughly the spec you’re after. You’ve even got a list of colours ranging from perfect to ‘at least it’s not beige’.
Finding your perfect car is a little like falling in love. You may be able to give logical reasons why the car is perfect but deep down you know it’s just a feeling. A connection that no one but you will ever understand.
But before you can cruise off the forecourt with your windows down and your system up, you need to pay for it.
Lucky for you your chosen dealership is offering 0% finance which means you get your sweet whip at the price you want, spreading the cost and without having to pay 10% on top.
Awesome. Right?
Right?...
Maybe not.
Car finance with no interest to be paid sounds too good to be true. Especially as some finance deals the interest can be well over 10% of the value of the car.
Admittedly we can’t think of many people who would actively wait in line to pay interest and interest free agreements can save you hundreds of pounds.
But as the old saying goes: if it’s too good to be true.
The problem is that 0% finance deals aren’t available on every car. More often than not the dealerships will only offer 0% on cars that are either about to be replaced with newer models or fitted with unpopular features.
Meaning, if you want 0% you’ve got to put up with your brand new car being the old model. Which sucks.
Or you have to have the features that you wouldn’t choose given the choice. So while the car may look sweet on the outside, you’ll always be slightly irritated on the inside.
Assuming you’re comfortable with one - or both - of those factors there’s a few other things to consider before you sign on the dotted line.
The main advantage of 0% interest finance is the obvious one.
You don’t pay any interest. Not a sausage.
If you’re new car is £50,000 and you take out a finance agreement at 5% APR over 4 years (48 months), the lender will add 5% each year and from there calculate your monthly payments.
You’ll end up paying around £1,151 a month, paying £5,248 interest.
With 0% interest all you’d pay is the £50,000 you borrowed. Nothing more, nothing less.
So if you’re not precious about spec, colour or the fact the car will be the old model in a few months’ time, then it’s actually a bit of a bargain.
Aside from the offer only being on a very limited number of cars, there’s a few other hurdles to jump before they’ll hand over the keys.
The first is the dealership will usually want a sizable deposit. The average is 10% but it can be as much as 40% depending on the dealership and the car.
For most people this isn’t really an option. The average cost of a car in the UK is over £12,000 so even a 10% deposit can be a stretch.
And don’t get sucked in by the prospect of a good deal. Make sure you research the offer as some dealerships will simply tack on interest they would have made off you on to the cost of the car.
The moral of the story is do your research. Know what you should be paying for that car and if the price is unusually high question the salesperson as to why.
They want your money a heck of a lot more than you want that particular car. There are other cars at other dealerships.
Don’t let them make the price a condition of the finance. There is always a deal to be done. If they won’t budge on price - again - ask why.
You also need a good credit rating. While many people have what is arguably a good credit rating, they’re looking for the high end of good which means most people don’t qualify.
This is usually when they swoop in with an alternative finance agreement that isn’t really that good a deal. But you’ll be so embarrassed by your woeful credit score (even though it’s not that bad) and so determined to get the car of your dreams, you’ll sign up.
The really bad thing is you’re then in danger of paying the interest twice - once for the inflated price and again for the interest on the finance.
So you’ve got to keep your wits about you!
Unfortunately, there aren’t really any deals as good as 0% finance. Mainly because it’s not really that good a deal.
Especially when you consider only a tiny percentage of people are eligible, most of the cars in the offer aren’t worth the money and you’ll be paying over the odds for them.
Throw in the fact that you’ll be hard pressed to sell it on in a few years’ time as well and it really isn’t worth the effort.
You’re far better off finding a finance plan that allows you to buy the car you want, at a repayment rate you can afford.
Sure, you’ll be paying interest but providing you go through a reputable financier then it shouldn’t be too high. Although your credit score will dictate that to an extent.
Obviously the more deposit you pay the less money you have to borrow and - therefore - the lower the repayments, and overall interest.
Authorised dealerships are usually pretty good about explaining how the finance works, what your liabilities are and key clauses. Such as at which point you’ll own the car. If at all.
If you don’t understand anything make sure you ask - they are obligated to tell you. Withholding information that could have informed your decision to purchase one way or the other could be constituted as an offence, or an act of financial abuse. Neither are terribly good news for them.
Take time to review your options thoroughly and make sure you’ve worked out your finances before committing to the purchase of a car. Don’t let the dealership pressure you into buying that day if you’re not 100% certain you’re good for the money.
It’s bad news for everyone if you can’t afford the repayments. And no one wants to be the person who has to stand and watch their car get towed away.
It also really goes without saying to thoroughly read the terms and conditions carefully before signing.
Our comparison engine can run both PCP and HP deals and by searching over 90 lenders we give you your options, so you can choose your best car finance deal - get the car AND finance you want!
Simply check your eligibility today and our soft-search will match you against real lenders and let you browse our database of 280,000 cars to get you the best deal on your next car!
Check my eligibilityThe Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa have always occupied fairly different places in the market.
The Fiesta was a practical, affordable car for a junior exec or a family on a modest income.
They were achingly practical and had an interior to match.
The design was functional - but never beautiful - and the gearbox and clutch were so woeful that it was never a question of if it blew, but when.
The Nova and the Corsa that followed were - on the other hand synonymous with boy racers and their desire to turn a perfectly functional car into a nitrous powered rocket ship.
Thanks to its low weight and high-powered engine, many a boy racer could be found in a layby getting a ticking off by a police officer. Or stood by their overturned car wondering just how they were going to get it out of the ditch and home without their mum noticing.
But here we are in the 21st Century and the oil burning death machines of the past have been replaced with something entirely more reliable, more civilised and - dare we say it, more beautiful...
The Fiesta was never a beautiful car. It barely qualified as average. Over the years it underwent one style overhaul after another in an attempt to improve its standing against the other hatchbacks on the market.
All of them failed. The car still sold well because it was a Ford and that means something. Even when what you’re buying is a Ford Shed.
Then in 2009 Ford did something dramatic. It rebuilt the Fiesta from the ground up. New body, new gearbox, new everything.
And it was fantastic. It was dynamic and looked every bit the car Ford deep down wanted the Fiesta to be. Functional, yet fabulous.
Since the 2009 model it’s undergone several refinements until we get to the current iteration with its range wide Aston Martin style grill. It’s retained its other aggressive styling attributes and became head turningly beautiful in the space of no time at all.
The Corsa followed a similar route. It went through its ill-advised curvy, bulbous stage that all cars when through in the 90s but came out of the other side all angles and aggression.
Much like its big brother - the Astra - it was a fire breathing mentalist of a car that was just as happy killing its driver as it was anyone else. Just so long as it tasted blood.
However, whereas the Fiesta has undergone a midlife crisis, the Corsa has opted for more of a middle-aged spread.
Unless you buy the VXR what you’re getting is something that looks wider and lot less agile than the Fiesta. It’s by no means an ugly car but the styling isn’t for everyone. Especially the split grill that makes the Corsa look like it’s sporting a waxed moustache.
The biggest problem with the Vauxhall’s styling won’t be realised until you pull up next to the Fiesta and you realise that you chose the wrong car.
Whereas the outside of the newer Fiestas have all been largely beautiful, the same cannot be said for the interior. The 09 model was a hideous mess of cheap plastic and millions of buttons all over the centre console. Most of which didn’t really seem to do anything.
The display was a foul two-tone affair that can only have come from an old supplier to Nintendo who had a job lot of Gameboy screens.
If you don’t know what a Gameboy is, ask your parents.
The 2017 model has undergone a lot of improvements. Even the base model has a much smarter looking console. The screen on the base model isn’t brilliant but there’s a variety of options from the average to the ostentatious.
The steering wheel is a nice and feels comfortable and the dials are shrouded in pseudo-Lambo style cowls to prevent glare. It’s a nice touch and really makes a difference.
Despite the improvements though - unless you go top-of-the-line - on the inside it’s all a little bit...well, Ford.
That is to say, all perfectly fine but there’s nothing about it that’ll make you tell your mates about it over a pint.
The Corsa, however, is far more exciting. The styling ranges from aggressive to whacky with a variety of options depending on the model you choose. Proving that underneath its inoffensive exterior, there is still a lunatic waiting to be unleashed.
The main screen is bigger and located more centrally making it easier for both driver and passenger to interact with.
The temperature dials are a little of the cheap side and you’re still aware that you’re in a budget hatchback but it’s still far more exciting to sit in than a mid-range Fiesta.
Both cars are spacious and well-designed but the Fiesta - unsurprisingly is the more practical option. The back seat can feel a little claustrophobic, but the design means that you can stick a couple of six-footers in the back and their heads won’t touch the roof.
As one would expect from a pair of versatile hatchbacks, there are a range of engines to match.
Both offer an economical, environmentally friendlier version that still provide ample power will making a decent saving on fuel. If all you do is town driving, these engines are absolutely superb and frankly you’d be a fool to get any other engine.
The most powerful version of Ford’s Ecoboost 1.0 litre, three-cylinder engines produce an impressive 138bhp. Also, on offer is a new naturally aspirated 1.1-litre triple, while diesel fans have the option of a 118bhp 1.5-litre TDCi. Finally, there is an all-new 197bhp three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol for the ST.
Whichever engine you opt for you’ll get something that’s robust and reliable that delivers the power right where you want it.
Coupled with the tight chassis and responsive steering of the Fiesta it’s entirely understandable why it’s the most popular car in the UK. By quite some margin.
At lower speeds it’s deliberate and civilised. At motorway speeds, it’s nippy and agile making it oodles of fun. Plus, Ford’s renowned reliability makes the car one you can trust over long distances.
The Vauxhall Corsa also has a wallet friendly 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol (in 90hp and 115hp versions), a 1.4-litre four-pot and a 1.3-litre CDTi diesel. There’s also a hot 1.6-litre VXR model with 205hp.
All the engines are good with the 1.0 litre offering easily as good as Ford’s albeit with fewer versions. It’s also arguably the best engine of the bunch. A 1.0 litre engine that produces 115 bhp is nothing to be sniffed at. Considering 10 years prior a 1.4 litre engine was chucking out 96bhp.
The handling of the 2017 Corsa is far better than its predecessor. It’s not as tight as the Fiesta but not so much as you’d notice. Unless you’re throwing it round some tight turns. In which case you’ll be holding on to the steering wheel a little tighter than you would the Fiesta’s.
However, the ride is more or less on par and it copes with town driving very well, even with standard suspension and wheels.
Both cars are excellent.
On paper at least. There’s very little between them and on a purely logical choice you’d choose the Corsa. It’s a decent car with plenty going for it. And it’s around £2,000 cheaper than the Ford.
But there’s a reason for this. The Ford Fiesta is a slightly stronger offering. It looks better, it’s nicer to drive and the engines are - on balance - better too.
It’s spacious with a more practical boot and fold flat back seats.
The Fiesta also holds its value because - in addition to all of those things - it’s really reliable.
Moreover, Ford doesn't have the same kind of sales decline that Vauxhall has been experiencing. To the extent that they were even talking about axing their dealership network as recently as the end of 2018.
That’s going to impact on resale value as well as your ability to keep the car on the road.
Definitely a consideration.
Ultimately it has to come down to personal choice. Both have huge positives and minor niggles that can spoil what are exceptionally good cars.
But we know which one we’d choose.
Whether you're looking at the Ford Fiesta, the Vauxhall Corsa or even a Renault Zoe - we can help you get the best finance package available to you and then deliver the car straight to your preferred address!
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Check my eligibilityThey say you should never buy a car in black because it always shows up the dirt.
Considering the amount of traffic and road works (sorry, road improvements) choking Britain’s roads, any colour is the wrong colour.
Except grey and metallic grey. You’re pretty much golden with either of those.
It doesn’t take long for your sparkling set of wheels to become dull with dust, grime, bird poo, pollen and whatever invisible elements we plough through on a day to day basis.
But this is to be expected. After all, cars produce a lot of this dirt themselves.
The more cars, the dirtier our own cars become.
Washing your car on a Sunday is about as British a pastime as it gets. Splashing suds, busting out the shammy and finishing things off with a dollop of turtle wax and a liberal application of back to black.
However, when was the last time you cleaned the interior of your car?
Only 3% of drivers clean the interiors of their cars on a regular basis. 47% only clean their interiors when it looks visibly dirty.
Considering the amount of time we spend in our cars for our daily commutes, that’s pretty disgusting.
Especially when you factor in picking noses and ears. Coughs, sneezes, farts.
Dirty hands just because they’re dirty.
Dirty hands because you have children and they’re a whole separate level of disgusting on their own.
Dirty hands because you had to use a public toilet and there was no soap in the dispenser. Don’t pull a face, we’ve all been there.
Cars are festering cauldrons of pestilence and disease and it’s about time we all did a better job of keeping them clean.
According to research cars aren’t just dirty. Some can be dangerously unclean.
Thanks to modern cars being able to maintain a comfortable temperature in all weathers, we are turning them into greenhouses in which bacteria can breed.
And this is all before we factor in eating in the car too.
How many times has an iffy piece of lettuce escaped from a packet sandwich, only to slip between the seat, never to be seen again?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t slip into a parallel universe to feed a society of micro-people.
It sits there, rotting and becoming a breeding ground for all sorts of nasty little things.
Which promptly get dispersed around the car the next time you whack the air-con on full blast.
We’re also assuming there’s no nakedness or laws broken in your car otherwise you have faecal matter and other...things on the seats and surfaces of your car too.
All of which can get on people’s skin and clothes. Or simply provide rich and verdant fields upon which bacteria can grow.
In short - we’re all disgusting and it’s a wonder we haven’t died out long before.
Fortunately, there are things you can do in order to keep your car bacteria (and faecal matter) free.
1. Dust your car regularly. Yes, it’s a hassle but so is making yourself unwell with your own car. Although hilarious for your work colleagues, it sucks for you.
If you’re forgetful, keep something like static dust wipes in your glove box so you can quickly give the car a wipe round. It’s not the most environmentally friendly option but it’s a start.
2. Buy covers for everything. You can get a range of covers that plug the gap between your seats and the console so you’ll never drop anything down there again. It may end up in your footwell but that’s much easier to fish out, so we’ll call it a win.
You can also get covers that go over the back seat and the backs of the front seat to protect your upholstery from dogs. No matter how much you love Fido, dog fur carries all sorts, so you really don’t want that in your car.
3. Use anti-bac gel. Before and after you handle food. Or really any time you get in the car, a squirt of anti-bac will stop you transferring any germs or bacteria on to your car’s controls.
Don’t forget, modern cars, thanks to climate control can become breeding grounds for all sorts of nasties.
4. Wash or treat car mats regularly.
Your shoes have been walking the mean (and filthy) streets which means they are covered in all kinds of crap. Both figuratively and literally. Throw in crumbs and other dropped items and mats can not only become extremely dirty but smelly too.
5. Treat upholstery stains with carpet cleaner. Spilled drinks or leaking children can make for some pretty ugly stains on your seats.
Especially if left as they will inevitably attract dirt and other gribbly things.
The liberal application of carpet cleaner and elbow grease will lift the stain while dealing with anything lurking at the microscope level.
Not to mention make your car look and smell far nice.
One of our favourite car cleanliness hacks we’ve seen is using small resealable containers in door pockets to serve as an in-car bin for all your chocolate wrappers, sandwich packets and apple cores.
It keeps your cup holders clear of food waste, which can leave residue in the recesses, keeps the car clean and eliminates smells. And prevents the build-up of discarded wrappers and packets that inevitably collects in the rear passenger footwells.
A flip lid cereal container will likely work best as it can be used one handed and without the need to remove the container from the door pocket.
A casual search on Google will reveal dozens more methods to keep your car clean - like the obvious habit of regularly brushing down seats so they are free of crumbs. To using silicone cupcake cases in cup holders to keep them dirt and grime free.
But ultimately, we just need to do better. We’ve clamoured for cars to feel more like our home - with all of those wonderful creature comforts.
Now we’ve got them we really should be treating our cars like homes from a cleanliness standpoint as well. Unless of course we’re all comfortable with bacteria growing in the recesses of our gear stick and hand brake?
Or mould infesting our car mats.
But that’s okay because our body work glistens and our alloys sparkle. So we’ll look extremely stylish as we turn up at A&E because - inexplicably - we’ve caught the bubonic plague.
Can't face getting back into your current car, now you know that it is basically ground zero for the oncoming zombie apocalypse? Yeah, it's probably best you just get a new car and we can help you get the best finance package available to you and then deliver the car straight to your preferred address - all with that new car smell!
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Check my eligibilityThere’s nothing quite like making a sale. And, despite the fact it’s a dance you’ve done hundreds - if not thousands - of times before, it’s one that never gets old.
But that’s because selling a car is unique.
Sure, selling a house is a lot more money and, potentially a lot more commission but a house is a commitment.
A car is transformational.
A car is freedom.
And it doesn’t matter who you sell it to. Whether it’s someone who ‘was just passing’, a customer you’ve dealt with before or someone who has done their research and knows exactly the make and model of vehicle they want.
Seeing the knowing smile and hearing the words ‘I’ll take it’ is succour for the soul.
Plus - to be a little more mercenary about it - a sale is a sale and that means money in the bank and a nice bit of commission in your back pocket too.
The issue to work out is how the punter plans on paying for the car.
With the cost of a new or nearly new car being out of reach for the average family in the UK, a high percentage of car owners turn to some form of finance in order to pay for it.
As most reputable car dealerships offer car finance, that’s great for you because you get to sell your finance product and a car too.
Except there’s a catch.
Your product isn’t always going to be the right fit for everyone. That’s because it’s not really your product.
It’s the product of the finance company you work with and they - quite reasonably - only want people who are a safe bet.
If the credit crunch of 2008/9 taught lenders anything, it was lending to literally anyone is a terrible idea.
We could have told them that and saved them the trouble and the billions wiped off the economy, but here we are…
The upshot is that they, in most cases, will only lend to customers with a good or very good credit score.
Basically, people who are likely to pay back what they owe.
However, that doesn’t help you when you have an eager customer, ready to sign on the dotted line and your system is saying they’re too much of a risk.
Which sucks for them but it’s worse for you because that’s a customer who will simply go across the street to your competitor who can do a deal. They get the sale, having benefited from your hard work.
This is the major drawback with a single finance option. A recent RAC survey highlighted that 72% of customers paying for their car through some form of finance plan took the first offer they were given.
That may seem good on the surface as it means businesses like yours are bashing out finance agreements left right and centre. But 45% of those road users said they have been forced to cut back in other areas of their lives in order to make the payments. Which suggests the finance agreement wasn’t a good fit for them.
But with only a single finance option available to them, the customer was forced to make the compromise in order to buy the car.
Now, this could be viewed as a ‘wanting to have their cake and eat it’ scenario but it’s the 21st Century. Having a safe, reliable car in order to get to work and take the kids to swimming lessons on a Saturday morning, and being able to afford food shouldn’t be an ‘either or’ situation.
Of course, not everyone is responsible with their finances and - inevitably - some people overexpose themselves. Some people have made some bad choices and are simply too great a risk to finance. Thems the breaks.
Where the frustration comes for you is being forced to refuse finance to customers who you know are good for the money but have a bad credit score due to some past mistakes.
If it were down to you, you’d hand over the keys and shake their hand because you know your trade and you know a sale when you see one. But your hands are tied.
Unless they can secure the money elsewhere but that doesn’t help you sell your product. So, while you get the sale, you’ve lost the finance agreement.
Then again, 80% of something is better than 100% of bugger all.
But there are alternatives to this binary, computer says no, way of working.
Working with multiple financiers means you are in a position to offer a product to more or less anyone who walks through your doors. Because each company - just like insurance companies - are set up to work with a particular customer base.
Sure, the customer may pay a higher interest rate or have to agree to certain terms, but it’s better than not being able to sell them a car at all.
Ultimately, the more products you have to offer allows you to market to a far broader customer base. Purely because you’re not having to - necessarily - turn anyone away.
You’ll always have those rare few customers that are such high risk they may as well be robbing the place, but broadly speaking you’ll simply be doing more business.
But being able to offer a wide range of customers a finance product that suits their needs will inevitably bring more business through the door because of two important factors.
The first is that people respond to benevolence. If you and your dealership take the stress out of paying for a car by offering a range of finance options that suit the individual, they will trust you more.
As opposed to the seemingly arbitrary way the system decides if your customer is allowed to buy a car from you.
The second is that recent studies conducted by leading marketing professor in the US strongly suggests that fully two thirds of all your marketing happen outside of your control. Specifically, customers talking about you to their friends both in person and sharing their experiences on social media.
Remember those recommendation requests on Facebook? Offer the right service and the next time someone asks for a good car dealership and it’ll be your business that gets recommended.
Imagine if every one of your customers referred you to just one of their friends. Then imagine what your bottom line would look like if they all bought a car - because you offered finance to suit them.
It quickly stops being a question of ‘why should we offer multiple finance options’ to ‘why wouldn’t we offer multiple finance options’.
Our car finance comparison engine does all the hard work. Once your customer's details have been entered our system matches them against real lenders, with real rates and real offers. Deals can be completed in minutes and your customers can leave happy and safe in the knowledge they have gotten the best deal for their circumstance!
If you want to learn more about how to integrate our car finance comparison engine into your sales process, simply reach out below and Adam will talk you through the process.
Email us today…Thirty years ago cars were less reliable. They weren’t as well made and the emerging technologies appearing on cars didn’t always work as well as the owners might like.
This lead to breakdowns. That was - unless - the plucky motorist stumped up for regular servicing.
For the shadier mechanics, a regular service became a real money spinner as they could charge hapless motorists a fortune to replace and fix things that had ‘cropped up’. When there was actually nothing wrong with the car at all. Beyond the usual wear and tear.
However, as car manufacturers improved their processes and cars became more reliable, regular servicing seemed to become less and less important.
Especially when some of those same manufacturers began to introduce 2-year service schedules.
However, modern cars are far more complicated and looking under the bonnet of your average 19 plate 3 Series is more like looking at the innards of a Transformer than a car.
This makes maintaining your car yourself far more complicated. Especially with the sheer amount of electronics and computing power cars have now.
Short of changing a light bulb, any maintenance without a clear understanding of what you’re doing is as likely to break something as fix it.
At the other end of the spectrum, older cars are simpler but more can go wrong with them. They also tend to burn oil and key components are showing wear.
So much so that the average motorist, driving an older car would be forgiven for wondering if it’s even worth servicing older cars. Especially when the likelihood is, any repairs will be worth more than the car itself.
Yes. Even if your car is old and only worth a couple of hundred pounds. After all, you own a car for a reason, so ask yourself what would happen if it packed up and died tomorrow.
If you’re in a position to go out and buy a new car, then great. But for the average motorist that just isn’t the case. And if you’re buying through a dealership the chances that you will be able to drive it away that day are fairly slim.
Plus, unless the engine or something like the clutch has exploded, most repairs will be way cheaper than buying a new car. Even if you go for a £500 shed.
Regardless, don’t think of getting your car serviced as keeping your car on the road. Think of it as keeping you on the road.
Because, seriously, how much of a pain would getting to work be if you didn’t have a car? Or to do the weekly shop? Or visit anywhere that isn’t on the bus route…
While you can no doubt think of lots of things you’d rather spend £125 (on average), getting your car serviced will do the following:
It keeps the engine in good health and spot problems before they happen. Replacing a timing belt that’s on its way out is a heck of a lot cheaper than replacing the bent valves, cylinder head, camshaft and possibly pistons it will ruin when it snaps.
It also can spot when brakes have faded, filters need changing or your tyres are showing a bit of wear.
Servicing is very much a preventative measure that can save you a fortune in both the short and long term, providing you get it done often enough.
It can maintain the cost of your vehicle. Obviously, this depends on the age, mileage and even the make and model of your car too, but having a complete service history helps to keep the price up.
Mainly because potential buyers are reassured that the car has been well looked after. It also gives you a stronger negotiating position, especially if that service history is all from authorised dealerships.
It can lower the cost of motoring. Regular oil and filter changes improve the performance of the car. This makes it more fuel efficient and saves you a bit of money.
Plus, there’s the obvious savings found in your car not breaking down. Obviously, we can’t guarantee that your car will never break down, but regular servicing - and carrying out any recommended work - will lower those chances considerably.
Most manufacturers recommend you service your car once a year or every 12,000 miles. Whichever comes first.
Most modern cars come with self-diagnostic technology so they will notify you of when a service is required.
We recommend - as do people like the RAC and the manufacturers themselves - that you don’t ignore the service indicator light when it comes on. Whether it’s been 12 months or 12,000 mile or not, the car is telling you it needs attention.
Remember, a £125 service charge may be uncomfortable, but it’s nothing compared to the engine bursting into flames while you’re bombing down the M40.
Just to give you some idea, below are the potential costs should your car breakdown through poor maintenance:
Again, keep an eye on your timing belt too. They’re usually good for 70,000-80,000 miles but they can start to perish. When you get a car serviced the mechanic will check the belts along with everything else. They can cost around £250 to be replaced but - again - considering the damage they can cause, it’s always worth it.
You should also consider the age of your car. The older the car - or the higher the mileage - the more frequently you should get the car checked over.
Interim services are cheaper and but not as in depth. They’re just very good for spotting things that could be a problem. Especially if you’ve got a MOT due.
It’s also worth getting oil and filters changed regularly on older cars as they tend to burn oil and it won’t take much for aged components to seize up.
Remember, car maintenance may be an inconvenience - and a costly one at that - but it’s all part and parcel of owning a car. And small costs, every now and then, are always preferable to huge costs that could right off your car.
Sure, it’s nice to get a new car but it’s nicer still to buy one on your terms. Plus, if you have a car on PCP and you plan on trading it in for a new car, keeping it in good nick will ensure you get the best possible price for it when the time comes.
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Check my eligibilityCountries all over the world are declaring climate change a national emergency. They are setting tough targets for emission standards and some will ban fossil fuel cars in cities altogether in the next 20 years or so.
Here in the UK we’ve declared it more of a mild inconvenience. Probably because we don’t want to upset anyone.
Although switching to an electric car - such as a Nissan Leaf or a Tesla is an option for some, for the majority it isn’t viable.
The limited practical range can seriously inhibit the ability to travel long distances. And the high prices will put those cars out of most people’s price ranges.
So, if you want to do your bit to save the planet with the car you have - and save a bit of money too - follow our handy guide to greener driving.
With cars throwing down more horsepower than ever and Britain’s roads seemingly choked with indecisive idiots, it’s easy to be a little heavy footed.
Going easy on the acceleration and speeding makes a huge difference. For most cars, they are at their most fuel-efficient sitting at between 1200 and 3000 RPM and 30-60 miles per hour.
So while you may have successfully deluded yourself into thinking excessive speeding will make the blindest bit of difference to your arrival time (because there will always be traffic ahead of you), you’re burning fuel very inefficiently and wasting a lot of money in the process.
Similarly, keeping your distance from other drivers avoids sharp braking, which is another way of wasting fuel. It’s also safer and reduces the risk of accidents.
Plus, tailgating is illegal and doing so kind of makes you a jerk - no matter how much of a rush you’re in.
Aggressive driving adds 5 percent to petrol mileage in towns and 33 percent on motorways. So it really isn’t worth it.
Councils all over the UK have been banging this particular drum for years. But the truth is, sharing your car with a colleague or colleagues removes cars from the road.
Providing you agree a rota - so it’s not just one person’s car racking up the miles - and you agree a fuel contribution then there really is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to car share with someone.
Unless of course you live nowhere near one another…
But you can car share during lunchtime trips to Tesco for a cheeky meal deal. Or the pub for a burger when it’s payday.
Plan your weekends so if you and your partner need to go to different places, work out timings and so one of you drops off and collects the other. Providing it’s not literally doubling the journey you’re still saving fuel.
As an alternative, if you drive less than 6,000 miles a year you can join a car club. It’s a pay as you go approach to motoring that reduces the number of cars on the road and allows you to save on things like car tax.
Shock horror! Swapping a gas guzzling X5 that you need for well-rehearsed and entirely valid reasons for Ford Focus EcoSport? Madness!
Perhaps. Or an entirely logical swap based on practical need, price, running costs and lifetime savings.
The truth is, depending on the car you drive, a sensible option is to get a smaller car. Or at least a smaller engine size in the make and model you have already.
Engine size has always been something of a status symbol but in the coming years it’s also going to be a huge money suck. Regulations over emissions will become tighter which means you’ll be paying more road tax. Some models of car could be banned altogether. You’re also buying more fuel which isn’t going to get cheaper any time soon.
Swapping to a smaller, more economical car will not only be far cheaper to run, it’ll also be cheaper to tax and cheaper to insure. And as you’ll be producing less CO2, you’re saving the planet too.
Well done you.
We covered why you should get your car serviced in this blog, but another added benefit to maintaining your car is that it makes it more efficient.
Keep your interior clean - including the windows. This will reduce fogging and save fuel because you won’t have to clear them all the time.
Making sure the oil is changed and filters are replaced helps with engine efficiency.
As does making sure your tyre pressures are correct. Unless you’re driving a Nissan GTR, running on nitrogen filled wheels, you’ll find that your tyre pressure will drop over time. This is because air, as a gas, is unstable.
That doesn’t mean it starts crying for no apparent reason. It expands and contracts constantly depending on what the tyre is doing and the external temperature. This allows the air to escape gradually over time.
If you’re not sure what pressure your tyres should be, you’ll usually find a guide printed on the inside of the driver’s door.
We don’t mean eat fewer pies. Although you should eat fewer pies.
Roof-racks, rear mounted bike racks and other non-essential items should be removed unless needed. All this stuff disrupts airflow and slows the car down, making it work harder. It also adds weight which has the same effect.
If you’re contemplating buying a spoiler for your car, stop and ask yourself if you really should. Spoilers create downforce, making the rear wheels grip the road better.
However, that’s only really useful if you have a rear wheel drive car. For front wheel drive cars adding a spoiler lifts the front of the car, reducing grip which affects both handling and power. So, while you may be thinking your car looks cool, you’re making it harder to drive, slower and you’ll be wasting a tonne of fuel in the process.
Another top tip to keep weight down is to only ever fill up with the fuel you need. A full tank of petrol is very very heavy, making the car less fuel efficient, which means you’re burning more fuel than you need to.
If you know you only need half a tank of fuel for your average weekly commute, then only buy that much fuel. Because the car will be lighter, you’ll burn less and find that over the course of the year you will use less fuel and make a slight saving.
Follow these tips (or at least most of them) and you’ll be making greener, more relaxed journeys in now time that won’t just do a little bit to save the planet but help save you some money too.
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