Buying your first car?
If you’re thinking about buying your first car, you’re completely overwhelmed at all the choices you can make. You might be torn between new or used, petrol or diesel, manual or auto, what bodystyle to go for – along with exactly which make and model to go for. Your budget will probably dictate what you buy, as a new car may be out of reach financially. However, if you’ve got an income and it’s realistic to sign up to an ongoing deal, paying a monthly fee and running a new car (on some sort of finance scheme) is well worth considering. It will be in warranty, should be cheap to run and it will also have an efficient engine plus lots of tech to keep you safe. Buying basics Although there’s a huge array of makes and models to choose from, you can discount most of them as they’ll cost too much to buy or run. You don’t want to be bankrupted by insurance costs or fuel and servicing bills, so you’ll have to home in on a city car or supermini (a compact hatchback) with a small engine; a bigger car with more performance will have to come later.
Insurance jargon explained
Drive a car and you have to have insurance to be legal, but understanding some of the terminology isn’t always easy. Before you buy an insurance policy it’s essential that you get to grips with what’s on offer; here’s how to decipher the code. Types of cover Legally, you need only Third Party insurance which covers claims by someone if you cause an accident that damages them or their property. The next level up is Third Party, Fire and Theft (TPFT) which adds protection against fire and theft to your Third Party cover. Fully comprehensive insurance covers you for everything, even if the accident is your fault. It’s not always the most expensive, but even if it is, it’s worth the extra because of the added protection. For more on the different types of car insurance check out our recent blog. No-claims discount For each 12 months that you insure a car without making a claim, you’ll earn a year’s no-claims bonus (NCB) or no-claims discount (NCD), usually up to a maximum of five years. How much this is worth depends on the insurer, but it’s not unusual for a five-year NCD to cut your premium by 60% or more. Normally, you need to have a policy in your own name to start earning your NCD. But if you’re a named driver on someone else’s policy, some insurers allow you to build up NCD of your own, if you then take out your own insurance with the same company.
To buy or not to buy? : The answer could be in the paperwork
HPI’s Guide to Helping Used Car Buyers Avoid the Paperwork Pitfall www.hpicarbuyersguide.co.uk After searching for that dream car, many buyers are all too eager to seal the deal and hand over their hard earned money. But, says vehicle history check expert HPI, it’s vital to look beyond the shiny paintwork and high spec interior to avoid being caught out. Having the correct paperwork present when looking at the car will provide buyers with peace of mind, but it’s crucial to know exactly what to look for. HPI, provider of the HPI Check®, is helping buyers spot any early warning signs that the car may be a lemon in disguise, with its Paperwork Checklist. V5C (Logbook) HPI warns consumers not to buy a car without a V5C – otherwise known as a logbook – and make sure it’s genuine by looking for the DVLA watermark which can be seen when holding it up to the light. If there’s no V5C to hand, a new one can be applied for, but buyers should ask themselves and the seller why it isn’t available. If it’s been mislaid, ideally the vendor should have applied for a replacement before selling. Whilst the V5C tells buyers how many owners the car has had and who it’s registered to, it’s important to note that the person listed isn’t necessarily the legal owner of the car, simply the person to whom any fines will be sent. Buyers and sellers alike are also warned that not telling the DVLA of a change in vehicle ownership is an offence. MoT From three years after the date of first registration, all cars need an MoT roadworthiness check. It’s important to check the historical mileage reading for each year of its MOT test, not just the current reading, as this should paint a consistent picture of the vehicle’s increasing mileage over the car’s life. In addition, an MOT certificate will only tell buyers that the car met the test requirements on the particular day when the test was done, so it’s important buyers don’t rely on the MOT as an indicator of the vehicle’s current general mechanical condition. With all information now logged centrally, buyers can easily check if a vehicle’s MoT is valid by entering the vehicle registration and make online at www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk. Without a valid MoT, a car can’t be taxed – and therefore can’t be insured.
It may be racy, but it’s also risky! Green cars the mostly likely to be stolen, clocked or written off
HPI data reveals green cars the mostly likely to be stolen, clocked or written off www.hpicheck.com According to new research by the vehicle history check expert, HPI, the colour car that most commonly hits its ‘at risk’ registers is green. Used car buyers who conduct an HPI Check® on green cars are more frequently told they are either registered as stolen with the police, have a mileage discrepancy that needs investigating, or are recorded as an insurance write-off. The good news is that green cars are the least likely to hit the outstanding finance register – and 1 in 4 cars checked with HPI has outstanding finance against
Motoring terms explained
Modern life is full of jargon which often serves only to confuse. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of used cars, where misunderstanding an acronym or technical term could land you with a whole heap of trouble. That’s why it’s so important to understand the terminology that’s bandied about. Here at HPI we have to use all sorts of terms that you might not understand. But read on and you’ll soon see there’s nothing to fear – we’ll soon have you talking like a seasoned car trader.
IT’S A FLOODY WRITE-OFF
hpi warns used car buyers to beware of water damaged vehicles hiding behind a temptingly low price tag www.hpicheck.com A staggering 237 thousand written off cars are uncovered every year by hpi, provider of the hpi check®, as being offered for sale by sellers who won’t always declare to buyers that they are insurance write-offs. However, warns hpi, with the used car market anticipated to be swamped with flood damaged cars in the coming months, the risk of purchasing a write-off could significantly be on the rise and buyers are being urged to take the necessary precautions. Whilst it’s not illegal to professionally repair and sell Category C and D insurance write-off cars, those that have been declared a Category A and B write-off are only good for the scrap heap or should be broken down for spare parts; they should never be returned to the roads. Unfortunately, there are fraudsters willing to patch up and disguise written off vehicles and sell them on to unsuspecting buyers for a quick profit.
Avoid Buying a Halloween Horror with an HPI Check
With witching season upon us, we want to protect buyers from cars that may go bump in the night. Horror stories aren’t just for halloween, 1 in 3 cars checked by HPI uncovers a gory history. This shows that some sellers have more tricks than treats for unsuspecting buyers.
What are ghost brokers?
Running a car tends to be expensive, so it’s no wonder drivers are always on the look out for ways to trim their costs. With insurance often one of the biggest overheads for car owners, it’s also one of the areas that’s potentially the easiest to save cash. There are lots of ways to cut your insurance bills, with shopping around being at the top of the pile. But when you’re doing your price comparisons it’s essential that you don’t get duped by a scammer – or ghost broker – selling you a non-existent policy.
Five Great Used Convertibles
Despite the rubbish weather that we have to put up with in the UK, we buy more open-topped cars than any country in the world, apart from North America. Perhaps we’re all blind optimists, or maybe we just need something fun to counter all of the traffic jams, potholes and speed cameras. Or perhaps it’s because we’ve never had such a brilliant crop of convertibles to choose from. If you’re in the market for a used convertible, no matter how small your budget, you’ve got your pick of great convertibles. You can choose from two- or four-seaters, soft tops or hard tops, petrol or diesel. And when you’re buying used, there’s even more choice, so it’s hard knowing where to start.
Where To Buy A Used Car
Every year around eight million used cars change hands. While choosing which car is the right one is bewildering enough, working out where to buy your second-hand car can also be mind-boggling. You can choose between franchised and independent dealers, car supermarkets, auctions, private sales – the latter through the classifieds and online auctions. Wherever you buy, make sure you read our blog on avoiding fraudsters as well as the one about 10 warning signs when buying a second-hand car. But not until you’ve read this blog, to pin down exactly where you should buy that used car.