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Parkers car buyer’s toolkit

  • All the advice you need for buying used or new
  • Top tips on everything from to haggling to finance
  • Take the stress out of car buying with our hints

Written by Parkers Published: 24 December 2010 Updated: 1 February 2017

Buying a car is a stressful time. Whether it's new or used, the amount of money you could be spending means you don't want to get anything wrong or be fooled in to making a bad decision.

From finance on new cars to keeping an eye out for dodgy used models we've got plenty of tips and advice to try to make the whole experience as pain-free as possible.

Used and New

How to test drive a new car

Whether you're buying a new or used car, it's important that before making the financial commitment you try them out. Any little niggles you find means you can change your mind, that won't be so easy once you've paid your cash. We've got some road testing tips

Buying a car online

Although this may apply more to buying new from online brokers some of the rules still apply to buying a used model. The most important thing for both is making sure you know your rights if anything goes wrong. Go here to know how to avoid the dangers

Getting the best deal

Like buying a car online, this may seem like its more suited to new cars, but again many of the same rules can be applied to buying a used car. We've got some advice on haggling and how to get the best possible price. Click here to find out more

 

Used

How to spot a clocked car

It might seem like an old fashioned trick carried out by the Del Boys of the motor trade, but car clocking does still happen. In fact there could be up to 600,000 cars in the UK that have been clocked to give false mileage. To know what you should be looking out for, go here

Top tips for buying at auction

Car auctions can be a tempting place as there's always a chance of getting decent car dirt cheap. The big issue is you can easily find you've ended up with a right old dog instead that's no good for anyone. Go here to find out how to survive the auction experience

New

Cost of motoring

Working out the total running costs of a car from buying through to owning isn't the easiest things in the world. Fortunately Parker's now has a tool to let you do just that. Cost of Motoring helps work out everything from depreciation right through to fuel costs and even compare your current car to the new model you're looking to buy. Head here to give it a go

Guide to finance

It could just possible be one of the most confusing areas in the world of car buying. Knowing exactly what finance package to go for and what they consist of can be a nightmare. We've got tips on buying with finance and to go with this we also have a glossary of the finance terms

GAP insurance guide

Deciding whether you need GAP insurance or not is a bit of a tricky situation and then you have to go through the rigmarole of whether you're buying it from a legitimate source or not. For help on both these issues click here

Manufacturer warranty war

This year Vauxhall claimed to offer a 'Lifetime' warranty but it is in fact for 100,000 miles. So if you're buying a new car find out the best manufacturer to go to for a comprehensive warranty? We have a full run down of all the carmakers warranty packages