Buying a car part 1: New or used?
Buying a car part 2: Where to buy?
Buying a car part 3: What car?
Buying a car part 4: Getting a great deal
Buying a car part 5: Payment, paperwork and delivery

Difficulty: Hard
Time: 1 hour
What it's worth: thousands of pounds

What you need:

• Access to a computer
• Money
• A car in mind

Directions:

View our step-by-step guide with the image below:

Search online

1. Compare adverts on Auto Trader to search from thousands of used cars by price and see the latest new car deals.
2. Set yourself a budget and try to stick to it.
3. Research the car’s running costs including insurance, road tax and fuel economy. Read Auto Trader's car reviews to find out more.
4. Check up-to-date car price guides for the latest going rates, and be aware if a price is too low. Get a Glass's valuation.

Haggle over price

1. Haggling can cut hundreds of pounds off the cost of a car. Read our haggling guide for top tips from car experts Dom Littlewood and Jason Dawe.
2. If you call a private seller to arrange a viewing, ask if they’re open to reasonable offers – this sets them up for a haggle later on.
3. If you're buying new, search around for discounts on a particular car before visiting a dealership.
4. Have three prices in mind before viewing the car:

• The price you’d love to pay
• A good deal
• The most you’ll pay

5. Check a used car for problems and make a note of any faults – you can use these as a bargaining tool when you haggle over price.
6. Ask how much the seller realistically expects to get for the car – as soon as they give you a price, look them in the eye, make an offer and say no more.
7. Aim high – make your first offer lower than what you’re happy to pay.
8. Make new offers – if the seller suggests a new price and you’re not happy with it, meet in the middle.
9. Shake hands – it’s difficult to refuse a handshake, so when it looks like they’re about to accept, offer them your hand to seal the deal.
10. If the seller refuses to haggle, tell them you can pay right away and take the car off them today. Paying by cash will also help lower the price.

Get extras

1. If there’s no mention of an up-to-date tax disc, service or MOT included in the price, ask for them.
2. Again, use any faults on a used car as a bargaining tool.
3. Politely ask for some more extras to be thrown in as part of the deal.
4. If you're happy with the car, offer to pay full price right away to increase the chance of getting more extras, such as:

• A tank of petrol
• A recent service
• A full valet
• Sat-nav
• Floor mats

Five ways to save more money

1. Find out how many miles per gallon (MPG) the car can reach. The higher the number, the longer it’ll run on each tank of fuel and the more money you’ll save.

2. Which fuel does it use? Some alternative fuel vehicles like electric cars may be exempt from tolls including the London Congestion Charge. Hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are cheaper to run as they use an electric motor at lower speeds.

3. Consider the car’s CO2 emissions. Vehicles which emit less CO2 benefit from lower-priced tax bands, and are better for the environment than cars which emit high levels of CO2. For more information read our road tax guide.

4. If you’re buying from a dealership, consider trading in your current car to save money on the total cost. Be aware trade prices differ greatly from private sales. Selling privately could get you more money for your motor.

5. If you aren't happy, walk away. There will usually be other good deals available elsewhere.

More advice

Buying a car part 1: New or used?
Buying a car part 2: Where to buy?
Buying a car part 3: What car?
Buying a car part 4: Getting a great deal
Buying a car part 5: Payment, paperwork and delivery