Today, around three quarters of new cars in the UK are bought through finance deals. This increasing trend towards buying on credit has been driven largely by car makers increasingly promoting finance packages. At the same time, people are more accepting of buying expensive items using finance and the unstable economy has put an emphasis on monthly budgeting.
The finance package you choose to buy a car depends upon personal circumstances; there is no right or wrong way. But it pays to remember that there is still no substitute for shopping around and comparing different offers.
For finance, the aim is to get the lowest APR (annual percentage rate) and lowest total cost of the package over the agreed term. To help explain the differences between the most common finance products, here’s a guide to what is available in the showroom and on the high street.
With millions of used cars sold every year, there can be good and bad examples of the same model for the same price. Deciding on the right used car for you and making sure you buy a tidy version of that particular make and model comes down to taking a test drive. Following these steps should help you get the best car for your budget. 
More than seven million used cars are sold in the UK every year. That’s more than three times the number of new cars. Unfortunately, there are plenty of disreputable sellers around. And they’ll try every trick in the book to convince unwitting car buyers to hand over their hard-earned money for a dodgy motor. Here are some of the more popular used car scams that buyers from private sellers should look out for.