Listen for unusual noises and knocking and then, it’s your turn! When driving …. • Gears - a very high biting point suggests a worn clutch • Check steering – for a slack response and that wheel doesn’t ‘kick’ in your hands. • For car with power steering, gently turn steering from lock to lock and listen to see if pump audibly complains • When braking, car should pull up in a straight line and without any judders • Listen for mechanical noises, any clunks, unusual sounds that you may not have picked up when you were a passenger. eg. The engine shouldn’t sound rough • Look around interior – look for dirty or torn seats; cracked speaker covers, check boot etc

You want car…what next?

You’ve test driven car, you want it … so how do you make sure you get a bargain?

How much you can save by negotiating on a car varies and, ultimately, depends on how much seller is willing to accept for it at that moment in time.

Being a cash buyer always gives you edge on a sale and if you appear confident and knowledgeable, this will help your case!

You’ve got a great deal on a great car!

The next step is to get a good deal on your insurance. Shopping around is always best way to find most competitive premium and easiest and quickest way to do this is use internet. Something like Motorcarloans Insurance finder – which visits over 50 different insurers and brokers to find you best deal in a matter of minutes – means you get compare cover and premiums all from click of a mouse!

• What insurance group is car? The higher group, more your insurance premium will be • If your car is going to do a lot of mileage (over 12,000 miles a year), then think about choosing a car with a diesel engine – these are better on fuel consumption • More expensive cars will have higher servicing and maintenance bills

Comfort Depending on what purpose your car is used for, comfort is a consideration.

For commuting or high mileage vehicles, car should be of optimum comfort and, ideally, have air conditioning.

If it is a fun car, say a sporty number for weekends, then be prepared that ride will be slightly harder (but a lot of fun!)

Featured Merchant By now you should have a good idea of type of car you want and what it needs to be like to suit your circumstances!

Now, think about how much you can comfortably afford and start doing your research!

The internet is a good place to start looking, you can research prices, specifications and, if you are after a new car, for a bit of fun, you can even visit a manufacturers site and build a car to your own specifications!

Also, scour motor section of your local newspaper to see what finance deals and offers are on at local dealerships. You could pick up a good deal!

Happy Motoring!