Buying a new car.

With massive oversupply of many mainstream new cars, anybody who wants to splash out on a new motor has never had it so good. Whether it's a supermini or an estate, there are some fabulous deals to be had at any time of the year - but just because you're being offered an incentive or two, don't assume that you're getting the very best deal that's going.
Even the most basic new cars come with plenty of kit as standard, whether it's safety- or comfort-related. When you're selecting your new transport it's up to you to haggle for the maximum amount of car for the minimum amount of money. It may be that you can get the next trim level or engine size up without paying any more.
Perhaps you can negotiate some free extras - or maybe you can just get a decent discount on how much money you have to fork out. Whatever you do, don't pay the asking price for any new car- at least get some free road tax, insurance or fuel out of the deal.
When it comes to paying for your car, don't assume that the finance offered is the best deal on the market. Car dealers are more competitive than ever - but shop online and you'll be able to see at a glance just how good a deal you're getting on finance.

What you want and what you need are two (possibly very) different things. When it comes to buying a car, you need to choose whether your head or heart wins; assuming it's the former you need to consider the following:
What you can afford - but don't look at the price you're paying. It's the total cost of buying and running the car that matters.
Buy a colour that won't go out of fashion - bright colours such as orange or yellow aren't a good idea, but there will always be a demand for silver, black and red.
What do you need the car to be able to do? Don't buy a sportscar if you need to carry a family. Don't pay a premium for a diesel if you do a tiny annual mileage.
Don't specify options you don't really need - especially as you get your money back on very few of them. However, things like a CD player and air-conditioning will not only make the car much nicer to live with - they'll also make it much easier to sell.

If you assumed you'd have to go to a franchised dealer for your new car, think again. There are more places than ever, but if you pay a rock-bottom price you'll probably get a rock-bottom service. The most common new-car outlets are:
Franchised dealers, which are appointed by the manufacturer they represent. They generally charge the highest prices, but should offer expertise along with ease of servicing.
Car supermarkets hold massive stocks and work on tiny margins - so you can make huge savings. There's usually no haggling, and you can't choose the car specification (as it's already in stock), but bargains abound.
Brokers can order in bulk and secure savings accordingly. But read any contract before you sign it, because there are often hidden costs hiding in the small print.
Importing from Europe isn't as popular as it was because Continental prices have gone up, and UK ones have (in many cases) gone down.