What Car? guide to car supermarkets - Autoplanet, Southampton

CHOICE
The emphasis is on newer cars, with the oldest stock wearing 53-plates. There were around 230 cars on site and a wide choice of models, including MPVs and 4x4s.

PRICES
Prices were reasonable, although there were some inconsistencies with one car 5% higher than the trade guides suggest.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
We searched the website before setting off, and found some cars of interest. When we arrived, though, they were no longer available. A salesman told us the website wasn't updated regularly.

HIDDEN CHARGES
A £199 fee covers a 64-point car inspection, MoTs for the life of the car, preparation fees, HPI check, car mats, £10-worth of fuel and any shipping fees. The MoT scheme requires buyers to return the car to Autoplanet when a test is due.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
No warranty cover is included in the price. Extended cover costs from £399 for a year's warranty.

FINANCE
When we visited Autoplanet claimed it offered an APR of 8.8%, but we received a quote at a flat rate of 8.9%. We asked what the APR was, but the business manager couldn't tell us – we reckoned it to be around 17%.

PART-EXCHANGE
Our Mondeo trade-in was valued at a whopping £6250. The staff couldn't tell us how long this valuation would be valid for, and although this offer was made when we were considering buying a Golf, the value would be similar for any other car.

TEST DRIVE
We had to wait ages for a test drive, because the Golf had a flat battery and no petrol. When we did hit the road the route covered A-roads and lasted 10 minutes.

CONDITION
It was a wet day when we visited so it was hard to check the cars outside, but the ones inside were clean and had been valeted.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
It was towards the end of a wet day when we arrived at Autoplanet and met salesman Carl. We were surprised when all the cars we'd seen on the website that morning were no longer for sale.

As an alternative Carl tried to sell us all sorts of cars, from superminis to family cars, when we'd asked for a small hatch. When it came to the end of the visit, business manager James appeared and kept asking: 'What do we need to do a deal today?', despite us having told him that we wouldn't. Rather clumsy and unprofessional.

Verdict
A reasonable site with reasonable prices, but some old-fashioned pressure spoiled the experience.

AUTOPLANET
Second Avenue, Southampton SO15 0LP
Web: www.autoplanet.co.uk
Phone: 0845 331 2908