What Car? guide to car supermarkets - Exeter car supermarket

CHOICE
There was a good mix of new cars, pre-registered models and used cars dating back to 2000. With 200 cars on site, there wasn't a huge choice, but everything from superminis to compact execs were available. There was even a Lotus Elise in the showroom.

PRICES
With prices about 4.5% lower than the trade guides, there were some good deals.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
Many of the cars we saw online were there when we visited, but some had different prices from those shown on the website as it hadn't been updated.

HIDDEN CHARGES
Road tax was the only extra.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
Buyers get a minimum warranty of three months or the remainder of the manufacturer's warranty. All cars are checked before sale.

FINANCE
We were introduced to the business manager to discuss the finance quote and extended warranties. We were quoted a competitive rate of 7.4% APR.

PART-EXCHANGE
Getting a value on the Mondeo wasn't straightforward. First, they seemed reluctant to give a value at all, and when we persisted they said 'about £6000'. They explained that this was not a firm offer, but a ballpark figure. They could do a full appraisal but it would take more time. As we'd been on site for two hours, we thought this was a little cheeky.

TEST DRIVE
We were given a 15-minute test drive over a wide variety of roads. However, the demonstrator car we used was grubby and full of the salesman's clothes.

CONDITION
Cars looked clean and valeted, although the sales demonstrators could have done with a wash.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
We walked up and down the site browsing the cars, but it wasn't until we approached the showroom that a sales team member, Carey, asked if she could help us. Over a cup of coffee she took our details and asked about the kind of car we wanted. She was professional and thorough in helping us select the right vehicle. After our test drive we got down to the subject of a part-exchange value for our trade-in, which proved frustrating. Carey made every effort to answer any questions we had, but did try to close a deal without giving us the part-exchange value.

VERDICT
Good customer service and a decent test drive, but the lack of a proper part-exchange valuation was frustrating.

EXETER CAR SUPERMARKET
14 Marsh Barton Road, Exeter EX2 8NT
Web: www.exetercarsupermarket.co.uk
Phone: 0845 025 1210