What Car? guide to car supermarkets - Sanderson Motorhouse, Cheltenham

CHOICE
Sangersons is owned by the UK's biggest car dealership group, Pendragon, so it is likely to offer many of the part-exchanges taken by the group. In addition to the usual suspects from Ford, Renault and Vauxall, there were more unusual offerings such as the Audi TT and Honda Civic Type-R. Most cars were between one and four years old.

PRICES
Some prices matched those listed in the trade guides, but others were much higher.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
No, we couldn't find any of the cars we'd seen online. A salesman admitted that the website wasn't updated as often as it should be.

HIDDEN CHARGES
There was an additional charge of £59, which covered an RAC inspection, mileage check and preparations costs.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
We were not told about any warranty cover other than the balance of the manufacturer's cover. Extended warranty cover was available at extra cost.

FINANCE
When we asked for a finance quote, the business manager explained our options. The rate he offered was 8.9% flat, which equates to more than 17% APR.

PART-EXCHANGE
We got two part-ex valuations: one offer of £4500 if we wanted to pay cash, and a higher one of £5500 if we decided to arrange finance through Sandersons.

TEST DRIVE
The route used took in almost every type of road possible and lasted a decent 15 minutes.

CONDITION
The cars looked tidy, although some had a few small scrapes.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
We had to venture into the crowded showroom before we were greeted. Jeremy explained how the site worked, then sat down with us to take some details. He was very friendly and looked after us well. Things started to go wrong when it came to the numbers, though.

The cash offer for our Mondeo trade-in was low, but then a higher valuation was quoted if we took their finance. We had been offered high valuations from other supermarkets regardless of whether we paid by cash or with finance. We think this two-tier pricing could leave car buyers confused about choosing the best option for them.

VERDICT
High prices and two different part-exchange valuations made us feel uncomfortable shopping at Sanderson Motorhouse.

SANDERSON MOTORHOUSE
Swindon Industrial Estate, Cheltenham GL51 9PL
Web: www.motorhouse.co.uk
Phone: 01242 253053