What Car? guide to car supermarkets - The Car People, Wakefield

CHOICE
With 900 cars there was lots of choice. Cars were laid out by market sector as well as make and model, making it very easy to find what you're looking for. There was also a good selection of prestige cars, MPVs and 4x4s.

PRICES
Prices were very competitive - an average of 3% lower than those in trade guides. Some cars were much cheaper: new-shape Ford Focuses were 11% below book prices. Some prestige cars with low mileage looked expensive, though.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
Because the site is so well laid out, we were able to easily find many of the cars from the company's website.

HIDDEN CHARGES
Other than road tax, you don't pay any extra fees to drive away in one of the cars.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
All cars get a one-month, 3000-mile warranty, but many we saw were new enough to get the remaining manufacturer's warranty. You can buy extended cover at £399 for one year and £549 for two years.

FINANCE
The Car People offer a wide range of finance packages and we had no problems getting a quote during our visit. The APR is advertised at below 13%, but we were quoted at a higher rate of 16.6%. However, the salesman was honest about the figures and explained that the rate would drop if we borrowed more money.

PART-EXCHANGE
Getting a part-exchange valuation was straightforward. We were offered £4800 for our Mondeo – not the highest, but not the lowest.

TEST DRIVE
We were allowed to take a Ford Focus out for a drive on local roads. The drive lasted just under 15 minutes and was mainly on A-roads.

CAR CONDITION
All the cars we examined looked in good condition and had been recently valeted.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
We were allowed plenty of time to wander around the site before salesman Stuart asked how he could help. He quickly showed us to the cars that he thought would be of interest, and was knowledgeable about features and specifications.

He was also happy to organise a test drive and part-exchange valuation, and took us through the finance quote over a coffee. We didn't feel pressured at any time and felt that we were dealing with a professional. We would have been happy buying a car from The Car People.

VERDICT
Smart, stylish with a good choice of cars, low prices and professional sales staff. One of the best in our survey.

THE CAR PEOPLE
Calder Island Way, Denby Dale Rd, Wakefield WF2 7AW
Web: www.thecarpeople.co.uk
Phone: 0845 6440605