Cash price car deals
While the vast majority of new-car buyers use some kind of finance, cash remains king for many others. It’s not hard to see why: it’s the simplest concept to understand, and while the days are gone where you could walk into a dealership with a bag of cash, it’s still very easy. These days it's easy to make a quick BACS transfer, and you can even do it from your mobile phone as long as it's below the agreed limits for your account. Paying cash can be a great way of buying your next new car. And you can search for the very best cash price car deals right here on What Car?.
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FAQs
Whether you're buying a car on finance or cash, you can still get some great discounts. What Car? best price shows you the cheapest price between RRP or what our partner Autotrader, has available now.
It's worth noting that few people buy cars with cash notes these days, because online transfers are easy, quick and secure. Indeed, you can even do it from your mobile phone.
If you're keen to pay with a bag full of cash, check with the dealership first because they may not accept it. Turning up with rolls of £50 notes is an obvious security issue for the staff and checking dozens of notes for forgeries can be tricky and time-consuming. You might find some second-hand car dealers willing to work in this way, but new car dealers are far less likely.
Cash can be the cheapest way to buy a new car because you won't need to pay any interest. Interest, which is expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR), can vary from 0% to 10% or more. But by digging into your savings, you can save a significant amount of money over the duration of your finance agreement.
What Car?'s New Car Deals service is one of the cheapest places to buy a car, because it's based around what our partner Autotrader has available in stock now. Through What Car?, you are able to contact the dealership immediately and make arrangements to purchase and pick up the car.
It's not the only route to a deal, though. You could go directly to a dealer, or a dealer's website directly, or use an online broker.
Typically garages – new car dealerships – prefer finance. But many will allow you to pay using online bank transfers, too. Few new car dealerships will accept physical cash payments.
Most car dealers will expect you to haggle as part of your negotiations. This could include flexibility in the price you'll pay, deposit contributions, the value of your part-exchange or free options or accessories.
The cheapest way to buy a new car in the UK is usually by paying cash in the form of a bank transfer. That's because you'll not be burdened with the interest you need to pay on most new car finance deals.
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