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Managing car costs – how to get the vehicle you want without spending a fortune

News surrounding the current state of the UK economy is continually reminding us that the money pots are empty, with limited incomes and a distinct lack of disposable cash afflicting the vast majority of us. In such times of austerity, cutting back and making sacrifices becomes second nature – but that doesn’t make it any less painful.

For those who want to save money without making these sacrifices, there are plenty of options available. Whilst obtaining credit is a common solution to this problem, there are ways in which you can reduce the amount of money you spend without taking such drastic measures, especially when it comes to the world of motoring.

Purchasing a vehicle

When it comes to buying a new vehicle, whether you’re looking at a Honda ES model or one of their other product ranges, there are many ways in which you can cut costs. Most manufacturers and dealers are offering incentives to help struggling consumers cope with the cost of upgrading their motor so always ask about what options are available.

This could be something as simple as deferring payments until a later date or spreading them out over a longer period of time to getting an upgrade to a better model at a reduced cost. The used car market is also particularly strong at the moment and many firms will sell cars which have been used by employees at a reduced cost, meaning you get the benefits of an almost-new car at the price of a used vehicle.

Associated running costs

Of course, there is only so much money you can save when buying a car – the real savings are made when it comes to keeping it on the road. There are many associated running costs which drivers must face and those looking for cars for sale UK should consider the following areas of expense:

Insurance: premiums will vary on numerous factors so it is always important that you obtain quotes on any car you are thinking of buying before purchasing. Where you keep the car overnight, what type of use you intend to give it and whether there are any additional drivers who will have access to the car will also influence the cost.

Younger drivers are typically struck with higher premiums as their inexperience on the road is considered a greater risk. Do your best to build up a strong no claims discount to reduce your premiums in following years and consider adding a parent as a named driver on your policy to help share the cost.

Tax: the road tax costing in the UK is primarily determined by carbon emissions so the more environmentally friendly your car, the less you’ll have to pay. At the moment, cars with less than 100g/km CO2 emission levels fall under road tax band A, meaning road tax is completely free.

Fuel: refuelling is the last cost to consider so always look for a car which boasts an impressive fuel efficiency level. This is represented by the number of miles it can achieve from each gallon of petrol and manufacturers such as Honda are continually striving to create more efficient models.