Sedan Advice

These are the badges vying for bragging rights in popular segments.

Nothing comes for nothing, they say, and that applies especially to attractive finance offers on new cars. Some can save you thousands of dollars while others have a lump sum at the end. Experts have warned buyers to beware of low interest rate finance offers on new cars in end-of-year sales. While some deals are sharp and can save you thousands of dollars, most of the December deals lock customers into a lump sum payment at the end of the life of the loan -- equivalent to more than half the original purchase price of the car. For example, the Nissan Micra is available for just $49 per week with a 1 per cent interest rate, bringing the total drive-away price to $15,850. But at the end of the three-year loan, the buyer is lumped with a bill for $8210, more than half the original purchase price. The same lump sum, described in finance terms as a “balloon payment”, also appears in the fineprint of the Nissan Navara offer. The Nissan ute can be had for $110 per week with a 1 per cent interest rate, bringing the total drive-away price to $35,991. But at the end of the three-year loan, the buyer is lumped with a bill for $19,795 -- or 55 per cent of the purchase price. Dealer finance experts say on average most residual or “balloon payments” are about 20 per cent of the purchase price, so buyers are not caught out “upside down” owing more than the car is worth at the end of the loan. A spokesman for the National Roads and Motorists’ Association, Peter Khoury, said buyers need to read the fine print of special offers and make sure there are no hidden extra costs. “One of the problems with a balloon payment is that a lot of people can’t afford it and then they have to take out another loan to pay that remaining portion,” said Mr Khoury. In contrast, the current 0 per cent Toyota Camry offer is available without a lump sum payment at the end and can be carried over four years. A $28,990 Toyota Camry costs $140 per week over four years but then the buyer owns the car outright, with no lump sum at the end. A $29,990 Toyota Aurion V6 sedan costs $144 per week, with nothing left to pay at the end of the four-year loan. “When it comes to financing a vehicle, if you are not confident you understand the terms and conditions, make sure you show someone who does,” said Mr Khoury. “Otherwise buyers may not see the loopholes and commit to something they can’t afford. Always shop around and get more than one quote, and that applies to a quote for financing the vehicle.” Dollar dazzlers Nissan Micra manual $15,850 drive-away 1 per cent finance offer $49 per week over three years and a $8210 balloon payment Nissan Pulsar auto $22,507 drive-away 1 per cent finance offer $67 per week over three years and a $12,095 balloon payment Nissan Navara ute $36,835 drive-away 1 per cent finance offer $110 per week over three years and a $19,795 balloon payment Toyota Camry $28,990 drive-away 0 per cent finance offer $140 per week over four years, no more to pay Toyota Aurion V6 $29,990 drive-away 0 per cent finance offer $144 per week over four years, no more to pay

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Industry-best seven year unlimited kilometre warranty announced by Kia. Kia is today launching a new industry-leading warranty program that will cover owners for seven years and unlimited kilometres. Customers will also benefit from seven years of capped price servicing and roadside assistance, while the warranty will be fully transferable between owners. All existing Kia owners whose vehicles were covered by the brand's previous five-year capped price servicing plan will also automatically receive an additional two years of capped price servicing for a total of seven years. The five year warranty period remains for these owners however. "Crucially, our customers will not be asked to pay any more for their scheduled services than had been the case with the five year capped-price program," Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith said. "The two year increase in warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist is absolutely transparent and we will not be asking our customers to dip into their pockets to fund the extra benefits," he added. Kia is currently the only automaker in Australia to offer a seven-year warranty period, trumping Citroen's six-year term and the five-years offered by several other manufacturers. The Korean brand's new coverage is also more than double the three-year industry standard.

Well, you can do something about it and it's easy; shop around and compare the servicing costs of dealers and independent service agents. Using a reputable independent mechanic can save you 30 per cent or even more on the bill you'd get from a dealer for the same service. Start by reading the invoice from your dealer, don't simply throw it in the rubbish bin, go through it item by item and understand what it is you're paying for. And it's not just the glitzy brands that charge like the proverbial wounded buffalo, the brands thought more modest can also rack up the charges when it comes to servicing your car. It needs to be understood that dealers make a lot of their money in the workshop out the back. We've heard of one dealer selling one of our top-selling brands that charges almost $150 per hour for labour in their workshop. A reputable independent service mechanic who works on the same brand charges only a little more than half that for labour. It's a similar story with parts where dealers often charge much more for the same parts. And don't think you're protected from the big bills by the so-called "capped price" servicing some carmakers are now offering. Independent mechanics can often undercut these charges as well, so it's still well worth shopping around. Study the invoice you receive and ask the dealer to explain any charge you don't understand. We've heard of charges for environmentally disposing of the engine oil removed from your car, something that most independent mechanics do as a matter of course. Same for workshop expenses, which means you're paying for rags and other incidentals the mechanic might use when working on your car. And whom do you think pays for the coffee and biscuits the dealer offers you while you wait in their service department? You can bet you life it's not the dealer.  

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