Buyer Guide

There’s no fancy medical term (you know, like anthophobia - the fear of flowers) for people who are afraid of visiting a car dealership, but there should be, because there are lots of sufferers out there. 

If you’re in the market for a ute, what does $20K buy you these days?

it might sound like one of those things your accountant says that provokes the choking back of a yawn, but novated leasing has the potential to save you some serious money.

Either way it can be confusing for car buyers trying to determine if it's a good deal or not.In many cases it can be better to haggle a sharp price and arrange your own finance outside the dealership. But sometimes the deals in the showroom do add up.We did some number crunching on one deal.At least one leading brand is currently offering 0 per cent finance on quite a high retail price of $24,990 drive-away for a small car that has in the recent past limboed to $19,990 drive-away.At 0 per cent finance over five years the $24,990 price would cost $417 per month, presuming there are no other hidden charges or establishment fees.Make sure you find out the total interest and total amount you will repay over the life of the loanBut what happens if you buy the car at $19,990 drive-away and arrange your own finance?If you have a good credit history, you may be able to wrangle a rate of 8 per cent. According to online calculators, that works out to be $405 per month over five years, paying $4329 in interest, bringing the total cost of the car to just $24,319.It always pays to get more than one quote. Make sure you find out the total interest and total amount you will repay over the life of the loan.Dealers often make more profit from finance deals than they do from the sale of the car itself.One more tip: don't just look at the monthly repayment figure (finance experts can make this figure look small by stretching the repayment terms, which means you pay more interest for longer).The longer the repayment period, the greater chance the payout figure will be more than what the car is worth at trade-in time.

Lender Firstmac and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation have agreed to a $50 million "finance partnership" to provide cheaper loans for initiatives that reduce emissions.Firstmac managing director Kim Cannon said about $25 million would be spent on cheaper loans for environmentally-friendly cars."We anticipate the agreement will provide loans for several thousand low-emission vehicles, as well as finance for installing solar power and energy efficient business equipment," he said.Passenger vehicles that emit 141 grams or less of carbon dioxide per kilometre are eligibleLoans for low-emission cars would be available at a rate of just under 6 per cent, he said.Passenger vehicles that emit 141 grams or less of carbon dioxide per kilometre are eligible, as are utes and vans that emit no more than 188 grams.Environmental group the Climate Council welcomed the announcement.

What is the difference between the VTi 5D Hatchback GE (1.5) and VTi 5D Hatchback MY06 (1.5)?

I am looking for a safe and practical car for my two teenage boys to share while they finish school/uni. From some past experiences I have always been pretty keen on an AWD driveline and have always put the family in something so fitted out. For the boys I am looking at the Mazda CX-30. Am I just wasting money spending the extra on the AWD G25 over the Evolve G20? We liked the Mazda over the Subaru XV.

I am evaluating between a 2019 Volkswagen Golf vs a new Corolla. Hoping to keep the car for about one year. What's your opinion on the resale value of each?

I am exploring options and looking for a Tesla Model 3. I am told that there is a process for ordering, could you please advise on this?

Japanese makes have to close the books on their financial year — get in for these deals before the end of the month.March is the second-biggest month of the year for new-car sales — as Japanese brands have one last sales push to close off their books for the end of the Japanese financial year.Almost every other brand in the Top 10 must also have a crack if they don't want to be left behind, which is why Holden and Hyundai and others are out there with sharp deals to lure buyers away from Japanese showrooms.A lot of the deals will seem similar to the January offers, as dealers are still trying to clear 2015-built stock. But prices and/or other bonuses have been sharpened even further on a few models.Here are the best deals as we see them.Small carsAmong the tiny tots, the Suzuki Celerio is still the cheapest in the business at $12,990 drive-away with automatic transmission, while the Mitsubishi Mirage is also sharp buying for $1000 more, at $13,990 drive-away with auto, including a standard five-year factory warranty.Need the next size up? The Suzuki Swift hatchback is still at an incredibly low $15,990 drive-away with auto. That's about $4000 off retail and $2000 less than the sharply discounted Toyota Yaris, which continues at an appealing $17,990 drive-away with auto ($3000 off RRP).With the popular Hyundai i20 all but sold out, Hyundai has now taken the knife to the Accent to help drive sales. It is $15,990 drive-away with auto (this offer isn't clear on the website, but that's the deal if you ask before the end of the month, a saving of $4500).Need something a little roomier? As anticipated, Hyundai is back with a super sharp price on the i30 hatch at $19,990 drive-away including automatic transmission, rear-view camera and five-year warranty. It's unbeatable at this price.Deals are usually rare on top-sellers. But Toyota has shifted its discount from the dearer Corolla Ascent Sport to the regular Ascent, which is $21,990 drive-away with CVT auto this month. That's $2000 less than the previous Corolla offer.SUVsOur eyes popped when we saw this deal. The updated Holden Captiva5 (with the new look and Apple CarPlay) is an astonishingly low $25,990 drive-away. The seven-seater Captiva7 is $29,990 drive-away. The Captiva may be overdue for replacement but this is the most metal for the money in the class.Need something smaller? The city-sized Holden Trax SUV is $23,990 drive-away with auto and free servicing until 2020. At that price, who cares what it looks like?The Mitsubishi ASX remains at $25,000 drive-away with auto, rear camera and five-year factory warranty. No wonder it's one of Mitsubishi's top sellers. This is $5000 off the original RRP but it's been this price for so long it's worth pointing out it's still $3000 less than its direct rivals.UtesNeed a cheap work ute? The Isuzu D-Max with dropside tray is still the sharpest tradies' diesel at $25,990 drive-away.Pay $1000 more ($26,990 drive-away) if you want a Mazda BT-50 diesel with a dropside tray or pay $2000 more ($27,990 drive-away) if you want the new Toyota HiLux with black wheels and a smaller tray but that bulletproof Toyota badge.Need a new four-door 4WD ute but don't want to wait three months for a top-of-the-range Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux? Get the Toyota HiLux Workmate dual-cab 4WD at $43,990 drive-away. Dead set bargain. And with the money you save, you can afford to replace the ugly black wheels.Don't mind the gangly looks of the new Mitsubishi Triton? That $36,990 drive-away deal on the GLX four-door 4WD just got better for March. It includes free auto (as well as the camera and alloys), which is about $5000 off full freight. Decent.Honourable mentionIt's not a small car, an SUV or a ute (our biggest categories) but if you want a sedan, Toyota is trying to clear the 5300 Camrys it declared as sold in December 2015: it is still $27,990 drive-away, with zero interest. Red hot price on a solid car.