42 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 AUGUST 2019
o one buys new cars
any more – at least not
with their own money.
Apparently the smart
people invest their
hard-earned in a Personal Contract
P u r c h a s e (P CP), w h ic h a l low s t he m
to put a lump sum down and get the
brand-new vehicle they want parked
on their drive.
W it h a P CP it i s p o s si ble t o pay
the resale price and keep the car at
the end. Alternatively you can trade
it in and take out another PCP, or
just hand the car back then walk
away. Trouble is, you’re buying into
a recurring cycle of regular payment
despair that is difficult to get out of.
Unless, that is, you decide to take
that deposit and instead use it for
a one-off investment in a used car.
That’s where the really smart moneygoes – and over the next few pages
we have the proof, with new PCP
deals versus used cash options to suit
nearly every taste and budget.
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PCPs r u le i n t he show room s, but bu y i ng
used is sma r ter, says James Ruppert
2012 Citroën C-Zero,
22,000 miles, £5300
2012 Renault Fluence,
33,122 miles, £4999
2013 Renault Twizy, 3000 miles,
£4400
ALSO TRY...
Five and a half grand buys an old-
school EV, and it will do a silent job
for local trips if you want to feel
good about the environment – and
potentially longer trips too once our
national infrastructure can offer
full recharging support. For buyers
chasing no-emissions motoring, this
is a cost-effective way to do it.
2011 MITSUBISHI i-MIEV E, 6000 miles, £5250
Officially the range is 93 miles and it takes seven hours to
get fully charged. This one had the Tamashii Pack, so air-con,
and the mileage remains marginal. It’s something for short, local,
uncomfortable journeys for shopping or the commute.
FOR^
YOURDEP
OSITFOR
YOU
RDEPO
SIT
2017 MASERATI GRANTURISMO V8 SPORT,
18,500 miles, £60,000
You can debate all day long whether this is a supercar, but it is
at least Maserati and it has the same GT aura as an Aston Martin.
It may not be a Superleggera but it is genuinely Italian. Also, you
would be buying this at a main agent, so there are no short-term worries
whatsoever. That’s what you call a super car.
BUY
NEW
NISSAN LEAF
N-CONNECTA PROPILOT
Deposit £5489
Monthly payment £389
Duration 37 months
ELECTRIC CARS