Buying a new car can often be an expensive business, but car manufacturers around the world are making it more cost-effective than ever to get your hands on a brand new car. Gone are the days when buying a new car was limited either to companies or those willing to haemorrhage a few thousand pounds the moment they drove it off the forecourt.

Take Alfa Romeo, for example. The Alfa Giulietta is a thing of beauty, as all previous models have been. As a highly sought-after car, many motorists are keen to get their hands on the new model but may be unable to pay up-front in cash. It’s also recognised that many people like to spread the cost of buying a new car and take advantage of being able to budget long-term for what is otherwise a big outlay.

The new Giulietta starts at £18,750 OTR for the 1.4 model with metallic paint, but it can actually work out cheaper to spread the cost. Yes, cheaper. This goes beyond the ‘0% finance’ mantra that it shouldn’t cost any more to spread the load. With Alfa Romeo’s new finance offering, spreading the cost of your purchase actually works out to be £500 cheaper.

Alfa are offering a £500 deposit contribution at participating retailers before the end of September 2014, and over two years with a £2,499 deposit and monthly payment of £209, that £18,750 model comes down to a total cost of £18,250. If the deal has already expired when you come to purchase or isn’t available at your local dealer, Alfa offer a number of other finance packages.

Some customers are keen to avoid linking credit packages to specific products. If this is something you’d rather do, the low Bank of England interest rate at the moment means that it’s relatively easy to obtain a credit card or loan with a very low rate of interest, allowing you to buy a new car on unsecured credit, making the car instantly yours and leaving you with the flexibility of being able to move the debt, spread it over a time period which suits you and maintain total control.

A new car doesn’t need to be more expensive, either. When you factor in the manufacturer’s guarantee, no MOTs for three years and the relatively low cost of insuring new cars compared to older cars (not to mention the fact that new cars generally tend to be more fuel efficient), there really isn’t a whole lot in it when you compare the two. So why opt for a second-hand car when you can just as feasibly have yourself a brand new shiny model of your choice, without the huge upfront cost you might be expecting? For the first time in a long time, the choice seems pretty simple.

Categories: General