If you assumed you'd have to go to a franchised dealer for your new car, think again. There are more places than ever, but if you pay a rock-bottom price you'll probably get a rock-bottom service. The most common new-car outlets are:

• Franchised dealers, which are appointed by the manufacturer they represent. They generally charge the highest prices, but should offer expertise along with ease of servicing.
  
• Car supermarkets hold massive stocks and work on tiny margins - so you can make huge savings. There's usually no haggling, and you can't choose the car's specification (as it's already in stock), but bargains abound.
  
• Brokers can order in bulk and secure savings accordingly. But read any contract before you sign it, because there are often hidden costs hiding in the small print.
  
• Importing from Europe isn't as popular as it was because Continental prices have gone up, and UK ones have (in many cases) gone down. See Importing: still worth it? for more on this.
  

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