When it comes to buying a new car, whether it’s brand new off the assembly line or whether it’s just new to you, many people will provide you with nuggets of wisdom and advice. It’s not a good idea to trustingly swallow all this information as gospel, as there are many, many car buying myths and legends out there.

Here we debunk just a few of the most common ones:

• Large vehicles are always safer than small vehicles

Large vehicles are statistically safer for passengers, and of course, if a smaller vehicle is involved in an accident with a larger one, the passengers in the smaller vehicle are more likely to get hurt than those in the larger vehicle. These days even the smallest cars have excellent safety features, so there is no need to base your whole decision on this concern – choose a small car if that’s what you want, just look for one with lots of safety features.

• Red cars are more expensive to insure

Cars are judged on make and model, and that’s about it. Car insurance companies have never considered the colour of a vehicle when determining premiums. Your motor insurance costs are determined along the lines of driver’s age; the vehicles make and model and so on. There is also a related myth that red cars get more speeding tickets, but again statistically this is not true. The myth may have arisen from the fact that many sports cars are red, and sports cars are generally faster cars, or from the theory that since red is an eye catching colour, why policemen are more apt to notice a red vehicle.

• Extended warranties offered by dealers are scams.

Dealerships have been known to tell customers they have to buy a specific extended warranty package to qualify for the lowest interest rate or to make a loan and will require the consumer to pay an outrageous price for a warranty. Others will "pack" the contract with add-ons that the car buyer may not have asked for, so don’t fall for a salesperson talking you into something that you do not want. While these practices are not that common, it still happens, so make sure you aren’t over spending on unwanted extras. If you want an extended warranty, go to a reputable dealership which specialises in your vehicle and purchase one there. Don’t fall for a salesperson talking you into something that you do not want.

For more information Contact Privilege at:

Jennifer Culley Head of Press Office jennifer.culley@rbs.co.uk RBS Insurance 0845 246 0515

Disclaimer: Please note that Privilege does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of the article above.