If you have your eye on a new Ford car but you don’t think you’ll be able to afford it, here’s what you need to know to save yourself a bit of money:

1. Never pay the list price. In today’s economic climate, many car dealers will be prepared to offer a discount on the list price of new cars. With a little sweet talking, you might be able to save some money. So, when you go to your Ford dealer, make sure you at least try to haggle the price down.

2. Look at financing options. Many car dealers offer finance options to help you spread out the cost of your new car. Make sure you compare all of these options carefully to work out which you can afford and which is the best deal.

3. Consider part-exchanging. If you have a vehicle to sell, consider part-exchanging it to make your new Ford car cheaper.

The research, carried out by world-leading market research company TNS, involved asking Ford car owners from all over the UK what features they were looking for when adding extras to their new vehicles. When asked what equipment they would most like, a massive 11,000 ticked the box relating to rear view camera technology.

Many Ford cars have rear view camera technology, including the Ford Fiesta, Ford Mondeo, Ford Galaxy and S-Max. Another similar feature found in many Ford vehicles is Active Park Assist, which helps drivers to parallel park without even needing to touch the steering wheel. This feature was the second most-wanted driving aid uncovered in the survey.

Explaining the results of the survey was Christof Kellerwessel, Ford’s chief engineer, who said:

“Parking is the latest example of a tough, stressful task rendered simple by technology,”

“Before GPS, you had to read a map or ask directions. Technology that was once unaffordable or far-fetched can now improve the lives of many.”

The thinking behind the Ford Escort Concept is to create a car that blends distinctive and desirable design with functionality, interior space, safety, fuel economy and above all, exceptional quality. It sounds like a tall order, but Ford feels that the its Escort Concept not only fits the bill, but is also a vision of the future for fans of Ford cars.

Speaking a little about the Ford Escort Concept at the Shanghai Auto Show was Jim Farley, the executive vice president of Global Marketing, Sales and Service for Ford Cars. He explained that it aims to build on the global success of the Ford Focus, which continues to sell in its thousands as a new model as well as when bought second-hand from used Ford Focus dealerships. Mr Farley said:

“By listening to our customers in China, we have developed the Ford Escort Concept to serve a new class of compact car customers,”

“These are customers whose needs are not being completely met by existing compact cars. They are discerning, modern families, who want uncompromised functionality, quality and safety for themselves and the ones they care about.”

The study involved recording details of every one of the 35,760,901 cars, vans, buses, coaches and trucks on British roads. The SMMT’s researchers looked at a range of different things, including trends in consumer cars, which areas preferred which car models, the efficiency of today’s cars and which countries mainly supply the UK’s cars.

The main results of the SMMT’s Motorparc study were as follows:

• The UK was the second largest provider of new cars to the domestic market, beaten only by Germany
• There are 15 global automotive brands (including Ford cars) building vehicles in the UK
• The city of London had the highest proportion of ultra-efficient ‘alternatively-fuelled’ cars, but also had the biggest average engine size at 2.5 litres
• The number of VED-free cars increased significantly last year, suggesting a growing trend for cars with low emissions and high fuel efficiency
• Emissions in 2012 were 3.6 per cent less compared to the year before, and 26 per cent better compared to 2000
• Slough was the most fuel efficient town in the country in 2012.

If you’re planning to buy a used car, there are certain things you need to know:

• If you’re buying a used car that is only a few years old, find out if its factory warranty is still valid. Warranties last longer and longer these days, so you may even have a year or two of cover.

• Buying from a car dealer (i.e. a Ford car dealer) will give you the best customer experience. You may pay more than buying privately, but you’ll always have backup if you have any problems.

• If you’re buying from a private seller, make sure you know what to look for. You should also take the car for a test drive, find out about the car’s history and see all relevant documents before making the purchase.

• Watch out for clocking and tampering with the recorded mileage when buying from a private seller.

• The cheapest way to buy a used car is at auction, but you’ll need to know exactly what you’re doing if you choose this route.

Manufacturers including Ford cars, Nissan, Toyota, Renault, BMW and Vauxhall all have electric cars on the market or are planning to launch them in the very near future. However, only around 3,000 electric cars were sold in the UK in 2012, mostly to businesses rather than consumers. Needless to say, the industry is very disappointed with this figure.

The UK car industry now wants to win over the British public to the benefits of electric-powered vehicles and overcome general scepticism. Major manufacturers, working together under the guidance of the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), are planning to give the electric car an image overhaul. The aim is to turn the concept from ‘novel to normal’, and ultimately persuade UK drivers that buying ultra-low emission vehicles is a cost efficient, practical and environmentally friendly decision.

The SMMT is now working with advertising agencies to come up with ideas to pitch to government departments, to hopefully secure some investment for the campaign.

Kinetic Design styling

When it was first launched, the Ford S-Max was the very first Ford cars to feature Kinetic Design styling. With large wheelarches, angular headlights and twin trapezoidal grilles, the design scheme aims to make the vehicle look like its in motion even when it isn’t.

Fold Flat System

This design, one of the major selling points of the S-Max, enables the seats on the second and third rows of the vehicle to fold completely flat and seamlessly into the floor. This gives you extra storage space for all your family essentials.

Zetec or Titanium?

New and used Ford S-Max cars come in two main model variants – the Zetec and Titanium – each with a choice of engine sizes and other specifications.

Technology

The S-Max is well-equipped with the latest technological features, from parking sensors and voice command controls to Bluetooth connectivity and dual climate control.

Safety

The Ford S-Max has a 5 Star Euro NCAP rating, and it also features the Intelligent Protection System (IPS).

When providing drivers with quotes, insurers look at many different aspects of the car model you are hoping to drive. They look at the engine size and the vehicle’s maximum speed, as well as the safety ratings and other statistics of particular models.

This is why before you buy a car, you should always think about how much it will cost to insure. Even if the car itself is a bargain, you may end up paying a fortune in insurance, so the total cost will be much higher than you expected when you bought the vehicle.

The best thing to do is to research the average cost of insurance for certain models, such as Ford cars for example, before looking around for a new car. Get some speculative quotes and find out which cars are the cheapest to insure.

The research, carried out by MoneySupermarket.com in conjunction with Warranty Direct, revealed that the average cost of repairing a Ford car is just £223.92. This low figure could be due to the easy availability of parts, as well as trained and experienced technicians, for Ford cars.

This average figure proved to be a little cheaper than the next on the list, Suzuki cars, which cost an average of £20 more than Ford cars to repair, and considerably cheaper than other manufacturers such as:

• Peugeot – average repair cost of £251.57
• Fiat – average repair cost of £260.25
• Skoda – average repair cost of £261.02

Other manufacturers which made it into the top ten for cheap car repair were Seat, Hyundai, Citroen, Vauxhall and Smart.

The results of the study not only shed light on why Ford cars remained the UK’s favourite in 2012 in terms of sales figures, but the data also revealed how much money car owners can save themselves in terms of repair bills if they choose the right model.

The Ford SYNC program, which was launched a few years ago, has now been developed to the point that it is being implemented into many Ford cars and other consumer vehicles. These cars now feature the Ford SYNC display, on which applications by Ford and third party developers can be run, controlled by both touch and voice.

Ford’s technology experts have now opened up the SYNC platform with even more tools to enable developers to create mobile apps. Nine new smartphone apps for Ford SYNC have been made available to drivers, including USA Today, Amazon Cloud Player, Glympse and Wall Street Journal Live. These apps run on a smartphone but sync with the Ford SYNC display and can be controlled in-vehicle by the driver.

Ford fans can expect even more advances in this area in the months and years to follow, as Ford recently explained at the International Consumer Electronics Show that it is making the development of the ‘connected car’ a top priority. Surveys showed that 65% of recent Ford car buyers named the SYNC platform as a main reason for their purchase decision, so there is obviously huge demand for future developments.