How to understand car adverts
Information about cars can be difficult to understand. Here are explanations of the most common descriptions:
- 3dr: 3 door
- 5dr: 5 door
- 2×2: Two seats in the front, two small seats in the back
- 4×4: 4-wheel drive
- AC: Air conditioning
- BHP: brake horsepower
- DVLA: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
- FSH: Full service history
- HP: Hire purchase
- HPI check: a vehicle history check. See www.hpi.co.uk
- LPG: Liquid petroleum gas
- MOT: An annual safety test
- PCP: Personal Contract Purchase
- PCH: Personal Contract Hire
- PX or Part Ex or p/x: Part exchange. If you have a car already you can swap it for the new one (you might have to pay some money as well)
- Spec: Specifications
- Service: a general health check on the car, usually done once a year
- Valet service: car cleaning
- Valet parking: someone will park the car for you
- VED: vehicle excise duty (vehicle tax)
- VGC: very good condition
- […]-reg: Shows the year the car was registered.
- Write-off: A car that has so much damage it is not worth the insurance company paying for repairs. There are 4 categories:
-CAT A (Category A): So badly damaged the car must be crushed.
-CAT B (Category B): The car must be crushed, but some parts can be reused.
–CAT C (Category C): The old name for Category S.
–CAT D (Category D): The old name for Category N.
– CAT N (Category N): There is damage that needs repair. This might be just cosmetic, or it might be a problem with the brakes or electrics.
-CAT S (Category S). The car is not safe until it has been professionally repaired.
- Hatchback: A car with a big door to the boot
- Coupe: 3-door car with 2 seats. It might have 2 small seats in the back as well (2×2)
- Crossover: A mix between an SUV and a hatchback
- Saloon: The boot is separate from the seating area
- Estate: Like a hatchback with a very big boot
- Convertible: Has a folding roof
- MPV: Has 5 or 7 seats, and large luggage space. Sometimes 4-wheel drive
- SUV: sports utility vehicle. Usually 4-wheel drive
