Untangling Car Advert Jargon
The Internet has made it extremely easy to search for and buy used cars. Wherever you are, whatever your budget, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something that suits your needs and wants.
The problem with this is, used car adverts tend not to speak in plain English. If you’re not familiar with the terminologies used or are accustomed to speaking to a salesperson, it’ll probably look like another language to you. A jumble of letters, slashes and dots, where on earth can you start?
Let’s Keep It Simple
First of all, if you see AIR CON it’s fairly self explanatory that this means air conditioning. Might also appear as AC or A/C.
Automatic Transmission is another one with a few different monikers.
It may appear as AT, AUT, or even AUTO. Either way, you should always check that you are browsing for the right transmission for your needs.
The abbreviation CC might appear to be something engine-related since you may have heard of a catalytic converter (I don’t know what it is either). But it the case of a car advert, it’s more than likely going to be cruise control.
E/M will usually mean electric mirrors. That is, the wonderful invention where you no longer have to manually fiddle about getting your wing mirrors adjusted. Don’t you just love the 21st century? In the same vein, E/W will mean electronic windows.
FSH has nothing to do with fish, at least to my knowledge. Rather this means you will be receiving the full service history of the car, quite an important factor when purchasing a used car.
If the advert states that your potential new vehicle is ‘Man’, this won’t mean you’ll be driving a human being. It’s actually just manual transmission, honest.
MPG is a more important one as people become concerned with fuel economy – it means miles per gallon. The higher this is, the less you’ll be spending on petrol, so it’s something that most of us will factor into our budget when shopping for cars.
R/C/L or RCL – remote central locking. These were once a seemingly space age gadget to lock your car without touching it, but it’s pretty much standard for cars nowadays.
There are literally dozens of abbreviations and code words you will find in car adverts but these are the most common. The most import thing to remember is if you’re not sure – just ask! Rather that then wind up driving an actual man.
Claire writes for Carmole – making it far simpler to buy used cars online
