CAR DEALERS are "taking customers for a ride" by not being clear about how much interest they will pay on their motor, according to Which? Car magazine.

Details of car finance deals were not properly explained in an undercover operation involving visits to showrooms, Which? Car said.

Not one of the the 15 dealerships verbally told researchers the total cost of the interest on a finance agreement.

Two thirds failed to mention the APR (annual percentage rate) and a third did not include it on their written quote either.

Which? Car stressed that without this information, it was impossible for a buyer to work out how much interest they would pay on a finance deal.

Not including the APR in a written quote also contravenes the Consumer Credit Act.

One salesman even refused to give a written quote at all, wrongly claiming that to do so would break the law, the magazine said.

The showrooms visited belonged to Audi, Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

Which? Car said that on a typical car such as a £13,000 Fiat Bravo, a bank loan would cost a customer £15,319 whereas hire purchase with payment protection insurance would cost them £18,433.

Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: "When you take out a mortgage, the bank or building society has to clearly state APR rates up front, and explain terms and conditions fully.

"We think car finance deals should be conducted in the same way. We urge car buyers to avoid showroom finance deals if they think dealers haven't given them all the necessary information."