IF say, £14,000 is a bit over your budget for a new car, and you would prefer instead to pay out around £10 -11,000 for a nearly-new version of your preferred choice, then think again.

By shopping around, you can make some truly marvellous savings on showroom prices, and get the new car you want within your original used-car target price.

New car buyers can save an average of £2,300 during the March car sales boom by shopping through brokers or importers, research by What Car? magazine has revealed.

With the new 03 registration plate encouraging car buyers into showrooms, the magazine's survey reveals the massive savings available by shopping online or over the phone.

Some of the biggest savings were found shopping through import companies, which deal with the foreign dealer directly on your behalf, and can arrange for the new car to be brought into the UK. The biggest saving of all was £7,741 on an imported Lexus LS430, bringing the price of the luxury saloon down to £46,759.

But not many of us can afford motoring exotica. Researchers uncovered bargain prices on a Ford Mondeo a 1.8 LX five-door can be bought for £3,267 less than the £14,645 list price and a Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 HDi LX 90 MPV was sourced at £2,890 below list price.

"There are huge savings if buyers are prepared to do a little research over the internet or the phone," says What Car? editor Rob Aherne.

"The biggest savings are still on imported cars, but the deals from UK sources are now too good to ignore."

The Top 100 Cars price survey is featured in the April issue of What Car?

Meanwhile, the retail motor industry is sounding a cautious note about prospects for new car sales in March, reports market experts Glass's.

Demand for new vehicles has slowed in the first two months of the year, and the switch to an 03 plate is likely to attract only a limited number of extra buyers, says Glass's.