West Way Newsletter - Winter 2021
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  • West Way Newsletter - Winter 2021
  • 16 November 2021
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    West Way Newsletter - Winter 2021

    Welcome to the Winter Edition of the West Way Newsletter where we collate all the latest news. special offers and tips.
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65 brand new LEAF models landing soon at West Way


Despite the ongoing semi-conductor shortage which continues to affect new car supply across the globe, West Way have acquired 65 LEAF Acenta models to arrive in December. The chip crisis has seen vehicle production fall dramatically for some brands which in turn has seen an upsurge in used car demand and prices, but demand remains strong with customers booking build slots for their new cars.
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Surge in EV interest

Securing the order of LEAF Acenta stock comes on the back of record electric vehicles enquires, prompted by fuel price hikes after panic buying in September and the recent climate-change publicity sparked by the COP26 Conference in Glasgow.

EV searches on the web have risen by as much 1500% in recent weeks and the arrival of new EV stock has been welcomed by New Car Performance Manager Dean Naylor. “This vehicle order landing is fantastic news for West Way”, said Dean. “Nissan’s factory in Sunderland is working flat out to get these LEAFs off the production line. And the great news for Nissan owners is that they qualify for a £2,250 contribution towards their finance deposit when they buy through Nissan with representative 2.99% finance, plus there’s a saving of £1,143 exclusive to West Way.”

At the time of writing, the Government’s Plug In Car Grant was still offering £2,500 off the price of 100% electric vehicles, making the LEAF even more affordable.
Home charging made easy

There’s also good news for drivers who are new to electric. Nissan have teamed up with two separate EV chargepoint providers, Pod Point and E.ON, to give customers the option of buying a home charging unit at the same time and including it in their finance package. “We’re making it simpler for customers new to electric motoring and make their transition to zero emissions motoring more straightforward”, said Dean. “With the new Nissan finance package, you can secure a fantastic electric car, choose from a range of 7kW chargers, and have it efficiently installed at home, all for one single monthly payment.”

Advanced spec from £269 a month

Acenta specification on the LEAF includes rear view camera, voice control system, smartphone integration and Nissan safety shield technology which comprises blind spot warning, intelligent lane intervention and cruise control. You can find out more about the LEAF here, or see our offers here.
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West Way helps WellChild Golf Day go with a swing

WellChild hosted their first annual Golf Day since 2019, at the Belfry in October, to raise awareness and funds to help families with sick children.

The line up was star-studded, with Cricketers pitting against Olympians for the WellChild Golf Challenge Trophy, in a Ryder Cup style contest. The line-up consisted of cricketers Ali Brown, Ian Bell, Chris Broad, Mark Butcher, Phil DeFreitas, Phil Mustard, Paul Nixon, Mark Ramprakash and Gladstone Small. The Olympians team included hockey stars Chris Griffiths, Ashley Jackson, Rupert Shipperley and Sam Ward, Mark Foster and Andy Jameson from Swimming, Kriss Akabusi & Jeff Parsons from Athletics and former British tennis number one, Andrew Castle.
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This spectacular fund-raising event couldn’t have happened without the main sponsor, who were Systems Integration (SI). Headquartered in the Midlands, headline partner Systems Integration is one of the UK’s leading food manufacturing ERP and MES systems providers.

West Way also spiced up the day by offering the chance to win an All-New Qashqai to anyone who managed to bag a hole-in-one at the tricky par three 8th hole. West Way has also previously provided vehicles to WellChild’s Helping Hands Team, who provide garden make overs for families with seriously ill children.
West Way also took on the challenge with a team of four, Group Used Car Manager Mark Lane, Lynda Julier, Vish Gami and Phil Brown, against the employees of SI. Unfortunately for West Way though, the SI team took the victory!

The Cricketers raced into an 8-1 lead by the 8th, but things tightened up on the back nine before the Olympians were finally defeated 5½ - 3½. Unfortunately, nobody managed to win our All-New Qashqai, but there were one or two within 10 feet of the flag.

WellChild is West Way’s chosen charity partner. Through a range of practical and emotional support, training and information programmes, they give seriously ill children and their families the best chance to thrive at home. Learn more here.
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Introducing Drive Away Today

We recently launched our new ‘Drive Away Today’ initiative where customers can now experience the thrill of choosing, buying and driving their ideal car away in under two hours. Customers will be able to browse through a wide variety of Nissan and non-franchise used cars (including Audi, BMW, Fiat, Ford, Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes, Renault, Toyota, Vauxhall & Volkswagen amongst others) and drive away complete with the reassurance of benefits including; Minimum 12 Months Warranty; HPI, mileage and history checks; 100-point vehicle check; Free MOT Insurance and free drive away insurance (terms and conditions apply).
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With a number of vehicles available with £395 deposit contribution (9.9% APR Representative), Drive Away Today has proved to be an early hit with customers who have also benefitted from receiving excellent part exchange values for their previous vehicles. With the surge in demand for high quality used cars, we are always looking for good quality used car stock under 5 years / 50000 miles and regularly price check to ensure we are offering our customers the best value for their used cars.

Mark Lane, our Group Used Car Manager confirmed the early success of Drive Away Today as he stated “This initiative allows customers the freedom to choose from a range of cars (currently over one third of our stock), either online or instore and be driving away within 2 hours. The process has been warmly received by customers and our staff are on hand to guide you through the process.”

If you’re planning on driving away a vehicle from our forecourt within 2 hours, remember, you’ll need to bring your driving license, a utility bill within the last 90 days and the details of your part exchange such as log book, sets of keys, service history, etc. West Way can even sort out your finance and provide drive away insurance.
You can find which cars are available to Drive Away Today here.
7 must-read tips to help you drive a great used car deal


Buying a used car has been voted as the second most stressful experience behind moving house with concerns about vehicle reliability, condition, price and specification being the most common. At West Way, we’d like to help you overcome any fears or trepidation about choosing your next used vehicle by giving you some cast iron tips about what to consider before you buy.
1. Establish your budget
Sounds obvious, but a significant number of people fail at this first step – especially when it comes to considering costs other than the on the road price or the monthly repayment. How long are you planning to have the car? Is it worth buying through a PCP, HP or outright? It’s also worth budgeting for products that could potentially save you money, such as a Service Plan.

2. Don’t forget to factor in cost of ownership
Running costs are just as important as monthly payments, so factoring in what you can afford on insurance, servicing, road tax and fuel is critical: higher powered models will cost you more in all these areas. If you’re buying electric; great, you can forget about fuel and road tax, and servicing will be cheaper, you just need to think about electricity costs and a home charging point.
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3. List what you need and what you want
This is to ensure you don’t buy something that’s gorgeous but impractical. What’s the main purpose of the car? If it’s a long commute, think fuel economy and comfort. If it’s the school run and holidays, think space and spec. Once you’ve established the essentials, you can then focus on what your desires are – these will be then be the things to go if the budget gets too tight.

4. Buy from someone you trust
A reputable dealer is an obvious choice, but it’s worth doing some quick background checks if you haven’t bought from them before to consider what their used car benefits package is like. Friends and family are another easy choice, but remember to get the car checked out before you buy just like you would if you bought anywhere else. Private buyers could save you money, but won’t offer warranties, exchange plans or pre-checks – so its buyer beware here.

5. Warranty – do I need one?
Yes, is the simple answer. And depending on who you buy from and how old the car is, this may be included in the price. Most manufacturers offer at least a 3-year warranty, and used car benefits programmes like Nissan Intelligent Choice include 12 months warranty as standard, but you may want to go for and extended warranty that if you plan to own the car longer.
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6. Compare prices but focus on value
We all want the best deal, but it is riskier to pay too little and buy a problem than it is to pay too much. Shop around and get a feel for the market, but remember to compare value rather than just price. Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed and sometimes things go wrong. Benefits like pre-checks, exchange promises, warranties, service plans or roadside assistance (which the Nissan Intelligent Choice programme offers) can be valuable assets to give you confidence in your purchase and peace of mind going forward.

7. Test drive the car
Online buying has become increasingly popular, especially since the pandemic, and some dealers (including West Way) offer both instore and online purchasing, but we would always recommend test driving the car before buying if at all possible. A test drive gives you the opportunity to get to know the car and the seller – both of which can provide valuable reasons why you should or shouldn’t buy. Try to test out the functions and spec as well as just enjoying the drive.
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If you’re buying a new or used car, you may just want to consider the Supagard treatment. With dealers offering excellent part exchange valuations, protecting the re-sale value of your car has become increasingly paramount.
Due to ever changing environmental changes, most new cars now have water-based paints meaning they are prone to fading and oxidization which can lower the value of your vehicle if not prevented. Add in road salt, detergent, acid raid and UV rays and there’s a lot your vehicle has to content with on a day-to-day basis.

Supagard offers interior and exterior protection of your vehicle through paint and fabric protection. The highgloss polymer sealant protects your cars paint surface for 3 years and the interior protection means spillages and dirt can be wiped away with a cloth and gentle cleaning solution.

On top of this, customers can also protect their vehicle through carpet protection, leather car and wheel care – all designed to ensure your vehicle remains in the best condition possible.

West Way staff are highly trained in the application of Supagard and we can even provide you with a demo of how the protection works within our showrooms. Find out more about Supagard and retaining the value in your vehicle here.
'How-To' videos help you get to know your Nissan


Here at West Way, we’ve carefully produced a number of videos, covering every aspect of selected Nissan cars; ensuring you aren’t left with any unanswered questions and are able to familiarise yourself with any key features on your new vehicle.
What’s better, is that you don’t need to spend hours on end reading a brochure to find one specific little point; just use our online ‘how-to’ videos, which are direct, straight to the point and very easy to understand. You can watch a complete video detailing all functions, or shorter, bite-sized films showing you specific parts of the car such as the boot, centre console or infotainment system.

Our online How-To video guides are ideal for those who have bought a vehicle online and/or have had a delivery of a car, where, in both cases, a normal handover doesn’t occur. Normally, one of our sales executives will show you around the car and answer all your questions on a collection but this doesn’t happen if your car is delivered straight to you. So our handover guides IDEAL for all online buyers who aren’t sure of the features of their new car, and they allow you to better understand your vehicle and are easily referred to later.

All of our guides are very easy to find on our website, and can be found under our ‘Aftercare’ section of the main menu. Or why not make a head start and check them out here.
One third of drivers' cars "not ready for Winter"


As winter quickly approaches, Nissan has revealed that many of our vehicles are not as prepared as we think they are! A HUGE 37% of drivers revealed they do not feel prepared for the oncoming winter conditions, and 32% say they don't understand how to prepare or use their cars’ extra safety features for winter - according to recent research commissioned by the automaker.
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As the clocks have gone back an hour, and the days become shorter, drivers will find themselves behind the wheel in the dark more often this time of year, meaning journeys become more challenging. 61% of motorists have admitted they are already nervous driving in winter conditions, whilst 46% admitted they wished they had been taught to properly drive in adverse weather.

Heavy rain or snow can make visibility very low on roads and motorways during day light hours, and would you be surprised to hear that less than half of UK Drivers feel completely confident about how to adjust their headlights for road condition, such as turning on side lights for dusk, or full beams when dark. 59% of drivers revealed they did not feel comfortable in knowing how to appropriately adjust the height of their headlights.

68% of UK drivers have admitted to not feeling confident in knowing how to bring a skid to a stop when on icy roads, whilst 73% have said they don't know what tyres they should be using when it snows, or even the stopping distance in these conditions.
Winter tyres should be used, as they are better suited to wet and icy conditions of the UK climate. They are typically made with a different type of rubber which is better suited to colder temperatures, as normal tyres can become stiff, which reduces traction. Winter tyres also have a deeper tread and different patterns which allow it to disperse water better.

During snowy or icy conditions, breaking distances increase, and you should adjust your speed accordingly. Despite this fact, two-thirds of drivers don't tend to check their breaks in the winter, and a third won't change the speed at which they drive. This is a huge cause for concern, as well as the fact that 46% of UK drivers believe the stopping distance in these dangerous conditions is 5 times further than usual, rather the recommended 10 times the normal stopping distance.

Many local councils across the UK are concerned due to the lack of HGV drivers, as they believe it will influence the number of gritter lorry drivers they can deploy this year. If this is the case, the roads of the UK could be even more perilous. With drivers already admitting they haven’t prepared for winter conditions, how much worse could this leave UK drivers?

Is your car ready? Find out more about how a winter check can help here.
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