Advertising your carCar advert jargon buster

Here’s what some of the most commonly used terms mean:

ABS anti-lock braking system
ac (or air) air conditioning
alloys alloy wheels
auto automatic gearbox
clean in good all-round condition
cd CD player
climate climate controlled air conditioning (where you can set the exact temperature)
cruise cruise control
esp (or esc) electronic stability control (a car safety aid that prevents skids)
e/sr electric sun roof
e/w electric windows
fogs front fog lamps fitted
fsh full service history
fmdsh full service history with main dealer
fully loaded has extra equipment
handsfree hands-free phone kit installed
h/seats heated seats
HPI checked/clean seller has run a vehicle history check. But you should still do your own
man manual gearbox
met metallic paintwork
mint in excellent condition
obc on-board computer
ono or near offer
ovno or very near offer
pas power assisted steering
p-ex poss part-exchange deal considered
r/c/locking remote central locking
sat nav car comes with built-in sat nav (or satellite navigation) device
tints tinted windows
tnt or t+t taxed ‘n’ tested. Car has current road tax and MoT test certificate
tracker satellite-activated security tracking device
unmarked no dents or major scratches
vgc very good condition

If you'd rather not use acronyms, you could try advertising online where word limits are generally less restrictive. Our "Where to advertise" guide gives details of the wide range of options available to sellers.

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