A new survey has revealed that a third of car buyers exceeded their budget in order to include add-ons and optional extras.

The data from carwow suggested that 90% of buyers had a clear budget in mind – but could not resist the temptation to spend more.

Satnav was the most popular extra (35%) while digital radios (25%), air con (24%), heated seats (24%), alloys (22%) and WiFi (20%) also featured highly.

Alex Rose, head of trading at carwow, said: “The add-ons, upgrades and top ups available nowadays are mind boggling.

“It’s natural that two levels of budget are being set in the minds of consumers when making a purchase - their starting point and what they are willing to end up spending.

“This is as true for a new car as it is for a sofa or a fridge. Know what you’re willing to spend from the start, as the offers and upgrades available are sure to turn your head at some stage.”

Carwow says its customers are 69% more likely to purchase gap insurance and 34% more likely to purchase optional extras, because of their confidence that they are paying a fair price.

On average a carwow customer overspends by an average of 7%.

However, women are more likely (60%) to set a budget, stick to it, research thoroughly beforehand, and walk away with exactly what they set out to buy.

The data also showed that 15% of buyers come end up buying a car from a more expensive brand than the one they were initially looking at.

Prospective MG customers accounted for almost 20% of Seat sales through carwow and those interested in Ssangyong ended up buying 15% of all Fords.