Less than a week before the arrival of the new 03 registration plate, consumers are beginning to question the growing trend of high profile manufacturer cash-back incentives and list price cuts, according to the latest car buying survey from independent monitor, CarPriceCheck.com.

In a desperate bid to slow falling sales and consumer fears of war in Iraq, manufacturers are pumping a potential £200m worth of headline savings into the market during March. The average buyer can look forward to initial cash savings of £1,084 on selected models.

Although consumers have heartedly welcomed the transparent savings on offer, more than three quarters (77%) also felt it served to question just how large the profit margin actually was on new cars sold in the UK and almost half (47%) were concerned that headline savings today would simply push down used car prices making the true cost of ownership higher.

Current promotional offers include £2003 off the Chrysler PT Cruiser, up to £835 off the VW Polo, £800 off Toyota's Corolla, £1,250 off Peugeot's 307 family hatchback, £500-£2,000 off selected Ford models and the firm that started it all, Citroen's now traditional offer of cash-back savings of up to £2,500 across the whole range.