Tips on getting a good deal on a new car?

gram333

As the title says... im looking for a new car and wondering how to get the best deal? Looking at something like an Audi A3. Should I buy new these days or is that just throwing money away? Am i best to go to a used one and offer rediculous offers for an 2008 car?

Any tips or advice please!

Mark_Hewitt

gram333 wrote: »

As the title says... im looking for a new car and wondering how to get the best deal? Looking at something like an Audi A3. Should I buy new these days or is that just throwing money away? Am i best to go to a used one and offer rediculous offers for an 2008 car?

Any tips or advice please!

The best advice I can give is the same advice you'll get for buying any large ticket item. Shop around! Go to *at least* 5 dealers, and at least one which is well outside your local area. You'll quite often find there are big differences between them.

Research what you want before hand and have an idea of price in mind, and make sure the salesman knows that he's just one in a list of dealers you are visiting that day.

I recently bought a Fiesta and ended up saving £1,000 compared to the first dealer I went to.

fatboyonadiet

Think about car supermarkets, got my current car from there, dealerships will discount heavily and maybe give you more for part-ex but from my research I found the car supermarkets much cheaper!

Lemonade_Pockets

Do plenty of research online, brokers car supermarkets etc. When your armed with the facts visit a few dealers, explain that you were originally looking at used cars but heard you might be able to get a New one for similar money. If there not very willing to offer major discounts present them with some cheap cars you'd found from brokers (make sure they are brand new UK cars s you are comparing apples with apples) and see if they will match it.

See what sort of figures they come back with. Manufactures are v.keen to shift new metal atm - they need the cash badly. This should be reflected in the dealer network. I wouldn't be surprised if they can supply a new one @ similar money to something 6months old. Especially if you are looking at a finance package as well.

Just throwing ludicrus figures around won't work they'll just dismiss you. Making sure that they know your serious about buying in the very near future and offer a researched figure thats just a little bit under what they'd be prepared to sell at - then you'll get a good deal.

DealDrivers_company_representative

As vat is currently only 15%, you aren't going to get a great comparative nearly-new priced one where the vat was applied at 17.5% when it was first sold.

The low VAT means it is a very good time to buy new.

If you do go for Audi A3 there is a free sport upgrade offer for a short while right now on the 1.9TDIe

vikingaero

Get an online quote from Deal Drivers, Drive The Deal, Broadspeed etc. Print it out and take it to you local dealer. Give them an opportunity to price match. If they do then great if they don't then buy online. Give your local dealer about a week max to come up with an offer. They'll probably phone you a few times in the interim.

Hintza

vikingaero wrote: »

Get an online quote from Deal Drivers, Drive The Deal, Broadspeed etc. Print it out and take it to you local dealer. Give them an opportunity to price match. If they do then great if they don't then buy online. Give your local dealer about a week max to come up with an offer. They'll probably phone you a few times in the interim.

I would probably allow the local dealer a little lee way in price compared to online brokers especially if they showed willing just purely from a good will point of view.

DGJsaver

Hintza wrote: »

I would probably allow the local dealer a little lee way in price compared to online brokers especially if they showed willing just purely from a good will point of view.

Admirable viewpoint , but not really in keeping with the purpose of this website is it ?

AdrianHi

vikingaero wrote: »

Get an online quote from Deal Drivers, Drive The Deal, Broadspeed etc. Print it out and take it to you local dealer. Give them an opportunity to price match. If they do then great if they don't then buy online. Give your local dealer about a week max to come up with an offer. They'll probably phone you a few times in the interim.

I got a quote from all three of these and they were all offering a paultry less than 2% discount on the car my mother was interested in. Went into our local dealer, who know me, and simply asked politely and confidently for 10% or as close as they can get to it otherwise I'd have to shop around. Got 8% (which is what I was expecting). I did go pre-armed with knowledge about the history of dscounts people have got on this make and what they were getting now and told this to the dealer.

Almost shocked no ones mentioned buying pre-registered or nearly new, you can save 25%+ this way over brand new.
Also consider leasing. Someone on MSE often tells us about good lease deals he gets on Audi A3's from lings cars. Cheaper than buying and selling on in 3 to 4 years time in some cases.

vikingaero

Hintza wrote: »

I would probably allow the local dealer a little lee way in price compared to online brokers especially if they showed willing just purely from a good will point of view.

True Hintza. If they hit about within £500 of the online price I'm prepared to deal with them. It's when they play silly games that I walk out.

I had one Honda salesman tell me of "the fraudsters on the internet" and that I shouldn't order online because of this. I called the same Honda salesman before coming in to the dealership and said that if they matched the price they could have the sale. He agreed and then disagreed when I turned up armed with a print out.