Getting best possible deal

foggytown

In GENERAL (and I do mean GENERAL) terms, is it better to buy a used car from a main dealer which is NOT their marque and trade in a car that IS their marque? For instance, buying a used Ford from a Kia main dealer and having a decent Kia to part exchange.

goldspanners

i very much doubt it, your trading in a kia for a used car so chances are your old kia will be heading off to an auction,not on to thier fourcourt.
i would probably be more inclined buy a ford from a ford dealer and a kia from a kia dealer.it may make life a lot easier if warranty issues ever arise.

Lemonade_Pockets

With regards to the part exchange you are right particularly if the car doesn't have mass market appeal. This would probably apply to your Kia if it is less than 5/6yrs old and less than 60k otherwise chance are it will go to the auction and will therefore not make a blind bit of difference.

With regards to the new car its harder to call. In order to get it in the first place they would of had to pay reasonable money for it.......its rare to "steal" a part ex. Far more common to pay too much by accident. So you'd likely pay the market rate wherever.

Having said all that its impossible to generalise as there are to many variables (Sales Managers buying preference's, targets, stock mix, stock levels, previous experience of that car, customers waiting for that car..............the list goes on and on) but in principle your theory works.

In practise just compare the cost to change at any dealerships that stock the car your interested in.