Car dealer question

pioneer31

I've been looking around for second hand cars from a franchised Dealer (Hyundai i30 to be precise) and I'm seeing "suitable" ones but sadly they are a long distance from me (can used cars be delivered?).

Is it wise to travel the distance to buy a car or should pay the premium and get one locally?

yorksrabbit

You don't say whether you have a PX or not. If not, it depends on the time/cost equation.

We had no PX and were looking to buy a 3-year-old Jaguar X Type diesel estate in SE form. Within a 50-mile radius of our home, three different franchise dealerships had that model for sale, as per the details of Jaguar's UK used car database.

Checking on AutoTrader, we found the same model priced at £1,250 less. It was being sold by a North London franchised Jaguar dealer.

We telephoned each of the 'local' dealers to talk ball-park figures because without a PX we expected a further discount. One refused, one was so vague we said we couldn't hang around any longer for him to make up his mind, and the third said a £700 reduction was certainly available as they were in 'generous' mood.

The London dealership, 300 miles from us, wouldn't budge on the price (it occurred to us they would never have taken any PX against the vehicle anyway, or made so derisory an offer, the deal would never have gone through) but did chuck in a full valet and new car / boot mats (the service wasn't due for another 8,000 miles.)

No brainer, really: the London deal, even factoring in train fare, beat anything local.

If you've a PX though, your question's a bit academic.

steveo3002

salesmen arent known for being overly honest...id advise you travel there and view the car in daylight to make sure its the condition and spec its claimed to be

pioneer31

yorksrabbit wrote: »

You don't say whether you have a PX or not. If not, it depends on the time/cost equation.

Yeh i have a PX but its a 1998 Nissan Micra 1.0L.

Are you saying that dealers won't be beaten down when you're PXing?

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

You'd be better off selling the Nissan yourself IMO. The dealer will only take it to auction, its one less thing for them to do.

Personally, unless the car is rare, I'd rather buy locally.

LandyAndy

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

You'd be better off selling the Nissan yourself IMO. The dealer will only take it to auction, its one less thing for them to do.

Personally, unless the car is rare, I'd rather buy locally.

I wouldn't touch a mainstream second hand car if it wasn't local. You don't have to spend too much time here to read threads from people who have travelled hundreds of miles to buy quite ordinary cars that are now giving them problems.

How about taking the scrappage on your Micra against a new i30?

yorksrabbit

PewPew's advice re selling the Micra privately is excellent and worth following.

LandyAndy I agree with except where cars are concerned that are still within the 3-year manufacturer warranty period and from franchised dealers, in which case, it doesn't matter a toss where you get 'em from. We've bought from car supermarkets at rock-bottom prices which certainly aren't franchised but with a manufacturer warranty that is always honoured, albeit you MUST check the vehicle's service history first before buying anything from a car supermart to ensure that servicing accords with the manufacturer's requirements otherwise warranty work might be contested.

Buying locally is too often a recipe for wasting money when sourcing a vehicle under three years old and still in warranty; generally, the smaller the town, the higher the cost (less competition in the market place.)

As for the scrappage scheme, that's having a beneficial effect on resale values of secondhand models such as the one you quote, so the Hyundai is a sensible buy at this time. (The scheme itself is a con because you're paying VAT on the new car which goes straight back to the seemingly-generous Government.)

Be aware though that there's a delivery wait for some models that feature amongst the scrappage scheme 'best buys'.

Doozergirl

I'd travel for the best deal. I always buy within warranty as well though and I have a habit of buying the same brand so I have a good relationship with my local dealer's service department. I travelled for my car, got a great trade in plus a brilliant price for my car - looking at autotrader, the cheapest car of my type is older and being sold privately for more money than I bought mine from a dealer. I saved £1000 on the price of the car by going nearly 100 miles and the part-ex I was offered was surprising to me as well.

Scrappage must be a big consideration for you though. I'd be doing that. I keep hearing that our local Hyundai dealer is pretty good on price but Lord knows if that's the neighbours being lazy.

Inactive

All recent ( and not so recent ) Hyundai's come with a 5 years manufacturers warranty as long as they have been serviced in accordance with the specifications.

Consider also the Kia Ceed, which is effectively the same car, that comes with a 7 year warranty.

pioneer31

I am planning on getting a car anywhere up to 3 years old, so it will, just about, be in warranty.

I'm not keen to sell my micra privately as I perceive this as aggro for me - going on test drives, time wasters etc. It can't be worth much anyway 1998 S, 1.0L, 53k, horrible pea green colour.

The main reason for going afar to get a car is rarity rather than price. My nearest Hyundai dealer is 25 miles away and they only sell new models.
I have looked into the scrappage scheme but on the spec I want - ie. HAS to be automatic, preferably diesel....the price is after scrappageis still some £1.5 - £2k more than a 1 yr old model with 8k on the clock. If I can PX my old banger for 500 notes then theres a worthwhile saving there.

I've also considered the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI but yet again, on the used market (in auto guise), rare as hens teeth, so it will require travelling, however according to some reports, you have to clock a LOT of miles before the TDCI breaks even over a conventional Ford 1.6 Style Petrol.

Sourcing a used Ford is easy, perhaps I should go down that route....

Any suggestions?

p.s. one more question> If I buy a used car from a Franchised dealer in Timbuk 2, which is still under manu's warranty, can I still take it to a local Franchised dealer if it develops problems?

motorguy

LandyAndy wrote: »

I wouldn't touch a mainstream second hand car if it wasn't local. You don't have to spend too much time here to read threads from people who have travelled hundreds of miles to buy quite ordinary cars that are now giving them problems.

How about taking the scrappage on your Micra against a new i30?

The i30 has only been out since 2007, so is still under manufacturers warranty. A local main dealer will honour that.