Advice re negotiation with car dealers

tiernsee

Unfortunately I was burgled last weekend, they broke in (whilst we were asleep), stole my keys, my car, went on a crime spree and torched the car when they had finished

This means I need to get a replacement car. My last car I bought from new (it was a 60 reg) but as you can imagine what I got back from the insurers, although fair for a car that age, will not buy a new car.

I've therefore been looking at 2nd hand cars up to 3 years old, mileage less than 30k. When I compare the price the dealers are asking to the price quoted on Parkers there is often quite a discrepancy. I would really appreciate any advice on the best way to negotiate for a used car. It is tricky being without a car but we are coping and so there is no absolute rush to get something now (though my OH my disagree with that!)

Currently I am thinking of a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI, I've seen quite a nice 11 reg at 30k miles on with the dealer at £9k. Toyed with the Nissan Juke but the boot size put me off. Also considered an Audi A3 but seems a little pricey for what you get. Would also appreciate any other recommendations - we are a family of 4, need space in the back (son is over 6 foot), I like some speed and power (hate having to change down going up hills) but not a high performance vehicle. Really don't want anything like a people carrier.

Thanks for any tips or recommendations

topdaddy_2

Yes its important to remember the dealer will not have thousands of pounds mark up on a second hand car, I hear lots of stories where people walked away from good deals because the discount wasnt enough.

Hoof_Hearted

Get a shortlist of cars you want to see and then look for similar cars on Autotrader. It will give you a feel for the sort of prices being asked. I guess there is nearly always room for manoeuvre but some dealers won't budge and you need to be prepared to walk away if the car is overpriced for what it is. I got £700 of my £5,500 car but I had to tell a story that I had others lined up that afternoon which were cheaper but a higher spec. I had, in fact, already seen one but it was rubbish compared to the one I bought.

forgotmyname

Compare the dealers prices and shop around. Not much else you can do. They are there to make a profit so will always charge more.

Im looking for a specific car and not many around. Few dodgy dealers pretending to be private sellers. Traders that dont answer the phone. Or traders that have mobile numbers only.

All those put me off.

If your buying from a franchise or main dealer its always going to be dearer.

GJ_WRX

Once you know what you want keep an eye on a few on autotrader, eBay and dealer websites, you'll soon get a feel of what's selling and what's a good price. When you see a dealer be as open and honest as possible and do your best to build report with the sales person. They will be much more wiling to do a deal for someone they like than someone clutching a Parker's guide demanding £2,000 off. If the deals not right walk away.

Another car to consider would be the skoda octavia vrs, same under pinings as A3 but a bit bigger and at ford prices.

robatwork

Something else to consider is things that are worth £££ to you but won't change the price (and therefore commission). So try to get him to throw in
Warranty
Fuel
Extras (mats, sat nav, DVD players for kids etc)
Servicing for x years

gord115

Now is exactly the right time to do a deal because the car dealers don't sell much before xmas and are more willing to give a good deal,so don't hang about.

Also have to agree with GJ_WRX, Octavias are great cars.

Murielson

Good thread as in similar position, thankfully minus the burglary, and walked away from a car today as not as advertised and overpriced".


You may be aware of the links below but they may assist, certainly some food for thought:


http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/84549/best-used-cars-buy-2014


http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-power/86713/driver-power-2014


http://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/christmas-bargains-for-clever-car-buyers/

ratrace

OP what ever you do

dont dont dont buy a FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI

they are an absolute nightmare just look at how many are on ebay for spares and repairs blocked dpfs, injectors gone, egr knackered, turbos blown

keep away from them

stick to the Germans yes they might be a bit more expensive but trust me they know how to make a car and the parts they use are of high quality

for example - the Germans use parts like Bosh fuel pumps, Bosh fuel injectors, sachs suspension etc.....

Brands like Ford, Vauxhall etc... - use Crap brands delphi and lucas fuel pumps and injectors....

plus they as good to drive as the zee Germans

The jap cars - yes they are reliable but wont win a beauty contest anytime soon also boring to drive

Buying cars like fords Vauxhalls Renaults Peugeots etc..... Is like going to the Chinese for a vindaloo, you know it recipe for disaster

can you tell i LOVE my cars :rotfl:

Happychappy

tiernsee wrote: »

Unfortunately I was burgled last weekend, they broke in (whilst we were asleep), stole my keys, my car, went on a crime spree and torched the car when they had finished

This means I need to get a replacement car. My last car I bought from new (it was a 60 reg) but as you can imagine what I got back from the insurers, although fair for a car that age, will not buy a new car.

I've therefore been looking at 2nd hand cars up to 3 years old, mileage less than 30k. When I compare the price the dealers are asking to the price quoted on Parkers there is often quite a discrepancy. I would really appreciate any advice on the best way to negotiate for a used car. It is tricky being without a car but we are coping and so there is no absolute rush to get something now (though my OH my disagree with that!)

Currently I am thinking of a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI, I've seen quite a nice 11 reg at 30k miles on with the dealer at £9k. Toyed with the Nissan Juke but the boot size put me off. Also considered an Audi A3 but seems a little pricey for what you get. Would also appreciate any other recommendations - we are a family of 4, need space in the back (son is over 6 foot), I like some speed and power (hate having to change down going up hills) but not a high performance vehicle. Really don't want anything like a people carrier.

Thanks for any tips or recommendations

Just a thought, have you considered the auctions, a quick search shows a 13 plate going through in a couple of weeks at around 8250 - 8500 still with manufacturers warranty ? has the 11 Reg !
Plenty of Foci and Audi's, depends what your comfortable with


BV13 UCP FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI 105 ECONETIC ZETEC, 2013 (13 reg)
Service History Yes
V5 Present
38,538 Miles Warranted
Grade 2
Silver
5 doors
Hatchback
Manual Transmission
Diesel
CAP Clean:£ 8,950
CAP Average:£ 8,400
VAT Qualifying
Physical sale Live Online Derby, Lex Autolease Cars, Start: 07/01/2015

And chucked in an Audi around the same price of around £8k for good measure, Happy Christmas

AUDI A3 1.6 TDI 105 SE, 2011 (61 reg)
Service History Yes
V5 To Be Confirmed
47,550 Miles Warranted
Grade 4
Volcano Red
3 doors
Hatchback
Manual Transmission
Diesel
CAP Clean:£ 8,600
CAP Average:£ 8,050
VAT Qualifying

Just can't seem to stop, also given the guide prices for the models shown, usually pay around the price in red, but it shows the average price of what a car goes for with the mileage shown


FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI 105 ECONETIC TITANIUM, Hatchback, 5 doors, Manual, Diesel 2013 13 Reg

Avg: £8,750 miles 38K
New: £20,340 New: £20,340
Ret: £11,550 Ret: £11,523 Cln: £9,975
Avg: £9,400 Trd: £9,858 Blw: £8,700


FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI 105 ECONETIC TITANIUM, Hatchback, 5 doors, Manual, Diesel 2013 62

Avg: £8,988 33K 3+

New: £20,340 New: £20,340
Ret: £11,250 Ret: £11,454
Cln: £9,775
Avg: £9,225 Trd: £9,789
Blw: £8,625


FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI 105 ECONETIC ZETEC, Hatchback, 5 doors, Manual, Diesel 2013 13 Reg

Avg: £8,050 39K 1+
Lo: £8,220 29K 5+
Avg: £8,195 35K 20+
Hi: £8,030 42K 5+
New: £19,090 New: £19,090
Ret: £10,650 Ret: £10,358
Cln: £9,125
Avg: £8,575 Trd: £8,682
Blw: £7,975

spikyone

ratrace wrote: »

OP what ever you do

dont dont dont buy a FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI

they are an absolute nightmare just look at how many are on ebay for spares and repairs blocked dpfs, injectors gone, egr knackered, turbos blown

All of those problems will happen with *any* diesel car, particularly ones that are used mostly for short journeys and rarely see a motorway.
The reason so many Focuses are on eBay is because lots of them have been sold; it's been the second or third best-selling car in the UK every year since 2010 and possibly earlier. Residuals are rubbish too (partly as a result of volumes), so they're not cost-effective to repair. Both of those mean that a lot end up being broken down.

ratrace wrote: »

stick to the Germans yes they might be a bit more expensive but trust me they know how to make a car and the parts they use are of high quality

This was true 15 years ago. German manufacturers have been rather rapidly losing their reputation for reliability of late. Look at the next car you pass, broken-down on the hard shoulder. If it's less than 5 years old, I bet it's a Beemer...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/64280/most-reliable-cars
One German car in the top 10 (2 if you include the almost-German Skoda), but also a Kia and a Peugeot. Further down, a Citroen DS3 is only just below an E-class, and a 3-series is just above a Dacia Logan - Romanian-built on French technology! Superior German reliability is now a myth.

ratrace wrote: »

for example - the Germans use parts like Bosh fuel pumps, Bosh fuel injectors, sachs suspension etc.....

Brands like Ford, Vauxhall etc... - use Crap brands delphi and lucas fuel pumps and injectors....

Not sure why you think Delphi are crap, maybe you had a bad experience with them once, but let's de-bunk that for you:
First, Mercedes and VW both use Delphi fuel injection, Mercedes have done so for many years. There is also an element of protectionism in Germany - the use of German suppliers is 'encouraged'.
Second, Vauxhall do not use Delphi in recent models (GM used to own Delphi). The Focus engine you mention uses a Siemens system or a Bosch in non-Ford usage.
Third, most OEMs will use more than one brand of fuel injection system, which will vary between models. When VW started using Delphi, for instance, they introduced it solely for the current-gen Polo.
Fourth, Lucas' fuel injection business was bought by Delphi in the year 2000, so there haven't been cars with Lucas systems for a very long time. :rotfl:

ratrace wrote: »

The jap cars - yes they are reliable but wont win a beauty contest anytime soon also boring to drive

Toyota GT86. Lexus IS. Mazda MX-5. Lexus LFA. Nissan GT-R. Nissan Juke. Honda Civic Type R. Mazda 6. Looks are subjective - and who cares from the drivers' seat anyway - but all of those get pretty good write-ups on the driving experience. Some are more affordable than others of course, but Toyota also co-developed the Aygo (with the French!), which despite its lack of power handled like a go-kart around town (first-gen as I haven't tried the new one yet).

ratrace wrote: »

Buying cars like fords Vauxhalls Renaults Peugeots etc..... Is like going to the Chinese for a vindaloo, you know it recipe for disaster

can you tell i LOVE my cars :rotfl:

Have you ever actually driven anything you're slating here? You claim to love cars, but you seem to have made your comments based on badge snobbery rather than facts.