Demo car buying

Goudy

A "demo" car could have had a few uses.
Genuine demonstrators are usually in good condition and nicely presented as they are used to sell that product, they tend to have only have hundreds not usually thousands of miles on them.
Some are also used by the sales staff as a bit of "personal transport" while they are current models, these tend to have a few more miles on them and you tend to spot things like personal items in the boot on test drive and even the odd kiddy seat strapped into the back seat.
Dealers tend to move them on when a new model is due out or they are around 6 to 9 months old.

Some sell their courtsey cars as demonstators, you can usually spot these by the old chip or scratch here and there, scuffed or kerbed wheels and perhaps the odd stain or mark inside.
They tend to hang on to them a bit longer as well, usually 12 months or more.

All or any could have seen a bit of damage in their short life. I was at the dealers when my new car rolled off the lorry and the one behind that came off first had some nasty paint damage down one side.
You just need to check them carefully, even brand new ones.

EssexExile

Just like any second hand car, you've no idea what it's been through.

facade

ontheroad1970 said:

Isn't a running in schedule something that died out some time in the 90's?

There will be something in the owners handbook about not chugging up hills in high gear, using full throttle or revving the proverbials off it for the first 1000 miles or so, none of which would apply to a demo car

Ectophile

Why do you think an ex-demo car would be any different from any other car when it comes to the risk of it being crash damaged?

People seem to think that it should be possible to buy a used car that hasn't been driven by anybody for anything, because any previous drivers will have done something to wreck it.

I used to have a car that was originally owned by a hire company.  It was then sold to a main dealer who used it as a loan car*.  According to some people, that would have been a total wreck by the time I bought it.  But it was really reliable and I kept it for many years before selling it on.

*If I washed it really well, I could see the dealer's name as a ghostly mark down the sides, where they had stuck their name stickers.

Flight3287462

OP if you are that concerned why not buy a new car or a pre-registered car.  You are over thinking this.

Grumpy_chap

I don't see any reason to avoid a "demo" car, so long as the price is right.  It would be worth the OP seeing what deals are available for the same car new (just look at the online brokers for starters) as sometimes the new car can be almost as cheap as the "demo".

cymruchris

I bought a 6 month old ex-demo Vitara - I had a good chance to look it over beforehand - and it was indistinguishable from new aside from things like minimal tyre wear. I've now had it 3 years, and it's been faultless. It cost me around £9k less than the equivalent out of the factory new model if my memory serves me rightly. I don't think I'll ever buy a 'new' car again. 

jimjames

ontheroad1970 said:

facade said:

williamgriffin said:

How can a mechanic see unregistered repaired damage?

Because it is virtually impossible to completely hide a significant repair. It may be "repaired to manufacturer standards" but there will still be evidence- discolorations, stickers on panels, date codes that don't match, spotwelds in the "wrong" places.

Then there are things like overspray, misalignment, seam sealer differences............

Tbh, with a demo car, I'd be more concerned that it had been driven unsmpathetically by a lot of drivers, usually for short journeys when cold- you don't have a test drive in a 650BHP car and drive it like a milkfloat for example, whearas if it was your own car, you'd meticulously adhere to the running in schedule

Isn't a running in schedule something that died out some time in the 90's?

Running in might be, driving at under full revs from cold isn't. My car is specifically warned to not drive full throttle until warmed

JJ_Egan

Demo cars = best value .

Dealer obliged to carry xx number of demo models and normally used as staff cars .

Fault banged straight in the workshop under warranty .

Need to be kept clean and in top order for demonstrations .

burlingtonfl6

Penelopa.Pitstop said:

Check paint depth if you are afraid it was crashed and repaired. Also, there are demo cars used by employees and demo cars used by customers as courtesy car. It can make a difference in condition. I bought ex-demo at 5000 miles and it had no issues, except I had to change front tyres at 10K miles, as they worn out faster than expected. Later set of tyres lasted me 15K miles each, so different style of driving.

On the other hand, I had courtesy car from Merc and it suffered damage to the bonnet, when big stone hit it and made a dent. Car was one week old, so I'm sure it was left like this until it was prepared for sale and bonnet repaired and painted.

I once had someone buying my car bring a paint depth tester and was good enough to tell me they wouldn't be buying it because it had paint. I then asked to borrow the tester and went round their newer car and low and behold, it had had paint too.
They then said they wanted my car but by that point I'd lost interest in dealing with them.