Any opinions on whether buying a main dealers demonstrater is good sense or not?
you get a nearly new car with a few thousand miles for a good price?
However, you might expect demonstraters to get thrashed as potential buyers try to find the limits of the car etc.
Any recomendations on what to look for? Any preventative measures to try and bring the car back into the norm?
Durelli
|
What car are you looking at?
I would have thought that most modern cars could easily a few thousand miles of hard driving. I guess tyres and clutch would take most of the wear.
If you are buying from a franchised garage, presumably you will be getting quite a good warranty?
TT
|
It's a Volvo V70 Diesal Automatic. it's got 2.5 years of manufacturers warranty on it.
Should I get the auto box oil changed at the first service?
Durelli
|
|
How much, if you don't mind saying?
|
|
|
|
"However, you might expect demonstraters to get thrashed as potential buyers try to find the limits of the car etc."
I doubt it, they are usually supervised. More likely that one of the sales guys who uses it as his transport will do that.
I prefer ex-dem, not just for the discount (welcome as that is). I used to have new cars but one serious problem plus a few niggles have persuaded me that I'd rather have them dealt with before I get my hands on it.
My last three have been ex-dem and I've had no such problems.
|
|
Just bought an ex demo Audi A2 1.4 TDi SE and saved thousands - only done 3,800 miles and comes with the balance of the manufacturers warranty. Only problems were a small stone chip on the bonnet, a scuffed alloy and a slight mark on one of the seats - all sorted before handover making it look brand new. This is the third ex demo/ex hire car I've bought and never had a problem.
|
|
|
|
|
Just bought an ex-demo Citroen Berlingo Multispace - 2 months old with 1k on the clock. Big saving, no problems.
|
|
SWMBO bought a C-Class Mercedes about 5 years ago that was ex-demo. It was a useless and unreliable pile of junk - may just have been a rogue. The dealer and MB support was woeful though.
|
My dad bought a 95N VW Passat 2.0CL as an ex-demo when it was 14 months old, with 12,000 miles showing. It had been used as a company car for one of the VW showroom salesmen, and it was as good as new. He's still got it, it's up to 122,000 miles now with no problems at all.
I would suggest that for bread-and-butter cars like this, having been a demonstrator shouldn't pose any problem, as they aren't likely to have been thrashed at all. When you test-drive a car you spend a while getting used to it, don't you? If you *are* going to thrash it, you're not going to *really* try and kill the car, because the salesman's sitting beside you, and you're possibly going to pay lots of money and keep it for a few years!
|
|
It's quite likely that some 'demos' are used by sales staff for personal transport for a few weeks/months, so you have to hope they haven't been too naughty.
|
|
|
|
Be careful, is it really a demonstrator?
A Toyota dealer in Manchester sold us a Toyota Avensis and said it was "our own car, a demonstrator".
Turns out when I got the "logbook" it was an ex-rental car owned by Enterprise Rent-a-Car in Hounslow.
Not all dealers are crooks, but this lot were. They have since changed their name. Or probably went bust.
But I won't buy another Toyota, despite liking the look of the new Avensis.
|
|
Funny, I was told that by a now defunct Manchester City Centre Alfa dealer. Mine was a "managers" car and when I got the V5, it was owned previously by Alamo!
|
To cap it all, I got a letter from the new dealership, from the same man that ripped me off 2 years ago, inviting me to try out the new Avensis and compare it to similar cars (Passat, Mondeo etc) at their dealership in Denton.
Strangely enough the letter went straight in the bin.
They didn't want to know when I complained about their fraudulent deal two years ago, so surprised to still be on their junk mail list after the justifiable fuss I kicked up, especially as the car was back and forth from my local dealership for umpteen warranty repairs as it was obviously a crock of something or another.
|
|
|
I wonder if that was the Alfa dealer who when my friend went back to pick up his car at service saw it coming into the car park at great speed and handbrake turned into a space and then a mechanic leaping out carrying a load of fish and chips. He said nothing and when he got in, sure enough, essence de chippy plus a broken cable.
He's quite a force of nature this bloke, I would have paid good money to see his encounter with the service manager.
|
|
|
|
I was just wondering, is there any option that you can ask to see the V5 before you agree to buy the car, especially if you are unsure of the credentials of it's history?
|
|
Yes, just ask to see the V5. If the seller has nothing to hide they will gladly show you. If they won't let you see it or make some feeble excuse draw your own conclusions. I don't know whether this still happens,but rental companies were in the habit of registering their cars in the names of directors to make them look private.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have bought several ex-demo's in the past without any problems. To guard against the ex-hire car problem I won't buy more than 3 months old. Make sure you don't leave your brains at home when examining the car. Make sure the condition of the car is consistent with the mileage. Trust your gut instinct if it doesn't feel right walk away. Ask direct questions like "Is this truly an ex-demo?". Doesn't stop people lying of course but your gut instinct may pick up no-verbal signals that all is not well.
Lastly make sure the deal is right, you want a substantial discount, don't let the ex-demo status go to your head. I once spent 3 days negotiating a deal on an ex-demonstrator.
|
My dad bought an ex demo Pug 306 GTi 6 a few years ago.
Soon after he took delivery the passenger door seal leaked like a seive.
It turned out that minor accident damage on the near side had been repaired by the monkey that came from the same zoo as the Lion on the badge!
My father raised this with the dealer, who proptly authorised re repair at a dealership of his choice, then settled the bill.
It was a shame the job wasn't done properly to start with, but I couldn't fault their approach afterwards.
H
|
|
|
|
