Hello
Sorry if this is a bit of a naive question for this forum but a colleague suggested it would be a good place to try so be kind!
For the first time in my life I am having to go and buy a car myself - I was divorced a couple of years ago and before that my husband always did that sort of thing.
For (possibly false?) peace of mind I am going to go to a dealer. I know that the price on the car is not what I should pay and I know that haggling is all part of it but just how much can I sensibly expect to get off? Speaking to friends one suggested only a few hundred, another thought up to 20%.
I guess it depends on how 'competitively' the car is priced to start with but is there a rule of thumb??
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no rule of thumb im afraid.
if you are talking s/h i suggest you buy a current autotrader and look through the dealers adds in there to get an idea of what you should be paying or do it online by clicking the autotrader website to your left
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\"a little man in a big world/\"
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I used UKnewcars.com with absolutely no hassle. exactly the car I wanted, near immediate delivery and £2800 discount recently.
Recommended.
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You will get loads of advice from some very knowledgeable people on this forum. If you can give more details that will get you better info. Is it new or s/h, what makes/models are you looking at, what type of car, what price can you afford, what will you use it for, how long will you keep it, what are you trading in?
NEW cars-
Many internet sites have price tables that show how much the "going rate" is. What Car has a target price for all new cars so buy a copy of that for a quick quide. "discounts" can range from little or nothing on a popular car like a Honda Jazz to 15%+ on slow movers such as a Volvo S60. Citroen seem to have permanent deals, zero finance etc.
A complex process so the more you research the better armed you will be when you walk in a showroom. I have found most sales people pretty useless at HELPING me and very bad at LISTENING to ME, so do not expect much from them.
USED cars- as others say the Autotrader site gives examples if you know what you want. But for this route give us more details because you have so many options.
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Thanks for all the help
I can be more specifc - I'm want a new Nissan Micras. I don't do much motorway driving, just round town etc. and I like the look of the newer Micras (although i gather they are a love/hate thing!) and I've been told Nissans are reliable (?). I've got a budget of about £5-6000 which looking at the price guide on Autotrader should get me a reasonably new one but the prices in teh dealer adverts seem a lot higher.
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Wanda - you haven't said whether you are trading in. If not, you can haggle while waving a tempting bundle of fivers. If yes, then you and the dealer are selling each other a car, so you will both be over the same barrel. It follows that dealers whose prices look cheaper usually offer less in part-ex, so you have to shop around for the best deal.
It may no longer apply, but I have found that it can pay to buy a used car at a 'foreign' dealership - e.g. a Micra from a Ford dealer, especially if trading in a Ford.
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Your £6000 will buy you a brand new Mitsubishi Colt 1.1 Red from various Mitsubishi dealers (see Best Buys link in the News on the right-hand-side of this site) or a new Toyota Aygo from www.autobytel.co.uk
Both will full 3 year warranty... Just a thought!
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Hi Wanda, Nissan is a reliable make and you should get a good discount on one because many people seem NOT to like the look of them. (I think they look good except for the dashboard).
Look at the online dealers as HJ says , that will give you a realistic price. Have you driven one, if not go and get a test drive but do not make a decision there and then, the salesperson will try and close you on the spot if they can! If you decide you really want one think about buying online, and if you like the dealer tell them what you can buy at online and see what they say.
Good luck.
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