Best time to buy a car from main dealer?

S@njay

S@njay

S@njay

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,074
Location
MK
I'm browsing for a used car from a main dealer, as the new plate is coming in march, are there bargains to be had for cars that would be pushed into the 4 year old bracket?

(I assume that most main dealers only sell cars 3 years or younger?)

Has anyone had much experience in getting a bargain during the plate change over period? Or is this just a myth that the dealers have caught on to?

I'm in no rush, so am more than happy to wait if it means I can get a good deal.
 
Main dealers will hold on to the cars that have some resale value and they can make a margin on, and dump others that they've only taken in P/X for a sale as quickly as possible. You need to have a relationship with them so that when they get something in that they don't want (but you do) you find out about it and get the chance to take it off their hands for a steal, saving them the time and hassle of getting rid of it.

They will have more used cars around the time that the registrations change because of trade-ins, but there's not really a "best" time to buy in general.
 
Havana_UK said:
Main dealers will hold on to the cars that have some resale value and they can make a margin on, and dump others that they've only taken in P/X for a sale as quickly as possible. You need to have a relationship with them so that when they get something in that they don't want (but you do) you find out about it and get the chance to take it off their hands for a steal, saving them the time and hassle of getting rid of it.
Click to expand...

No main dealer with half a brain will do this any more for a private individual as no matter what you may agree between you the sale is still subject to SOGA and the dealer carries liability for it just as they would a conventional sale. They will as a result only dispose of PX cars either officially through a cheaper forecourt operation or to recognised trade buyers.
 
Age of car will be largely irrelevant.


Best I would suggest you could hope for is to look to buy an Unpopular model st the end of the financial year.
 
Havana_UK said:
You need to have a relationship with them so that when they get something in that they don't want (but you do) you find out about it and get the chance to take it off their hands for a steal, saving them the time and hassle of getting rid of it.
Click to expand...

I've been able to do this before, but that was a key relationship with someone in Used Sales at the dealer. I assume if OP is asking this question he hasn't any relationship close to this!
 
Also depends on how desperate the salesman is, used to work in a pub next to a big Arnold Clark complex and you could tell some of them hadn't had a sale in a while. If they are short and need to make some cash then they can choose to cut their commission to make a deal.
 
I don't know any of the dealers personally.

I find Milton Keynes dealers quite passive, none feel hungry for a sale, quite happy to say goodbye without trying to find you a car that suites.

I even looked at a Kia Optima, 2013 plate, gave them my details. They called back a couple of days later to tell me that the price was the best in the country. Nothing else, not even trying to tempt me to buy it!

I'm glad, as the car was hideous on the inside and I would never have brought it, but its nice to negotiate!

These young salesmen are useless, don't know how they survive!
 
S@njay said:
I'm glad, as the car was hideous on the inside and I would never have brought it, but its nice to negotiate!
Click to expand...

You would never have bought it but you decided to try and negotiate anyway because negotiating is nice?

These young salesmen are useless, don't know how they survive!
Click to expand...

The way to survive is to not spend effort on time wasters. They correctly worked you out, that's for sure :p
 
I guess your right.

But they should have seen me being very indecisive about any car, so I was open to being swayed.

I have compared the cars to my Mondeo, when I do that am I putting the dealers off?
 
If you were seen as indecisive it's no wonder they correctly work out you wont buy and brush you off.

Why not decide what you actually want and then see how you get on?
 
How can you decide without even seeing the car first?

On-line reviews give a good indication, but I would still need to see a car in the flesh before I decide.

Also, looking at the models in the show room compared to a used model are two different things.

You can see how well a car ages when looking at used, the Kia did not age well, lots of scratches for such a new car (it was the demo car).
 
You can't but you are clearly at the deciding stage not the buying stage and this is reflected in how seriously the dealer isn't taking you.
 
Hm. Until I decide on a short list of cars any time spent at a garage I'll want to myself so I can nose around stuff. [NINJA]: But actually I just spend for ever on some internets and read everything ever past, present and future.

When I've got my list of potentials (generally 2 or 3) then I'd look for - if applicable - main dealers with examples of what I want, with a mind to try them out. I generally tell them as much "I'm also looking at a <whatever else> so not looking to decide today".

After that I'd then know what I want. Then buy it privately heheh ;) (Or whatever. Ok bye).
 
Thanks for the helpful advice.

I guess I know my short list, I was just hoping the 'cheaper' alternatives were just as good.
 
I don't think there will be a raft of 'bargains' to be had simply because of the new plate coming in, but as pointed out by an earlier poster they may have more trade-ins to shift in early March (meaning more choice at least). That said, my understanding is a lot of main dealers have relationships with (or even fall under the same umbrella group as) auction houses, with a lot of older p/x vehicles probably heading straight there without even hitting the forecourt.

edit: That said if you would consider/afford something nearly-new then when new revisions come out, sometimes dealers will be looking to shift the old stock effectively at 'nearly new' prices. So you could get a new previous-generation model for a similar price to what 1 year old examples were previously going for. Whether or not that is even a good deal or not is open to debate of course, but it can be a way of getting a new car without such a massive 1st year depreciation (of course, when you come to sell it typically a previous generation model will be less popular, so tread carefully!)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom