Negotiation with main dealer?

[Snow and Rocks]

It's been a while since I've bought a secondhand car from a main dealer but what's the general consensus on negotiation these days? Last few cars I've been involved with buying have either been new or private sales but that seems to have died a death completely!

For reference it's looking like it'll be 21 or 22 Suzuki Across for ~£22k as a cash sale. I will need a towbar on it so maybe that's a better negotiation route than trying to get anything off the price?

[Percy Cushion]

In my experience, dealers are competing with the online car sales and therefore their prices are pretty much fixed. They will be able to throw in extras though to a certain extent.

If you’re paying cash, tell them you want it on finance, then ask for the extras you want. When you go to pick up the car, just tell them you don’t need the finance.

[lancslad58]

2023 Fiat Panda TwinAir Cross 4X4, Price £18k, cash purchasher no discount as one of the latest TwinAirs.They did apply, without asking, some body polish treatment type stuff that they normally charge £300 for, supposed to make it easier to keep it clean.

[soad]

Get finance, and pay it off early?

[HTP99]

soad said:

Get finance, and pay it off early?

Unless there is a dealer or finance provided deposit contribution then it is unlikely to make any difference.

Used cars have to be priced competitively to start with due to the internet and cars for sale being advertised nationally, if yours is more expensive "to build in wiggle room" then it won't get noticed and won't sell, it has to be priced in line with what else is out there, generally the days of negotiation are long gone, sure you may get something; tank of fuel, set of mats; £100 off but don't bank on it.

It is down to you to build a case as to why you should get money off, wanting £700 off "just because" just won't work, sure if there are similar ones elsewhere advertised at a lower price then you have a bargaining tool, if everything else is of a similar advertised price then you've not much chance, unless the dealer just wants it gone.

Asking for a towbar to be thrown in is exactly the same as asking for a discount, the dealer still has to pay for the towbar and fitment, the £600 retail towbar is still going to cost the dealer £450!

[wyson]

Yes concur with the others. From all accounts, their margins are wafer thin.

Main caveat is if the dealer has sales targets to meet. Then to secure a sale, they will take heavy losses on a car. Someone I knew got a nearly new Ford Focus stickered at 23k for 12k. Obviously they were shown cars nearer their budget first, but when they didn't like what they saw and were about to walk away, the Ford dealer told them to pick a car. I suspect the deadline was very near and they only needed a couple more sales to meet it, so they got lucky.

Edited by wyson on Saturday 7th September 07:01

[HTP99]

wyson said:

Yes concur with the others. From all accounts, their margins are wafer thin.

Main caveat is if the dealer has sales targets to meet. Then to secure a sale, they will take heavy losses on a car. Someone I knew got a nearly new Ford Focus stickered at 23k for 12k. Obviously they were shown cars nearer their budget first, but when they didn't like what they saw and were about to walk away, the Ford dealer told them to pick a car. I suspect the deadline was very near and they only needed a couple more sales to meet it, so they got lucky.

Edited by wyson on Saturday 7th September 07:01

If true, most likely a last minute pre registered car, at the end of the quarter to hit or get beyond a certain banding to hit new car sales targets which can be financially very lucrative to a dealer.

Run of the mill used car, zero chance, dealers are extremely unlikely to have manufacturer backed used sales targets, if they do it will be linked to a manufacturer approved scheme where a dealer may get better terms if they purchase in bulk from the approved scheme, this generally his quite rare though and very different to new car sales in the way it operates.

[wyson]

Yes, I was in disbelief as well. Must have been a pre reg, she told me the car had less than 200 miles on the clock and was 8 months old. She was really pleased, she basically got a new car for less than 50% of list price.

[GolfDragon]

I’ve not been able to negotiate any deals with main dealers before. Although market conditions might be different now.

I just get batted away every time. Even for reasonable requests. Haven’t bought a car since 2021 so maybe the market has changed

[HTP99]

GolfDragon said:

I’ve not been able to negotiate any deals with main dealers before. Although market conditions might be different now.

I just get batted away every time. Even for reasonable requests. Haven’t bought a car since 2021 so maybe the market has changed

Just out of curiosity, what have you requested in the past?

[sjc]

I’ve had excellent experiences with two Suzuki dealers even as distance sales. My partners Mini from a dealer in Grimsby,and my daughters Mito from Dales in Redruth Cornwall. Negotiated both times to a price we were all happy ish with and the very small issue we had with the Mito after 4 months was dealt in a manner way past our expectations.Both were family run type businesses which probably helped.
Make your offer and leave it with them in a polite manner,they’ll be back if it’s sensible.

[fflump]

GolfDragon said:

I’ve not been able to negotiate any deals with main dealers before. Although market conditions might be different now.

I just get batted away every time. Even for reasonable requests. Haven’t bought a car since 2021 so maybe the market has changed

Several times I've bought from a main dealer I specifically went for them because (as well as the spec being right) it was priced very competitively even in comparison to non main dealer prices so I knew a discount was a non starter.

If the car in question is on the pricier side then leaving an offer with them and pointing out that similar cars are available for that price in other main dealers, then they may bite.

In my experience main dealers are pricing very competitively and AT price tracker also shows they regularly review these prices. I am not surprised that most don't offer any discount.

[MitchT]

Percy Cushion said:

In my experience, dealers are competing with the online car sales and therefore their prices are pretty much fixed.

I've been watching 4-5 year old F32 BMW 440is for a couple of years. There is certainly movement on prices but it appears to be dealers gradually reducing them. For example, I recently saw one listed at £26,000 and then, over the course of a month, drop to £24,500 in £500 steps, at which point it sold. If the exact spec I want comes available but is a little over buget I do wonder if I could get a discount immediately by asking or if I'd have to wait until it dropped and risk someone else buying it in the meantime. If they accepted an offer immediately they'd save on the stocking finance charges that they'd pay if it was hanging around until they'd discounted it, but would they, or is there some internal protocol saying they have to stick to their asking price? It's very much a game of cat and mouse.

[Auto810graphy]

wyson said:

Yes concur with the others. From all accounts, their margins are wafer thin.

Main caveat is if the dealer has sales targets to meet. Then to secure a sale, they will take heavy losses on a car. Someone I knew got a nearly new Ford Focus stickered at 23k for 12k. Obviously they were shown cars nearer their budget first, but when they didn't like what they saw and were about to walk away, the Ford dealer told them to pick a car. I suspect the deadline was very near and they only needed a couple more sales to meet it, so they got lucky.

Edited by wyson on Saturday 7th September 07:01

Seems very unlikely unless it was pre Covid on the old model Focus. Even then it’s very unlikely a dealer would sell a car below trade when they can get register it as a demo themselves.

[fflump]

MitchT said:

Percy Cushion said:

In my experience, dealers are competing with the online car sales and therefore their prices are pretty much fixed.

I've been watching 4-5 year old F32 BMW 440is for a couple of years. There is certainly movement on prices but it appears to be dealers gradually reducing them. For example, I recently saw one listed at £26,000 and then, over the course of a month, drop to £24,500 in £500 steps, at which point it sold. If the exact spec I want comes available but is a little over buget I do wonder if I could get a discount immediately by asking or if I'd have to wait until it dropped and risk someone else buying it in the meantime. If they accepted an offer immediately they'd save on the stocking finance charges that they'd pay if it was hanging around until they'd discounted it, but would they, or is there some internal protocol saying they have to stick to their asking price? It's very much a game of cat and mouse.

I was keeping an eye on Panameras and Flying Spurs and dealers were very regularly trimming the price until it sold especially main dealers. It makes sense to for turnover and cash flow purposes.

[Giantt]

wyson said:

Yes concur with the others. From all accounts, their margins are wafer thin.

Main caveat is if the dealer has sales targets to meet. Then to secure a sale, they will take heavy losses on a car. Someone I knew got a nearly new Ford Focus stickered at 23k for 12k. Obviously they were shown cars nearer their budget first, but when they didn't like what they saw and were about to walk away, the Ford dealer told them to pick a car. I suspect the deadline was very near and they only needed a couple more sales to meet it, so they got lucky.

Edited by wyson on Saturday 7th September 07:01

Yeah I've got acquaintances who chat that kind of crap as well

[ACCYSTAN]

The Suzuki dealer in Ripon is competitive on price

You will be able to get more off, especially if it’s a pre reg 24 plate with the new 74 plate change.

I like the A cross, a re-badged RAV4 for less and with Suzuki now offering a 7 year warranty it’s a solid choice.

[Auto810graphy]

MitchT said:

I've been watching 4-5 year old F32 BMW 440is for a couple of years. There is certainly movement on prices but it appears to be dealers gradually reducing them. For example, I recently saw one listed at £26,000 and then, over the course of a month, drop to £24,500 in £500 steps, at which point it sold. If the exact spec I want comes available but is a little over buget I do wonder if I could get a discount immediately by asking or if I'd have to wait until it dropped and risk someone else buying it in the meantime. If they accepted an offer immediately they'd save on the stocking finance charges that they'd pay if it was hanging around until they'd discounted it, but would they, or is there some internal protocol saying they have to stick to their asking price? It's very much a game of cat and mouse.

Unfortunately with larger groups most prices are set at a head office level and there’s not much that can be done at dealership level.

We needed to buy a pair of nearly new Range Rovers last week and found a dealer group that has two cars that fit the bill. Despite speaking with 2 different sales managers they could not offer more than £250 off each car as pricing was set at head office who will not change it until the next price review. I spoke to be of the sales managers and you could sense his frustration as he knows the market for £100k plus Range Rovers is going up be way.

In the end we went with 2 new stock cars as the current discounts mean they are only £5k more than a 6 month old used one.

[cayman-black]

As Auto says . I watched the Yanni video where he buys a RR Sport and even he got very little discount.

[Sheepshanks]

Auto810graphy said:

In the end we went with 2 new stock cars as the current discounts mean they are only £5k more than a 6 month old used one.

You'd wonder how they ever sell the nearly-new ones but a VW salesman told me people come in convinced that nearly-new is the way to go and the used car sales guy isn't about to tell them that with deposit contribution, discount and lower interest rates, new could be £K's cheaper.