Evening all,
I already own my own car (1.1 Saxo that I inherited) but am looking to upgrade to something nicer, mainly to keep my insurance costs down.
Going to the local dealer tomorrow to look at a 2003 1.6 Golf MkIV with 82,000 on the clock, I have seen the car up close and it looks very clean externally but the interior is a bit shabby, the car is priced at £2995 btw, one owner with service history.
So obviously never having bought a car before, I have a couple of questions...
Provided I like the way it drives and everything checks out, how best to haggle the price down?
I have seen similar examples on eBay go for a fair bit less (£1500 - £2000), does the price seem a bit on the steep side? Or is this to be expected with a dealership?
Sorry if I have sounded naive throughout this, I am a relatively new driver.
Many thanks.
insurance for a 1.6 golf is cheaper than a 1.1 saxo? I would expect to pay more at a dealership, just the way it is, for that money i would look for a private sale.
Yes amazingly, at 22 I pay roughly £1200 a year for the Saxo, the 1.6 Golf works out at £800.
Not sure why this is? Safety rating?
Cheers
too much money, i wouldn't bother with it, esp if interior is rough
You are paying a premium at a dealer as:
They are the middle man and need to take a cut to stay in business
You have a certain level of come back with a dealer if something is wrong with the car (if you play your cards right). With ebay and a private seller, its sold as seen and if the engine drops out the following day its your problem. Its cheaper as the risk is higher.
Haggling? Make it clear you are out to buy a car today and serious, but doesn't have to be a Golf, got plenty to see, don't let on that you have chosen that car before agreeing the price. Walk away if you have to, I've had a dealer ring me up and make me an offer after I 'went away to think about it' and failed to go back 20 minutes later before closing time like I'd promised 🙂
Thanks Spooky, bearing that in mind, what is a realistic amount to try and knock off the price?
This dealership isn't VW btw, independent car dealer.
Cheers.
If you've never bought a car before, take someone who knows a bit about cars and the buying game in general.
Its very easy to get done over if you haven't got much of a clue.
If it's that much over the price of other similar vehicles (age, spec, mileage) then you're very unlikely to get them down to a sensible number. You should expect to pay a premium if you buy from a dealer but not 1000-1500 pounds worth of premium. If it was a few hundred than maybe.