First time buying a car from a Dealer

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › First time buying a car from a Dealer

1 | 2

dickytim

2514 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 537
Inactive user

#1831925 27-Jul-2017 06:13

tek:

Awesome, thanks for the quick replies guys :) Will take all these points on when I go back over the weekend.

I am looking at a Mazda 3 (2014) in the $30,000 range I should add. I have found a 2nd dealer with the same model cheaper, but which has done more km's. I will be taking up the offer from the 1st dealer to test the one I saw today over the weekend to see if it's what I like with no salesman pressure and possibly take it to the 2nd dealer to compare ware and tare.
One has very low, almost new km's and the other has near 100,000km but is $5k cheaper. Identical features and specs. I might play them off each other for better % on the part I'm financing.

I have heard great things about buying from a dealer compared to a yard, so it's almost worth eating the extra cost for the minimal frustration in the future.

The lower km car may have some free servicing one it left, consider that a plus, Mazda retro-fitted their 5 year warranty to some cars so check this out as well.

Your $30,000 seems a little high to me.

I recently purchased a Mazda 6 2015 (late) for $25,000 ex rental with 53,000km on it in the hero colour. For my money I got the remainder of the servicing plan, and 5 year warranty in a car that drives like new.

Mazda was able to tell me the car was serviced bang on the mark every time and had no warranty claims against it.

My sale was semi-private. For a car as young as ours so long as you go NZ new there is little risk.

What are the specs on the Mazda 3you are looking at?

Dingbatt

6804 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3694

Lifetime subscriber

#1832023 27-Jul-2017 09:07

Don't get sucked in by things like 'paint protection'. These will be offered after you have agreed on a sale price to try pad out their margin, particularly if you have driven a hard bargain. Your first question should be "Is the paint job on Mazdas defective in some way?" If they say yes then that opens up a world of hurt for Mazda NZ, so I'm sure they will say no.
We got sucked in by this one a few years ago, paying $500 for a 'system' applied by the dealer, that cost them, at most, $80 including labour. I discovered the discrepancy when I heard a salesman from a different dealership boasting about how gullible people are.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2153
Inactive user

#1832029 27-Jul-2017 09:15

Dingbatt: Don't get sucked in by things like 'paint protection'. These will be offered after you have agreed on a sale price to try pad out their margin, particularly if you have driven a hard bargain. Your first question should be "Is the paint job on Mazdas defective in some way?" If they say yes then that opens up a world of hurt for Mazda NZ, so I'm sure they will say no.
We got sucked in by this one a few years ago, paying $500 for a 'system' applied by the dealer, that cost them, at most, $80 including labour. I discovered the discrepancy when I heard a salesman from a different dealership boasting about how gullible people are.

Aftermarket wheels, Nudge bars, Tints, Leather upgrades you name it the dealers CREAM it.
Do not get paint protection as you said. If you actually want paint protection speak to my friends Sam at OCD. http://www.ocdetailing.co.nz/

The Duraseal or what ever the brand is that do paint and fabric protection is literally a scam. When i worked at the dealership if they were running out of time they would just pour some of the bottle out and then leave it in the car to look like its been done and apply the sticker.

sudo

409 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 117

#1832107 27-Jul-2017 11:11

When you look at the sticker, what sort of % can you bargain down to on a second hand car? ... 5% ... 10%

I would have thought 3K off a 30K car would be a reasonable offer.

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

#1832153 27-Jul-2017 12:26

sudo:

When you look at the sticker, what sort of % can you bargain down to on a second hand car? ... 5% ... 10%

I would have thought 3K off a 30K car would be a reasonable offer.

I think it very much depends.

As well as car dealers having a sometimes justified reputation for being a bit dodgy, it pays to imagine yourself in their shoes - where most customers are convinced they must be dodgy.

From discussions I've had with car dealers, they face having to deal with idiots all day long. People who'll try and haggle down the price of a car by saying "I can get a better one for less than that elsewhere" or "I've been offered more than that for my trade in". The obvious and valid reply to that seldom goes down well.
Another is the hard bargaining customer who negotiates a discount on a car they can't afford - they disappear to go and arrange the deposit - never to return.

Sure - 10% might be possible from some dealers, but if they say no - then don't argue - just say thanks but no - that's too much I'd hoped for a little bit of discount - I can't really afford it at that price - and walk. Assuming you took it for a test drive, they have your contact details - if they were just playing a game they'll get back to you, if not then nothing lost.

Ideally - you'd want to be talking with them about whether some discount or incentive might be possible - long before you wasted their time and effort taking the car on test drives etc.

sudo

409 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 117

#1832164 27-Jul-2017 12:59

Fred99:

Ideally - you'd want to be talking with them about whether some discount or incentive might be possible - long before you wasted their time and effort taking the car on test drives etc.

Yeah I agree, thats why I asked. I'm personally not interested in any other extras the dealer is able to offer.

The used car dealers play the same idiot game. as those people trying things on. And I don't believe they keep the margins thin as they need to keep there bargaining avenues open.

Here's a couple serious guides to buying a used car :-D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbio-nG7mXA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqESVAG6mTE

Geekzone

Want to support Geekzone and browse the site without the ads? Subscribe to Geekzone now (monthly, annual and lifetime options).

Batman

Mad Scientist
30012 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1832443 27-Jul-2017 18:41

As I said, it really depends on right place right time. If they need to get rid of a car, they will throw money at you to take the car home. If people are queueing (why is the spellcheck saying it's spelt wrong?) to buy their cars why would they discount more than a few hundy?

THe other thing I've found is if you dress like someone who has $30,000 to spend you get treated nicely. If you dress like you have $100, you get treated like one. Obviously once they find out you have $30,000 to spend things change a bit. But first impression counts a bit.

The second thing is - if you appear to have any hint of desperate they will see that and you will lose the haggle war. They are experts at squeezing any penny from you. Don't ask me how I know. Just don't say or do or look anything that makes you appear like you really like the car or really want to buy the car, or have found the car you want. Maybe take another car in with you like - I really like the Honda Civic, just checking out he Mazda, not really interested. - That's where your dress counts, they smell $30,000 and will try to make you buy it, if they want to.

vignesh5

18 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#1873908 27-Sep-2017 23:30

Did you buy your Mazda finally ?
I have got a few questions on approaching a dealer as they don’t seem to be offering any discount whatsoever.
Any tips would be helpful.

1 | 2