Car Shopping

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411 posts

Ultimate Geek

#639741 12-Jun-2012 15:37

lxsw20: Depends on who you're dealing with. IIRC Honda out right won't do discounts on new and even advertise the fact that it keeps the value of the car higher.

Thats the Honda Price Promise which they introduced about 10 - 15 years ago. They don't discount on new and because of that expect resale values to stay higher. It does work until you start looking at comparable import Hondas which are alot cheaper.

Ford and Holden Dealers tend to have the most movement on price because they are traditionally used to giving big fleet discounts. When I bought my Commodore new I got it about $17k off list. When I bought my Honda Accord new I got no discount at all.

Bung

6501 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#639769 12-Jun-2012 16:32

LookingUp: We were offered 12 months free servicing when we recently purchased a new car, which was actually offered once we'd pretty much signed anyway, so was a very nice surprise and a bonus for us. The trouble is that they seem to have conveniently forgotten about that offer now, and at the first service we had trouble getting the salesperson to confirm he'd made the offer when we were presented with a bill. He finally admitted that an offer had been made, but that it was for the first service only.

How much servicing did the car need? We had an after delivery check at 1500km basically for them to make sure nothing was falling off then a normal service after 12 mths. We did get offered free labour for the service by the salesman because he cocked up but like you he didn't record it and left before we returned. Getting any offer on paper is good advice.

lorenzo

91 posts

Master Geek

#639781 12-Jun-2012 16:46

Bought and Sold on Trade-me - admittedly not late model cars (10 years old) - if you buy from a Dealer expect they have loaded the price a, to give some wiggle room and b, to cover their overheads and contingencies (eg dealer warranty). They are not out to rip folks off is my experience and if you can't afford it or think it is too much then walk away. Honest car dealers know what they can sell for and generally would like to close the deal.

Trade-me will generally, these days settle at true market price - may not be what we want to spend or less than we hoped to get, but it is at least governed by market pressure. That said there is always the odd one that goes for less or more.

Last car I bought was from a dealer on TM - we had a good chat when I picked up the car, I was interested in his business model

He sells about 5 cars a week (it is just a sideline for him - he is a car wholsealer)
All his sales are listed as $1 auctions
He admits it is about the long game he knows some swings and roundabouts but most in his experience end up selling close to his expectations.
He doesn't watch his auctions run :-)

and here is the interesting thing 60% of the cars he sells through trademe he sells unseen beforehand.. he obviously respects his professional reputation, which, based on TM feedback was excellent

Yes, I bought my car unseen yes it was a $1 auction and yes I paid within $100 what I thought it would go for..

sleemanj

1490 posts

Uber Geek

#639987 13-Jun-2012 02:32

Sigh, I don't know, do I have to do everything, you young fullas.

---
James Sleeman
I sell lots of stuff for electronic enthusiasts...

LookingUp

411 posts

Ultimate Geek

#640015 13-Jun-2012 09:08

Bung:
LookingUp: We were offered 12 months free servicing when we recently purchased a new car, which was actually offered once we'd pretty much signed anyway, so was a very nice surprise and a bonus for us. The trouble is that they seem to have conveniently forgotten about that offer now, and at the first service we had trouble getting the salesperson to confirm he'd made the offer when we were presented with a bill. He finally admitted that an offer had been made, but that it was for the first service only.

How much servicing did the car need? We had an after delivery check at 1500km basically for them to make sure nothing was falling off then a normal service after 12 mths. We did get offered free labour for the service by the salesman because he cocked up but like you he didn't record it and left before we returned. Getting any offer on paper is good advice.

Just the initial check, and then on to the recommended 10,000Km/6 month service schedule. Given that we do a few kms that could be at least 2 or 3 services. It's more the principle than anything - something promised and then not delivered.

The other issue we have is the speedo, which is considerably out. The law allows for one to over-read by 10% + 2kmph, and our is just outside that, thanks to smaller than standard wheels that the dealer had fitted before we bought it. This means our speedo is reading 58+kmph at an actual 50kmph, and from what I can tell, we need to be sitting on 115kmph to be doing 100kmph.

First load of BS delivered by the service centre was that this was OK, because the mileage would still be correct. The second BS, told to us twice, is that the company in Chch that does speedo calibrations is out of action because of earthquake damage. I finally called them, and they said they were absolutely open for business and would be able to help us.

Interestingly, having Googled speedo accuracy, I found a post from a chap who used to work for a car company. Apparently it's common practice for speedos to over represent speed (and distance) by up to 10%. It reduces their liability for claims against speeding tickets etc., AND it means that warranties expire faster and cars come in for servicing more often. Think about it - 10% over read, which is common = quite a benefit for them.

Due to general busyness and other dramas we're yet to get our speedo calibrated, but will be doing so soon - even if we have to pay for it ourselves.

Things are LookingUp.... A photo from my back yard :-)

Nety

2584 posts

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#640045 13-Jun-2012 10:08

Earlier this year we bought a 2008 Mazda 6 station wagon. As others have said Trademe is your friend for getting an idea of value both private and car yard.
In our case I got in contact with a yard in relation to a NZ new model however he could not move much on price and when we stated our maximum budget including trade in said he could not do it for that price but came back with a Jap import which was listed for the same price with better specs. He explained that they had more wiggle room with the imports then the NZ new cars.
We had the car checked by the AA which only came back with a couple of minor issues. The only thing the car yard bawked at fixing was the tyres. We came to an agreement that we would pay $200 and they would put on a second hand set of tyres in almost new condition.
When we went to pick up the car I looked at the tyres and was happy with what I saw (directional with good tread) however when we drove off the tyres were creating harmonics which were not there when we first drove the car. Drove for a bit further and decided that I really was not happy with the noise they were creating. Went back to the car yard and ask the sales man if he had been in the car since it had the set of tyres put on. He said he had not so we took him out for a drive. He agreed they were not acceptable and we went back to the yard so he could talk to his boss.
End result we left with a brand new set of directional tyres! :)
So list price was 26k, we got 5k for our car (top asking price on TM 3.5k) and a 1k discount.

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networkn

Networkn
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#640048 13-Jun-2012 10:13

I guess at the end of the day like anything, it's going to depend on how much they want to sell said car. I imagine less desirable models will have more "wiggle room" or models which have been sitting around a while.

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Bung

6501 posts

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Subscriber

#640096 13-Jun-2012 11:08

LookingUp:
Interestingly, having Googled speedo accuracy, I found a post from a chap who used to work for a car company. Apparently it's common practice for speedos to over represent speed (and distance) by up to 10%. It reduces their liability for claims against speeding tickets etc., AND it means that warranties expire faster and cars come in for servicing more often. Think about it - 10% over read, which is common = quite a benefit for them.

Your situation will be different as the wheels are non standard but I've found that whilst our speedo reads 4-5 km/h fast at all speeds (not a constant percentage), the odometer is almost exactly right. If the speedo was a numeric display it could probably display a more accurate speed only allowing for the slight change in diameter as the tyres wear

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#640707 14-Jun-2012 13:41

Re the Speedo thing. If you are running tyres too small you will also be using more fuel.
Smaller wheels have to rotate faster so engine revs are higher

bazzer

3438 posts

Uber Geek

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#640711 14-Jun-2012 13:46

We should all run tyres that are as big as possible then?

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#640718 14-Jun-2012 13:49

There comes a point where the extra forces needed to turn becomes a negative.
Best to keep the makers specified rolling diameter

mattwnz

20175 posts

Uber Geek

#640725 14-Jun-2012 14:00

When I purchased a new toyota a number of years ago, I got about 20% off, due to field day specials, which was a better price than the same model that was a year old and had 40k on the clock. But I don't think the specials are as good as they used to be. Buying new was the only option for me, as it was the only way to get all the latest safety features, such as ESP.

I think when buying a second had car, you get a better deal buying from a seller on trademe, and buying a car that isn't too old, and is fully checked out with a AA test. Buying from a car yard adds quite a bit to the price, and I don't think it gives you all that much extra protection.

stevenz

2802 posts

Uber Geek

#641286 15-Jun-2012 12:33

Cars and motorcycles generally have the speedo calibrated to read 5-10% high. Vehicles with ECUs usually have the calibration done in the firmware and it can be adjusted if you can find someone with the equipment to do so. Alternatively, slightly diameter tyres will do the job.

This will tell you how what you'd need to change to correct the calibration in "hardware" (new tyres and/or rims)

http://www.alloywheels.com/Tyre_Calculator

@KnightNZ

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#641300 15-Jun-2012 12:41

networkn: I guess at the end of the day like anything, it's going to depend on how much they want to sell said car. I imagine less desirable models will have more "wiggle room" or models which have been sitting around a while.

Yep, and timeof the month also matters (not like that you dirty gits!). sales guys often have monthly/quarterly targets, so if you get them when they need just a few more sales to hit their target, they will be more willing to negotiate.

Also, another tip I heard was to go car shopping in the rain. Not only do you get to check the car for leaks, but there wil be fewer people shopping so you will get more attention from the salesperson and os more likely to get a discount. On a nice day with lots of customers he can ignore your negotiating since he can move on to one of the other dozens of people looking around.

avecha

209 posts

Master Geek

#644101 21-Jun-2012 01:27

So would i be cheeky in offering 15k for a 17,995k car on trademe from a dealer?

(Perfect thread as i'm in this exact situation, but buying a house so funds are limited).

Car i am looking at is 06 with 127k's (too high) but there are older cars with less k's. (Good or bad?)

Last time i brought a car i was 17 and pretty much brought the first thing i saw.
A legacy, little did i know on the other side of the yard was a newer legacy for a cheaper price.
That will teach me to go against the parents wishes.
9 years on i've learnt my lesson.

How did you get on Networkn??

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