Pushing for best price on 2nd hand car from Dealer

fintanspark

Hoping to get some input into my negotiation strategy with a used car purchase from a Dublin dealer. Situation is:

• Used 08 Volvo car from dealer who sells same brand new cars (ticks all our boxes) at €17,950
• For trade in have low mileage, no accidents, NCT'd, 03 Ford Fusion which dealer has acknowledged they will accept as trade in, am looking in region of €3 - €2.5k for trade in value. Have been offered €2.5 on it for trade in on previous interactions and selling in region of €3.5 on used car sites
• Want to propose a 12% reduction on the price of car to the dealer
• deduct trade in price
• pay for remainder

It is a high demand model, however the dealer has acknowledged that they will hold until my appointment on Saturday to view. A similar car is at an alternative garage for €16,450 with many of the same attributes, but not quite as nice an interior package. Am also hoping to use this as ammunition in the negotiation process.

Any posters out there who have recently bought a car from dealerships? Any guidance on how much the potential discount can range up to, or what to anticipate? I'll leave the opening offer to the dealer, and figure he'll have to give 5-8% off as a given? Then it's just the push for the extra bit of reduction.

Here's to a successful negotiation and new car in the near future....

colm_mcm

You make it sound so difficult :-)

Figure out how much you'd get the cheaper one for first
Figure out how much the nicer interior is worth to you
Base everything on the cost to change.

Get a mate to get a straight deal price

Retail prices, discounts, percentages etc are irrelevant

I reckon he'll want €15,500 ish off you with your Fiesta. As it's a very sellable car privately I suggest you do just that that and try and focus on getting the 08 Volvo that tickles your fancy for as low as possible.

Cost to change of €14,000 should be easily achieved if you get the Fiesta gone privately.

They won't be giving you €2500/€3000 for your Fiesta and also give you 12% off the screen price of the Volvo, you'd be doing well to get 12% off straight sale unless they have unbelievably fat screen prices.

colm_mcm

It's a fusion not a fiesta so a million times less saleable

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

It's a fusion not a fiesta so a million times less saleable

Cheers, I honestly read that as a Fiesta
Hard to shift them alright I suppose, not really a starter car.

-Chris-

Where on earth did you get a figure of 12% from?

whippet

what ever way the dealer fluffs it up .. in reality he is only giving you about €1.5k for the trade-in. Therefore the additional €1k that is on the trade-in offer is actually the discount he would have offered as a straight cash price on the Volvo.

You would be doing well to get €2.5k for the Ford along with anything more than a couple of hundred off the sticker price ... unless the dealer has it up for a mad price to begin with.

In my experience it is always better to negotiate with a dealer based on a straight cash sale, get the price and then introduce the notion of a Trade-in ... you will then get the actual price the dealer is looking for.

Gophur

Why would a VOLVO Main Dealer want to retail a '03 Fusion? He won't and will want rid of the trade-in a.s.a.p., so it'll be going to the trade.

So, OP, you'll get trade price for your Fusion, and less of a discount from the cash price of the Volvo.

I'd say €15.5k, trade in price is about right.

fintanspark

Thanks for the input all.

12% was just what I figure the max amount of a discount would be achievable, unlikely but just a figure I was thinking of. I do however think a 10% reduction should be achievable.

Looks like I might have to let this one pass, but will do my best to get a good deal and take the car off the lot.

Yes, the car would be going to trade, but that is a problem of taking a car like a fusion to any dealer now, am not looking for another ford at the moment.

Will try the hand tomorrow and see how it unfolds.

Thanks

Gophur

fintanspark wrote: »

Thanks for the input all.

12% was just what I figure the max amount of a discount would be achievable, unlikely but just a figure I was thinking of. I do however think a 10% reduction should be achievable.
....

What margin do you think they have on used cars?

whippet

fintanspark wrote: »

Thanks for the input all.

12% was just what I figure the max amount of a discount would be achievable, unlikely but just a figure I was thinking of. I do however think a 10% reduction should be achievable.

Looks like I might have to let this one pass, but will do my best to get a good deal and take the car off the lot.

Yes, the car would be going to trade, but that is a problem of taking a car like a fusion to any dealer now, am not looking for another ford at the moment.

Will try the hand tomorrow and see how it unfolds.

Thanks

You are looking in essence for the guts of €2k off the sticker price of the car. That is a bit of a push on a second hand motor, expecially if it is - as you put it 'a high demand model'.

The offer of about 2.5K for your Fusion means he is already offering you 1k off the sticker price (as the trade price for the fusion is about 1.5K) .. therefore you would be lucky to anything but another couple of hundred off.

Best of luck with it.

Normally I would suggest selling the Fusion privately, look for 2.5K, take 2K if offered and then go to the dealer armed with Cash ready to buy off the forecourt, but as you have identified the model you want, it could take up to a month to sell the Ford and your 'new' car could be sold by then !!!