Can you haggle on price of new car? Paying cash

sheepers

I'm a complete novice here. I'm wondering if dealers will allow any room for negotiation on the price of a new car? I would be paying the full amount in cash.

Have a budget of about 15k and have been looking at getting something like a Fiesta, Ka, or a Micra. What kind of % off the RRP in that price range should I be looking for, if indeed haggling is a done thing at all with new cars?

Thanks

bazz26

Of course you can haggle. How much will depend on how much margin the dealer has on the particular model and how good you are at negotiating it from him. Other factors come into play also like time of month/quarter where they need to meet sales targets and how flexible you are about buying a car that the dealer already has in stock as oppose to having to order from the factory or where demand outstrips supply. Also don't be afraid to play dealers off each other for the best price.

EPAndlee

Haggle as much as you can on the price or instead you could try get a few things thrown in with the deal

punisher5112

I would suggest pick a car and try a few dealers.

Work one off another so to speak.

sheepers

Thanks, had no idea if it were possible or not! Again, I'm clueless as to where to even begin negotiating. Would 5% off the asking be a good place to start?

Prospectors

Never tried this myself and so it's easy for me to say it:

Decide on nice % reduction yourself when you have a specific model/spec in mind, say 5-7% maybe (you might get better advice on realistic expectations)

Have a cheque made out with the reduced price you want the car for. Visit dealer, explain you want to seal a deal today and have other dealers to visit. Show them the cheque. If they don't entertain it, walk away and go to a competitor.

As I said, I haven't tried this but did something similar when importing a secondhand car. The key is to be willing to walk away if your price isn't accepted by the dealer.

Prospectors

Prospectors wrote: »

Never tried this myself and so it's easy for me to say it:

Decide on nice % reduction yourself when you have a specific model/spec in mind, say 5-7% maybe (you might get better advice on realistic expectations)

Have a cheque made out with the reduced price you want the car for. Visit dealer, explain you want to seal a deal today and have other dealers to visit. Show them the cheque. If they don't entertain it, walk away and go to a competitor.

As I said, I haven't tried this but did something similar when importing a secondhand car. The key is to be willing to walk away if your price isn't accepted by the dealer.

Meant to add that a cheque made out as deposit should achieve the same aim (forgot you were talking about a 15k purchase!)

sheepers

Okay, I will try looking for something around 7% then.

Is that still realistic if they're also running say a scrappage deal? Nissan are currently offering 3.5k off a Micra with a trade in. That would bring the price down to roughly 13.5k, is it realistic to look for a further discount on that price, for example?

bazz26

Just remember that the price you see on manufacturer's websites are recommended retail prices and not on the road prices. On the road prices included the likes of metallic paint and delivery charges, that can add up to or more than 1k on top of the recommended retail price.

colm_mcm

Do you have an old car to trade in? You’ll often see nice ‘scrappage’ type deals.

MarkN

If you’re availing of a scrappage offer and you’re getting 3/4 grand for a car that’s worth €1,000 then there may not be much left to negotiate but it’s always worth asking. 8-10% off a new car would be doing very well.

biko

There is haggle room, but it is by no means set in stone.
Go see what other dealers can offer.
Don't be the "best price boss?" guy.
You might not get much off but perhaps they're willing to throw in a few free services or similar.

Make sure everything is written before purchase, once you have handed over money they can't wait to get you out so they can focus on the next customer.

Arthur Daley

Yeah I wouldn't expect to get a whole lot more off on top of a scrappage deal, if the car is knackered. Maybe 200 in tax, 1 free service etc