GET A 70-Plate Car on your driveway

 

GET A 70-Plate Car on your driveway

As car dealers suffered a challenging time during the March 20-plate registration change, they will be looking to make up for the lost time when it comes to the 70-plate swap this September. If you’re in the market for a new car, our step-by-step guide will ensure that the salesperson isn’t the only one that is quids in this summer.

It's fair to say that we’re experiencing uncertain times, but if you’re in a sound financial situation, or looking to reduce your outgoings by choosing a cheaper car to run, then there’s actually never been a better time to sign on the dotted line. New car sales figures have been in the doldrums all this year, stock levels have been increasing and your local dealer will be keen to shift the car sitting on his forecourt onto your driveway, with a shiny new ‘70’ plate fitted front and back.

But while buyers are expecting huge price cuts, the reality could be somewhat different. With factories running at reduced levels, if you’re wanting a car that’s highly desirable, you could be left disappointed. Similarly, if you’re used to tailoring the car to your exact specification by way of a factory order, you’ll need to sign on the dotted line sooner rather than later, to ensure there’s sufficient time for it to be made. An added complication is the traditional summer shut down when most of Europe’s factories close down for three weeks in August, lengthening delivery times even further.

Assuming you manage to navigate these roadblocks, this essential guide by the Diesel Car and Eco Car team will ensure you maximize the money that you have available to buy that shiny new car. The salesperson will be wanting to make as much profit as possible, to elevate his wage packet, so follow our tips to ensure that you extract every single penny you can.

Know your budget before you even begin car shopping, it’s important to work out how much you can afford. Do the mathematics, work out your budget, and stick to it. And don’t forget to include running costs, too – you may be able to manage the monthly payment, but can you actually afford to fill it up with fuel, tax and insure it and take care of maintenance costs to ensure it’s in tip-top condition. Always choose a car that is going to hold its value well, as you want it to be worth something when you come to change a few years down the line. Forking out a little bit more on a car that will retain its value better will pay dividends in the future.

“…work out your budget and stick to it.”

Do your research

Once you’ve sorted out the boring bits like budgets, it’s time to figure out what kind of car you’re after. Have the children flown the nest and left you with a thirsty SUV, or has cupid waved its magic wand and made that two-seater not quite so practical? Whether you’re going up in the world or cutting costs, it’s important that you get it right.

If you need some help, check out the DataFiles section towards the back of this magazine. Every new diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric, hydrogen fuel-cell, and sub-125g/km petrol car is listed, with information that will keep a statistics geek happy for decades. 

Once you’ve got an idea of the kind of car that you want, check out online car forums to get some feedback from existing owners, and to avoid making an expensive mistake. With a shortlist drawn up, go onto the car maker’s websites and order yourself some glossy brochures and a price list. Some car manufacturers no longer print brochures, so you’ll have to be content with downloading a PDF, or playing about with the car configurator.

While websites are really useful to gather information, there’s really no replacement for getting clued up on your prospective purchase by leafing through a stack of car brochures.

The joy of specs

Now you’ve used up the family’s broadband bandwidth looking at cars, and all the brochures are looking well-thumbed, it’s time to decide on the specification of your new car by narrowing down the choice of engine, trim level, color, and optional extras.

There are thousands of different options, so it may help to draw up a list of pros and cons to focus your mind a little. If you go through each step in bite-size chunks, you’ll be able to make your mind up on which color to go

for, the engine that will power it, and any extra goodies that will cost you more money. Colour is very much a personal thing, but if you want to retain more of its value, you’ll need to choose something that suits all tastes. A bright pink may look great to you, but it may well put off future buyers and limit

your market when it’s time to sell. It’s, therefore, best to stick to metallic hues, in blues, greys, and reds, while black is a firm favorite, especially on larger and more expensive cars. With most cars coming well kitted out these days, you shouldn’t need to go mad on the optional extra list. But if you do decide to take the plunge, be sensible, as you’ll get little, if anything, back from the money you’ve shelled out when it comes to trade-in next time around. A couple of well-chosen options like parking sensors, Android Auto, or Apple CarPlay connectivity and metallic paint will pay dividends, though, and make your car more

saleable further down the line. Options like large alloy wheels and LED headlights though will be money down the drain – they’ll not add a bean to the residual value of your car in the future.

If your motoring is mostly around town, then it’s the more frugal engines that you should be looking at, and perhaps an automatic gearbox to make easier work of the continuous traffic-laden stop-start environment. If you live close to London, then an electric car is the only form of propulsion that is going to avoid you having to pay the daily congestion charge, especially as it now covers weekends and extends until 10pm at night.

Try before you buy

Before you even start to talk about figures and agree to buy a car, it’s important that you find out whether it actually suits you and fits your lifestyle. Therefore, a test drive is one of the most important aspects of the deal, as there’s no option to get your money back if you don’t like it or change your mind, like shopping for shoes on the high street or when buying online. And a quick trip around the block is no good either, as you need to drive the car over as many varied roads as possible to make sure that it suits all of your needs. Of course, the salesperson will want you to nip around the block so he can get you to commit to buying the car before you highlight any shortcomings, but be forceful and make sure you get a proper drive.

If the dealer is close to home, try to drive the car on familiar roads, so you can compare your existing car to the new one. Don’t forget to drive it in heavy traffic to assess its suitability in stop-start conditions, as you don’t want to be lumbered with a car that has a heavy clutch or an awkward gear change. Choose to drive on fast dual carriageways, winding roads, and even some urban speed humps – it’ll highlight any problems with the suspension. What are the sightlines all around the car like when you try to park it, so go through the motions of maneuvering in a tightly spaced multi-story car park?

But most importantly, take as much time as you need to make sure that the new car is exactly what you want, no matter how many times the salesman looks at his watch, says he has another appointment, or suggests you turn back. Some considerate dealers offer the opportunity of borrowing the car for a few hours or even for a weekend, so make sure you ask whether that facility is available. It’s the best way of evaluating the car in a nonpressurized environment, allowing you to complete the same kind of tasks as you would normally do in your own car. It also means that the family gets to try it for size, too, and you can check whether they all fit in, without any snags.

Buff up your old car

If you’re after a brand-new car, the likelihood is that you’ll have a car to get rid of, whether it be selling it privately or trading it in. If you have plenty of time, get the car advertised online and try to move it on to another buyer yourself privately, as you’ll get a better price than from a dealer, and it’ll leave you more negotiating room for your new car.

However, if you don’t have the time or inclination, then you’ve still got some hard work to do, making your old car look its best and getting the most cash for it at trade-in time.

Take time to wash the car thoroughly, both inside and out, removing those empty crisp packets and sweet wrappers from the door pockets. A couple of hours spent giving it some tender loving care will pay dividends and will make it look like you’ve really cared for it, even if the truth is far from it.

If you’re too busy, most hand car wash firms will do a great job for under £20, and you’ll get back more than that in increased value. Locate all the paperwork for the car, so you can prove that you’ve kept it maintained in tip-top condition, as a dealer will take advantage of any opportunity to knock a few hundred pounds off the value of the car if they can. Never get the car valued whilst it is looking dirty or uncared for, as you’ll never get the best price possible. Comments like “I’m really going to miss this car” and “It looks so nice, maybe I’ll keep it” will unnerve the salesperson and ensure that they fight harder for your business, as they may think it’s still far from a done deal, despite the reality being that you’re totally smitten with the new car you’ve been looking at.

Car brokers

While your local dealer may well be convenient, they may not always offer you the best price for your new car. Check out the websites of Online Car Brokers to seek out a cheaper price of the model you’ve chosen. Brokers act as a go-between and negotiate larger discounts with main dealers that are desperate to shift cars, and then pass on the saving to the customer. Firms like www.dealdrivers.co.uk, www.broadspeed.com, www.brokers4cars.co.uk, and www.uk-car-discount.co.uk all have a good reputation, are well respected and offer massive savings compared to the price you’ll pay at your local dealer. Use any price you find online as a bargaining tool to shave a few extra pounds off the deal at your local dealer. If they won’t budge, then look elsewhere, there will always be another dealer that is ready to deal and win your business. Any car dealer worth its salt won’t want you to walk out without signing on the dotted line, but be prepared to make it look like you will Deal or no deal? Once you’ve decided upon the car that you want, and you’ve got your old car looking as good as new, it’s time to start negotiating hard with the salesman. Be strong, and you’ll get a fantastic deal, but don’t fall for the salesman’s charm and sales practices. He’ll try all kinds of tactics to get you to sign that contract, but don’t do so until you are totally happy with the deal that you’re getting. Don’t allow yourself to be bullied and be prepared to walk away. If this dealer won’t do the deal that you are after, there will be another up the road that will, so walk away, and don’t be afraid to play one off against another. All dealers will have targets and they’ll be keen to meet them to get a hefty bonus at the end of the month, or quarter. Therefore, it’s possible that there will be extra special deals to be done at the end of the month to meet that target. Your car could even make them a loss, but in the grand scheme of things where volume and numbers are important, it could mean that they get to their bonus, so it will be worthwhile to them. Haggle hard for every extra penny off, and when the price can’t go any lower, ask them to throw things in for free, like mats, a few accessories, a full tank of fuel, or even optional extras that would normally cost more. Usually, these will cost very little to a dealer and will be added as sweeteners to get you to sign on the dotted line.

All sales staff will know how low they can go on the car, but they will employ tactics like “I’ve got to speak to my sales manager.” This is just a way of making you sweat and they hope you’ll stop bargaining at that point. But don’t continue to haggle hard and you’ll get the deal that you’re after.

If you’re trading your car in, it’ll be the ‘cost to change’ figure that you’re interested in. The dealer may offer a big discount off the new car, but give you a paltry amount for your old car, while another salesperson may offer nothing of the new car, but a high price for the trade-in. The only way that you can compare both deals is to work out how much it is going to cost you to get into the new car. The ideal situation is to get a high price for your old car and a large chunk off the list price of the new one, so bargain hard, and play dealers off against each other Money talks With most of us cash strapped right now, it’s highly unlikely that the money for your new car will be just sitting around in a forgotten bank account, so the likelihood that you’ll need some kind of finance is quite high. Make sure that whenever you’re discussing figures that you know what the APR, or annual percentage rate, of the finance, is. As you’ve done with the price of the car, you should haggle down the interest rate of the finance, as most dealers will have a portfolio of lenders that they deal with, and they’ll be keen for you to sign up with a company that gives them the most commission. This of course won’t always be the best rate, so negotiate hard and save every penny that you can – the APR is always up for discussion, and very often in this climate can be interest-free. But don’t discount other options for financing your car. With mortgage interest rates as low as they are, it could well, be that remortgaging your house could well be a relatively cheap option. Just make sure that you set the term of the loan over a reasonable period of time, otherwise, it’ll work out more expensive. Our advice is to borrow the money over the same length of time that you would if you took out the finance at the dealer, so plump for three, four, or even five years at the most. Also, check out personal loans from high street lenders or from the internet, and use the rates to negotiate a better deal with your salesman. If they can’t match it, then go to the lender that can offer you the best deal.

Before you sign your life away, make sure that you’ve read all of the small print and gone over everything with a fine toothcomb. If you’ve got a specific delivery date in mind, or there are conditions that you want to be noted down in writing, then this is the time to do it. Once the dealer has signed the documents and you have too, it then becomes legally binding and there’s come back should the deal not work out exactly as it was described to you by the salesperson. 

Extras

The salesperson will try to sign you up to all manner of protection plans, like warranty extensions, tire insurance, or gap guard, as well as all manner of servicing plans and payment protection policies. They’ll be keen, as they get a fat commission on every product that they manage to sell to you. Try to get as many of them thrown in for free, but never pay to take them out, as in most cases it will be cheaper for you to arrange your own cover after you’ve taken delivery. Only the warranty extension and servicing plans will remain at the same price afterward, and you’ll need to judge how long you will be keeping the car to decide whether extending the warranty will be worthwhile or not. A servicing plan will usually result in you paying less for the annual service, so can be a good deal, but do your research into how much you’ll be saving. 

Countdown to your new car

The time between ordering your new car and delivery will soon fly by, so it’s important to be prepared and collate all the documents you’ll need in one place so that you know where they are. If you are trading in your old car, you’ll need the V5C logbook, service history and handbook, together with any MOT certificates, if it’s more than three years old. Don’t forget to arrange insurance cover so you can drive the new car away, and very often the dealer will require a copy of the insurance certificate in order to get the car taxed. Get this over to the salesman in good time, so there aren’t any last-minute delays.

That special day

It’s the day you’ve been waiting for, but you’ll need to curb your excitement to make sure that you get everything that you’ve been promised by the salesman. Why not take a cool-headed friend or relative along with you, who can help scrutinize the paperwork and make sure that there are no dents, scratches or problems with your new purchase. It’s surprising how many times there are little issues, with the salesperson praying that you won’t notice. Don’t forget that as soon as you drive away, it’ll be your word against theirs, and will be difficult to prove that there was a problem at delivery time, so check everything thoroughly. If there is anything that needs to be rectified, make a list and get the salesman to sign to say that it will be rectified at a later date. With more serious problems, though, it is best to delay delivery and to not accept the car until it is 100 percent right. Although it is hugely disappointing, it is better in the long run, and the salesperson will be more inclined to get all of the problems rectified speedily so that the handover of the car can be completed.

Turn matchmaker

Now you’ve taken delivery of your pride and joy, take great delight in showing it to your friends and neighbors. And if there’s an ounce of competition in any of them, they’ll be eyeing up an opportunity to outdo you by buying an even better car. Turn this to your advantage by introducing them to the salesman that you bought your car from, as most dealers offer a reward for introducing new customers. Not only will it mean a £50 or £100 cheque in your back pocket to say thank you for the introduction, but it could also mean a sweeter deal when the time comes to buy your next car, especially if you’ve managed to introduce half the street to the garage.  Source: https://www.dieselcar.com/