Haggling for a New Car - Is it Done?

Hi!

Soon after I move to the UK (2 weeks now!), the husband and I will be looking to purchase a new car.  We've previously visited garages in the UK, and the entire atmosphere seems different than in the US.  I.e., no one bothers you.  I also wonder if the deal making process is different?  I've asked the husband about this, but I haven't been able to decipher a clear answer.  It seems from what he's said that beyond "set" discounts that might be offered from the manufacturer, people tend to pay the recommended retail price.  I purchased a new car in the US last year, and I was able to negotiate a 20% discount off the price, so I'm a bit befuddled by this because surely UK cars are marked up just as much as US cars, right?

So, I'm trying to confirm how it's done.  Is it possible to negotiate for substantial discounts?  Is this "done"?

Yes you can try to negotiate the price. Personally I've never had much luck but I think that's more down to me, some people have a lot of success.

I purchased a used car from a garage and was able to negotiate.

We recently bought a used car from a Toyota dealer, and I negotiated the price over the phone. We paid what we thought was a fair price for the car with an extra year's warranty included.

You can only ask!

We just bought a 2.5yr old VW Golf.  While we didn't negotiate a 20% discount we were satisfied with the amount we paid.  Do your research, negotiate, and if you don't get what you want be prepared to walk away.  Good luck.   

Hi,

Yes, it is a very usual and normal aspect for buying a brand new car from an authorised manufacturer dealer. You'll need to choose a car that you like and sit down to see if you can work/thrash out a deal depending on how aggressive you want to be! You can then nip off to the same brand dealer in another town and play them off against each other to see which one will/can offer you a better deal. Do be careful though, as some dealers are busier than others, although you can't immediately tell which, and won't need to discount as much. The higher up in the price ranges you go, the bigger the potential discounts will be. You might however miss out on other deals like 0% finance if a car is purchased at a higher price etc. Also perhaps don't expect a 15% discount on a £9 grand car, but maybe that on a £50/60 grand car.

As part of your evaluations, don't forget about things like insurance and running/maintenence costs - there's some absolutely cracking deals on with some brands higher end cars in order to try and get a sale, but the running costs are very substantial as well!

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!