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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I will get a good deal on a car now?

21 replies

GeraldTippett · 20/06/2020 19:43

Our car is elderly and has had a number of problems over the years. We have been told the next MOT will hurt (approx 2k) and it just doesn't seem worth it (gas guzzling, '05 plate but a BMW so a good car)

Today though, I was going around a roundabout and my power steering went out of nowhere. Luckily I was able to maintain control and was close to home so got it home.

Anyway, I'm wanting to convince DH that we should get a new car. Not brand new, but new to us. We could probably spend £12k outright or look for a better car on a lease or PCP arrangement.

AIBU to think we could get a decent deal in light of everything? It could really help in convincing DH (I do the bulk of the driving and he has zero interest in cars)

OP posts:
Muppetry76 · 20/06/2020 19:47

Following. I'm in a similar position - old banger with 6m mot extension which will possibly cost more than its worth vs new to me car....

AnnaBanana333 · 20/06/2020 19:48

Also following. My lease is up in November and I don't know whether to take out a new contract or buy something outright.

Original poster
GeraldTippett · 20/06/2020 19:50

Oh somehow I've enabled voting? Didn't mean to so feel free to ignore.

So, any car sales people out there willing to give an expert view to the 3 of us?!

OP posts:
QueenCT · 20/06/2020 19:50

Possibly. I mean it's worth looking, I work for a main dealership and we are rammed, it's so busy with service/MOT/sales... you name it!

AliasGrape · 20/06/2020 19:50

I know someone whose car was just written off (someone drove into it whilst it was parked) so just had to buy a new one.

I’m afraid they report very much the opposite - few deals and very little wiggle room from the dealers. That may just be our area, but my friend got the impression the dealers are needing every penny they can get and are not offering many reductions.

I suppose though that may have been the case last week before things were opening up more, perhaps there will be better deals over the next few weeks?

mynameiscalypso · 20/06/2020 19:54

My DBro has been looking for a new car and apparently it's hard to find good deals as more people are looking to buy cars now as they've been advised to drive rather than take public transport. It's particularly impacting the second hand car market.

Mummytime1 · 20/06/2020 19:55

Funnily enough I took a car out on finance yesterday. Went for something that I had quotes for before Covid, prices had gone up when I went back this week.
It was hard to get a appointment at the dealership as they were so busy, the staff we spoke to couldn’t believe how busy they had been.
I ended up taking a more expensive car then what I had wanted but by far a better deal overall and a much better car. Just need to haggle a bit Grin

Mummytime1 · 20/06/2020 19:56

Also forgot to add it’s a brand new car that should arrive within the month.

Original poster
GeraldTippett · 20/06/2020 19:58

Oh crap, that really isn't the news I was hoping for. Bugger. Had this happened 3 months ago we could obviously survived without a car. Bloody typical that now we can go places, the car shits the bed and we're stuck at home!

OP posts:
thisaintmyusername · 20/06/2020 20:24

You'll get a better deal on a brand new one than a used one at the minute. The used car market is absolutely mental so not many deals to be had at the moment, whereas many dealerships have a surplus of brand new stock cars they need rid of, so are offering generous deposit contributions on PCP finance. Shop around.

GinDaddyRedux · 20/06/2020 20:34

Depends what you're buying. I would never pay full price on a Vauxhall, a Ford, or a Skoda etc. There are discounts to be had at Audi and Land Rover. But if you're buying a Porsche Cayenne you might find there's precious little wriggle room.

DonaldJTrumpet · 20/06/2020 20:42

I work in leasing. We have been told the market will be volatile for the next 12 months. I wouldn't recommend leasing a car at the minute. Two reasons. The future is sketchy no matter how safe you think your job is and the residual values will probably be negatively adjusted to cover losses made in this next 12 months. The market has been at a standstill for the last three months and has only returned to 50% of normality in the last two weeks.

If you want a deal, move quick. People are getting deals as dealers need the quick cash flow. I think you have about a month left. At most. Then prices will rise and may go up because supply is less.

Pipandmum · 20/06/2020 20:50

I bought a new car just before lock down. I'm a decent negotiator and the dealer called me three days before lockdown but we all knew it was coming and offered £5000 off the price as it would help towards targets and no one knew how long dealerships would be closed. As the other dealers had no decent offers it was an easy choice. 20% off sticker price was a good deal but not sure I'd get it now.

DonaldJTrumpet · 20/06/2020 20:50

@Mummytime1 what car is it?

If you get a higher spec model of the car (trim not options) you may get it for much less more than expected on contract hire because although the OTR may have gone up by 2k, the residual value that the contract payments are based on could be 3k higher so it costs you 1k less over the contract.

I have a car for two years not three as it was £100 a month cheaper for that reason.

LtJudyHopps · 20/06/2020 20:57

Bugger. My car goes back end of November I was hoping I’d end up with a good deal on a new one! Well a new, used one.

im5050 · 20/06/2020 21:35

My DH just leased a new car Picked it up last Friday
Took him a week as he wasn’t fussy about the colour and they had one in stock In the model that he wanted
He got a good deal on it with regards to price and milage for 3 year’s direct from the Mercedes dealer which he’s never done before as they could never match the online prices

Wynston · 20/06/2020 22:36

Op have you looked at the new mg's they seem really well priced brand new.

Original poster
GeraldTippett · 21/06/2020 11:30

Thanks for all the advice. We will walk down to our local car dealer later this afternoon and see where we might stand on the various options.

OP posts:
crimsonlake · 21/06/2020 13:34

Buy outright a good second hand one, as new as you can, with some warranty left, with if possible under 20,000 on the clock. This is what I did.
It is so confusing...buy very low milage and it may not be good for the engine as it may not have been driven often or far. Also no more than 2 owners. Good luck.

Purpletigers · 21/06/2020 14:00

I imagine those with two or three year old cars who would normally be changing them now , will hold on to them a tad longer if there’s a threat of redundancy.

IwishIhadaMargarita · 21/06/2020 14:44

We bought three days before lockdown and picked it up the fay lockdown was announced as businesses were allowed to open to tie up loose ends. Dh worked as a car dealer so he went in and got 4 new tyres and a good deal on a used 3 year old car with under 50k on the clock.

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