How many of us are waiting to buy a new car on 1 March?
The answer is lots of us, even if numbers are well down on 2008.
It’s a great time to get a good deal (amazingly Vauxhall and Ford plan to add 5% to their model prices because of the poor euro exchange rate) and whilst the sensible money is usually best buying a nearly new car (under 1 year – with a 2 year warranty to run) that isn’t always the best financial case when you factor in realistic discounts on new cars in current economic conditions.
I can strongly recommend the Which? Car Spring 2009 guide (get it in Sainsbury’s) to see what their suggested target discounts are.
In summary, for those of us that don’t do haggling by nature, you should be looking at the equivalent of some 5% off list price for the likes of the Mini, Mitsubishi Colt, Honda Jazz, Suzuki Splash or the Ford Ka.
Add a further 10% and you should be looking for something like 15-20% off the Peugeot 207, Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia, Toyota’s Yaris and Vauxhall’s Corsa.
To save between 20-25% try the Fiat Panda and Punto and Citroen’s C1, C2 or C3.
I am a fan of foxy cars like these; small, green, economic to run and with a good resale value.
Don’t be fobbed off by 0% interest deals (do they think we’re daft?) and watch the extras that the salesman might try to talk you into.
Finally if you are at all fearful about making a deposit payment for any car in this range, use your credit card just in case any manufacturer or dealer ceases trading between receiving your order and delivery. Your money will then be safe.
