Do you enjoy buying cars?
Discussion
I love buying cars, working out what I want and then finding one that fits the bill. 
Especially buying privately because you get to meet the previous owner so can get a feel for the sort of person they are and how they are likely to have treated the car.
I've only bought 2 from main dealers as they were less than a year old so not really available privately. Both were BMWs. Scotthall were brilliant, Cooper Croydon were crap!
Especially buying privately because you get to meet the previous owner so can get a feel for the sort of person they are and how they are likely to have treated the car.
I've only bought 2 from main dealers as they were less than a year old so not really available privately. Both were BMWs. Scotthall were brilliant, Cooper Croydon were crap!
I love the hunt for the car, but despise the purchase process. We were family friends with a career car salesman who was by then the General Manager of a large Ford dealership, our sons played football together so we spent many hours in cars travelling to matches & tournaments chatting about how things worked.
So now when I have to go through the purchase process I’m mentally ticking the techniques off, knowing exactly what they’re up to and what’s coming next - it’s almost like a game deciding what they’re going to do next.
To be fair he did help us out once when I couldn’t get a deal I was happy with on a used car from a rival dealership (not ‘his’ brand), talking to him about it, he offered and did purchase the car and sold it to us at the deal I was looking for.
So now when I have to go through the purchase process I’m mentally ticking the techniques off, knowing exactly what they’re up to and what’s coming next - it’s almost like a game deciding what they’re going to do next.
To be fair he did help us out once when I couldn’t get a deal I was happy with on a used car from a rival dealership (not ‘his’ brand), talking to him about it, he offered and did purchase the car and sold it to us at the deal I was looking for.
I appreciate that car salesmen are trying to do a job and earn a living, but for the most part, they do seem apt to not listen and try and sell you a lot of things you don't want , case in point , a car dealer tried to sell my wife on some kind of special underseal on a car, he keot referring back to it, I simply interjected that if the car did rust within x number of years then something must be wrong with how it was built, as any car built for the Canadian market is surely already undersealed.
Our most recent experience was pretty good though, we were scoping out a replacement for a 2011 Golf MK6, and for various reasons the latest VW SUV's weren't suitable, the latest Golf MK8 is now a performance car here, with only GTI and R models available, we joked with the dealer that what we really needed was low KMs used Golf ( he had none on site), but parted without really nailing anything down.
Fast forward a month, and the same dealer calls my wife to inform her he has a low KM's GOLF MK 7.5 thats just come back off lease, at 3 years old, a Highline model with a lot of nice features, and only 28,000 KMs ( 17,500 miles, in 3 years! ), it still smelt new! We went to see it, it needed some rectification on the dash as the previous owner apparently had a dog, but it came back fine, it also came with a set of winter tyres/rims, free winter and summer mats, and a full tank of petrol, ultimately we got double the trade in price on her old Golf and 1500 bucks off the list price, all in a shade over $24,000
So the dealer listened to us, and followed up with a potential ideal purchase, didn't try and upsell us on anything, and did his job, no fuss, no messing around, it is possible!
Our most recent experience was pretty good though, we were scoping out a replacement for a 2011 Golf MK6, and for various reasons the latest VW SUV's weren't suitable, the latest Golf MK8 is now a performance car here, with only GTI and R models available, we joked with the dealer that what we really needed was low KMs used Golf ( he had none on site), but parted without really nailing anything down.
Fast forward a month, and the same dealer calls my wife to inform her he has a low KM's GOLF MK 7.5 thats just come back off lease, at 3 years old, a Highline model with a lot of nice features, and only 28,000 KMs ( 17,500 miles, in 3 years! ), it still smelt new! We went to see it, it needed some rectification on the dash as the previous owner apparently had a dog, but it came back fine, it also came with a set of winter tyres/rims, free winter and summer mats, and a full tank of petrol, ultimately we got double the trade in price on her old Golf and 1500 bucks off the list price, all in a shade over $24,000
So the dealer listened to us, and followed up with a potential ideal purchase, didn't try and upsell us on anything, and did his job, no fuss, no messing around, it is possible!
AlexNJ89 said:
I love looking for my next car.
While most people scroll Instagram, I scroll AutoTrader.
Me too. I can't see the appeal of IG. AT on the other hand....While most people scroll Instagram, I scroll AutoTrader.
I have a vague retirement plan in my head which involves replacing mu existing V8 estate with something more sensible and having something more interesting on the side.
So I have a couple of searches going for Superb 280's and a plethora for different price points and trim combos for SL55s, CLS 55s and XK 5.0 facelifts.
I've also read every road test going, every buyers guide, I follow various reader's car threads and watch stuff that pops up YouTube.
It depends. Like most here, I like the browsing/deciding process. My most recent buy was a Macan from an independent dealer overseas. The sales folks were decent enough. I think I made it clear that I was going to make my own mind up and I’d let them know as and when questions arose, and they did more or less what I wanted of them.
I normally enjoy buying sports cars privately. The good ones (I’ve normally been after stuff that’s a good few years old) are usually owned by enthusiasts so you can have a chat and they’re normally more realistic about things if you negotiate. That said, my last couple of bigger private purchases were immaculate and as-described so after a bit of car chat and a bank transfer I’m off…
Buying s
tters privately can go either way, but that’s also half the fun. I tend to find the answers to my questions before going to view tell me enough as to whether it’s worth the journey.
I normally enjoy buying sports cars privately. The good ones (I’ve normally been after stuff that’s a good few years old) are usually owned by enthusiasts so you can have a chat and they’re normally more realistic about things if you negotiate. That said, my last couple of bigger private purchases were immaculate and as-described so after a bit of car chat and a bank transfer I’m off…
Buying s
tters privately can go either way, but that’s also half the fun. I tend to find the answers to my questions before going to view tell me enough as to whether it’s worth the journey. Never bought a new car, but I love buying a cheap used car privately, usually keep them 6 months to a year.
Sub £2k, within 15 miles, petrol, manual, MOT.
I do a few mods, take it on a some track days, then sell on for minimal loss and search for it's replacement. Been doing it 10 years.
Always had fun, met some interesting folk and never had a dud yet.
Sub £2k, within 15 miles, petrol, manual, MOT.
I do a few mods, take it on a some track days, then sell on for minimal loss and search for it's replacement. Been doing it 10 years.
Always had fun, met some interesting folk and never had a dud yet.
Norton850 said:
I am not a fan of the whole process and as i am looking for a weekend fun car to replace my 928s i am considering using a buyer to do it all for me and i just hand over the funds.
A friend bought a Bentley GT this way a few months ago...
If you need someone then drop me a pm, really easy to deal with, nice guy, older, experienced and no hideous charges.A friend bought a Bentley GT this way a few months ago...
Kerniki said:
Norton850 said:
I am not a fan of the whole process and as i am looking for a weekend fun car to replace my 928s i am considering using a buyer to do it all for me and i just hand over the funds.
A friend bought a Bentley GT this way a few months ago...
If you need someone then drop me a pm, really easy to deal with, nice guy, older, experienced and no hideous charges.A friend bought a Bentley GT this way a few months ago...
I am getting a list of potential cars together then i will do so..
I despise buying from dealers and not keen on trying to buy private being honest. So essentially I just hate buying cars. Spent 4 hours in the dealership buying my first car and the salesman wouldn’t give up trying to sell me add ons. The game of checking with the manager happened too many times to count.
Every car I’ve bought since you can see the games they play a mile off and it drives me nuts. The whole pay a deposit as I’ve got other’s interested so you need to move fast is the one that gets me the most.
Times I’ve looked privately I just can’t find a local car that isn’t a dog or the seller is unable to answer basic questions so I end up back to the dealerships.
Aside from the buying, I hate the insurance changeover as it’s just fee’s or every time you run a quote it jumps up
Then if the dealership isn’t on the doorstep, arranging travel because they usually offer a joke price so you have to sell elsewhere or try getting a private buyer and I just find the whole thing a logistical and mental nightmare when juggling work and life.
I enjoy the idea of changing and searching for what I want far more than the actual event. I think part of the problem is I never have the budget to get what I really want so make compromises that put me in the wrong mindset before I even get the the dealer or seller hurdles. Then trying to sell the current car and wading through timewasters adds to the fun.
Next time I need to buy a good all rounder that isn’t compromising on what I’m really after so I can just keep it and be content lol
Every car I’ve bought since you can see the games they play a mile off and it drives me nuts. The whole pay a deposit as I’ve got other’s interested so you need to move fast is the one that gets me the most.
Times I’ve looked privately I just can’t find a local car that isn’t a dog or the seller is unable to answer basic questions so I end up back to the dealerships.
Aside from the buying, I hate the insurance changeover as it’s just fee’s or every time you run a quote it jumps up
Then if the dealership isn’t on the doorstep, arranging travel because they usually offer a joke price so you have to sell elsewhere or try getting a private buyer and I just find the whole thing a logistical and mental nightmare when juggling work and life.
I enjoy the idea of changing and searching for what I want far more than the actual event. I think part of the problem is I never have the budget to get what I really want so make compromises that put me in the wrong mindset before I even get the the dealer or seller hurdles. Then trying to sell the current car and wading through timewasters adds to the fun.
Next time I need to buy a good all rounder that isn’t compromising on what I’m really after so I can just keep it and be content lol
I don’t. I buy used quite often, and the hassle of ensuring I’m not being had over isn’t pleasant.
The best example I have of dishonest dealers is after I spent ninety minutes crossing London in a heatwave to view an “immaculate” motorbike which had major crash damage on one side and a frame that had rusted and snapped (and not been repaired.)
The best example I have of dishonest dealers is after I spent ninety minutes crossing London in a heatwave to view an “immaculate” motorbike which had major crash damage on one side and a frame that had rusted and snapped (and not been repaired.)
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