Buying a demonstrator

[x5x3]

what are people's thoughts on this? There are clearly pros and cons and I have to say in the past I have been lucky with demonstrators but they have been other marques.

[Ecurie Ecosse]

There should be plenty of demonstrators available in the City tomorrow

[AB]

Obviously the ex-demo will be well spec'd and well serviced but at the same time, it will have been thrashed from cold...

Similar arguments to buying an ex-plod car I'd have thought.

[DavidLScott]

Over the years I had 4 ex-demo VW's, one Golf and 3 Corrados and had no problems with any of them. My ex 'management V6-4motion was rubbish though.

Unless they let customers out on their own they would normally be driven quite sedately - doesn't take out the problems if the salesman uses it on his time off though but he can't really be seen to sell a thrashed car can he? Don't answer that.

[x5x3]

in the past I have bought a TVR demonstrator - but from what I saw they always let the cars warm up before taking people out in them.

Seems to me you still get the warranty so if things go wrong they will get fixed form free - it is more the hastle of geeting the car to and from the garage if/when things do go wrong.

[Pickled Piper]

It wouldn't worry me. Cars termed "demonstrators" are usually run by the dealership employees and well maintained. They will also have had all the niggles sorted out.

Go for it.

pp

[Fox-]

Our Z4 was ex demo. I suspect it was thrapped every single day of its life and not run in properly.

This is probably why, unlike most M54's, it doesn't gobble a million litres of oil every second.

[Sticks2]

Some stealers will let you spec a new car, use it as a demonstrator and you pick it up at a discount 3 months later.

I didn't think the saving was all that good when I did it, unlike Audi, who run their demonstrators for a year.

[northandy]

my 120d is an ex BMW car, bought it with 7k on at 6 months old, now has 55k on coiming up to 3 years old, never had a single problem with it.

[sjj84]

Depends on the dealership I would imagine and the staff they have. My dad always used to buy ex demo's, perfect condition and like somebody mention he spec'd the car, it was used as a demo and then he got it.
In complete contrast, a friend works at a dealership and absolutely abuses every car he uses, don't think I'd want to buy a car that he's had, but then I guess that's a risk you take with any used car.

[David87M3]

My first 520 (e34) was a BMW car and I assume it was a demo car 520 with full OBC.. when I got it had 169k miles on it and drank a lot of oil.. I know of other e34's with massive miles on that dont burn oil..

Burning oil later in life apparently says a lot about how it was driven when new from cold?????

I guess as long as its got a warranty you should be ok

All that said even if you buy a car thats not an ex demo who's to know it hast had a hard life ?

[Toilet Duck]

David87M3 said:

All that said even if you buy a car thats not an ex demo who's to know it hast had a hard life ?

Thats very true, but I think is safe to say with absolute certainty that a car thats had many, many drivers who do not "own" it or pay for any servicing/broken parts etc are going to use it harder than a privately owned car. I have a friend who works for a main dealer, the cars he uses are ragged mercilessly from cold every single time, the phrase "drive it like you stole it" has never been more appropriate. Personally, I would NEVER buy an ex-demo car. Yes, it may come with a warranty, but its still a hassle if you end up taking it back regularly to have things fixed. Of course, not everyone working at a main dealer uses their demo stock to learn how to power slide or handbrake turn, but given the choice of cars out their I'd rather not take the chance.