New car buyers, do you actually buy the car you wanted?

[300bhp/ton]

I've never bought a new car and part of the reason is I can never seem to be able to buy what I want.

For example, when I've looked at buying a brand new car I've been faced with:


-That car specification isn't available and would have to be a factory order. That's likely to cost more and will take 18 years before it'll be ready....

-That car specification isn't available from the allocated UK cars and we are unable to process factory orders (despite picking options and spec that the car maker offers).

-Or you simply can't actually pick the spec you want, such as a manual gearbox with that trim level. Or an exterior colour with that seat combo, or air con with that engine option.



So just wondering, how many of you new car buyers actually get the exact car and spec you really want and how many just say sod it and take whatever the dealer can get in or exists as a stock item already?

And I guess how many new car buyers don't end up being new car buyers because you simply can't actually buy the car you want?

[v8will]

I thought one of the main reasons for buying a new car was to get exactly what you wanted?

2nd hand, you will always make a compromise at some point IMHO

[farrendahl]

v8will said:

I thought one of the main reasons for buying a new car was to get exactly what you wanted?

2nd hand, you will always make a compromise at some point IMHO

Very true, I had to compromise on the my ZT-T in a couple of places, one was the colour - wanted anything but resale silver - ended up buying resale silver
Wanted the trip computer - has no trip computer
Wanted Sunroof - ended up with duel zone aircon


But at the end of the day I needed the car quickly (was a 24 hour turn around from selling my old car and picking up the new one) and to be honest even though I had budgeted a grand for the car I only ended up paying £600, those compromises I can live with, espeically for something that was only intended to be a stop gap, but to be honest I like it so much I'll now run it till it dies.

Edited by farrendahl on Wednesday 27th June 12:40

[mrmr96]

v8will said:

I thought one of the main reasons for buying a new car was to get exactly what you wanted?

Agree, but just because you buy a new car doesn't necessarily mean that it was built to order for you. Sometimes it would be, if that's what you wanted, but often it will be a new car from stock. You'd certainly want a decent discount to take something from stock as it probably wouldn't be 'exactly' as you'd want it.

v8will said:

2nd hand, you will always make a compromise at some point IMHO

Usually, but not "always" as you can sometimes be lucky, although getting 100% your spec is rare, yes.

I've never bought a new car, because the depreciation is too much to bear. But if I had the money I'd LOVE to go and get myself a brand new car and choose all the options, trim, engine, colours etc etc which I wanted.

[300bhp/ton]

mrmr96 said:

I've never bought a new car, because the depreciation is too much to bear. But if I had the money I'd LOVE to go and get myself a brand new car and choose all the options, trim, engine, colours etc etc which I wanted.

That's the crux of it for me. Because it's so costly to buy brand new, if I took the plunge it'd only be for 100% exactly the spec I want, else I might as well save a packet and buy used if I'm going to end up with a compromise.

[ewenm]

I've only ever bought 1 car brand new and we did spec it to exactly what we wanted. As such we plan to keep it for the next 10-15 years as it was bought with that in mind.

[v8will]

300bhp/ton said:

That's the crux of it for me. Because it's so costly to buy brand new, if I took the plunge it'd only be for 100% exactly the spec I want, else I might as well save a packet and buy used if I'm going to end up with a compromise.

The problem is though, the spec you want invariably means expensive options.

I can't ever imagine you buying a new UK spec car 300, Why do I think this? (Serious question)

[Timberwolf]

v8will said:

2nd hand, you will always make a compromise at some point IMHO

Agreed.

Although sometimes that does work out for the better. I got my current car in a colour combination I'd never have picked were I the one looking at the colour chart. (Dark metallic blue with cream interior, for the interested)

A couple of weeks into ownership and I reckon it's better than any of the options I'd have picked had I been given free reign. Although light coloured carpets are just as much of a pain to keep clean as I'd expected...

[hairyben]

Had the exact spec I wanted when I bought the van... waited 3 months for it to be built.

In fairness, with the range of engines, body styles, colours, and options means vehicles have tens or hundreds of millions of possible combinations, not all of which your local dealer will have in stock in t' yard out back.

[v8will]

hairyben said:

Had the exact spec I wanted when I bought the van... waited 3 months for it to be built.

In fairness, with the range of engines, body styles, colours, and options means vehicles have tens or hundreds of millions of possible combinations, not all of which your local dealer will have in stock in t' yard out back.

Transit?

[hairyben]

v8will said:

Transit?

vito. 120. And at list prices a couple grand worth of options inc comfort plus seats, electric folding mirrors, diesel boost heater etc

Most people going for the 120 would probably have gone for the sport-x to start with.

[300bhp/ton]

v8will said:

The problem is though, the spec you want invariably means expensive options.

It's not the price exactly, more the availability. I wouldn't want to have to wait a year to collect a new car. And I'd happily pay a sensible amount to get the spec I want.

v8will said:

I can't ever imagine you buying a new UK spec car 300, Why do I think this? (Serious question)

I could be tempted for the right vehicle. Although I admit it's not my norm. I'm really waiting to see what the new LR Defender is going to be like, such a car I could be very tempted to take the plunge on.

But I have looked at other cars. A few years back a compact economical run about would have suited well for the work I was doing. So I went and looked at and test drove a new Fiat 500 1.4 Sport. The car was nice (bar the steering) and could have been tempted. I went away and used the online configurator and printed off what I'd want. The dealer said that such a car was not available and would be a factory order only. At best 6 months wait, but maybe a year for delivery. Waiting 12 months for a car like this that was already available in other spec seemed a little OTT.


I also looked at a new MINI. But I found I couldn't pick the exterior colour and the interior colour/trim I wanted. Seems they were mutually exclusive - just because someone somewhere has said they don't go together.


I also seriously spoke to Jeep in 2006 about buying a Rubicon Wrangler. But not only had they sold all 19 UK examples they were importing (so I'd have to wait 12 months just to see if they were importing anymore). I wouldn't have been able to pick a colour and the model was at the time only being offered in a very weird configuration, being; auto, petrol, no air con, base interior. I wanted diesel manual with air con and trip computer (items which were standard on the cheaper lower spec model).



Not that I would have wanted a Land Rover Evoque, but when I looked at the UK offerings, the only way to get the petrol engine was to buy the top spec model. It isn't an option on any other models in the range. It also couldn't be specced with a manual, even in top spec. In the US you can buy the lower models with the petrol engine. If I had been looking at one, I'd have wanted that engine, but the top spec model was nearly double the cost of the base model. So would make it a no financially anyway.


I would say, looking at US car sites (even for UK car makers). You can configure a car to your liking so much easier. Here it seems you get what you are given, rather than being able to chose what you actually want.

[Pixelpeep]

having worked in the car trade i would like to repeat the salesmans phrase for those that havent heard it

'dont sell them what they want, sell them what we've got..'

its so funny hearing it now from the other side, salesmen have lists of pros and cons for the same item depending on its availability. Leather seats are my particular favourite, telling you how hot and sticky in shorts they are when they cant get the car with leather, then telling you how premium and value adding it can be when it comes to reselling it when leather is all they have.

What some people dont realise is factory orders even for the likes of vauxhall can take 26 weeks so if you chose the lime green car with the brown leather its gonna be 6 months before you see it. Salesman wants his sale for this month not half a year later and he's counting on the fact that once you've made your mind up you want to buy a car, you will want it as quickly as possible.

its a good time to haggle for discounts if the salesman is trying to push you into a higher spec model thats in stock.

[Fas1975]

Ordered my BMW new, purely because I wanted it in the spec I wanted. Black on black convertible with some options that I wanted specifically. Have modified the car significantly since then, but 10 years and 60k miles later, it's still on my drive and still makes me smile every time I turn the key. I will buy another car this year, but the BMW will be kept as it's mine, to my spec, from day 1

[300bhp/ton]

Here's one thing that bugs me. If you want a yellow car, it seems impossible to have anything but a black interior

I don't want a black interior ever on any colour. But I do like yellow cars.

[FoundOnRoadside]

If you can't get what you want when buying it new, you're either buying the wrong car, or you're sitting in the wrong dealership.

Even Vauxhall, given the right dealership and salesman, can order a unique car to be factory built. Friend of mine had a Mk5 Astra Sporthatch built in the factory, specced up with leather Recaro seats from the VXR, satnav, XP kit, and painted in Breeze Blue which was never an option on the Sporthatch, and certainly not in SRI spec. Only Breeze Blue cars they officially sold were 5 door Life spec.

[Pixelpeep]

300bhp/ton said:

Here's one thing that bugs me. If you want a yellow car, it seems impossible to have anything but a black interior

I don't want a black interior ever on any colour. But I do like yellow cars.

I cant picture any other colour interior that would look right with yellow?

• brain error*

[mrmr96]

300bhp/ton said:

Here's one thing that bugs me. If you want a yellow car, it seems impossible to have anything but a black interior

I don't want a black interior ever on any colour. But I do like yellow cars.

Be reasonable!

What colour of interior, besides black, would look good in a yellow car?

[ZesPak]

FoundOnRoadside said:

If you can't get what you want when buying it new, you're either buying the wrong car, or you're sitting in the wrong dealership.

Even Vauxhall, given the right dealership and salesman, can order a unique car to be factory built. Friend of mine had a Mk5 Astra Sporthatch built in the factory, specced up with leather Recaro seats from the VXR, satnav, XP kit, and painted in Breeze Blue which was never an option on the Sporthatch, and certainly not in SRI spec. Only Breeze Blue cars they officially sold were 5 door Life spec.

I don't know why, but this post has made me laugh and feel very sad at the same time.

[5678]

300bhp/ton said:

mrmr96 said:

I've never bought a new car, because the depreciation is too much to bear. But if I had the money I'd LOVE to go and get myself a brand new car and choose all the options, trim, engine, colours etc etc which I wanted.

That's the crux of it for me. Because it's so costly to buy brand new, if I took the plunge it'd only be for 100% exactly the spec I want, else I might as well save a packet and buy used if I'm going to end up with a compromise.

Not always the case. I've just bought something new for considerably less a similar used car (with a few k on) would have cost from the same dealership group.