Do dealers accept straight swaps?
Discussion
First of all this is my first attempt at starting a topic, so hello ph'ers, ive been a lurker since i got my first car (106 rallye) at 18, decided after 5years of membership i really ought to start a topic...also im on a nightshift at the moment and bored senseless...
To cut a long story short i had to sell my beloved 2004 seat leon cupra, not the fastest car but put a smile on my 24yr old face, previous car history...106 rallye, polo gti, rx8 231, leon cupra...
I then decided i ought to try and save a few quid and bought...a diesel...a 2005 bmw 118d to be precise.
However after 2 months of ownership i am thoroughly bored of it and need to return to petrol for my own sanity.
Question is, i have no way of adding to the cost of a new car, so do dealers accept straight swaps nowadays?
By my reckoning its worth about £5.5k (69k miles, 2005 bmw 118d se, immaculate bla bla)
Shortlist so far...
Seat leon cupra r
Celica gen7 tsport
Ep3 civic type r
Any suggestions...
Reliable, fun, petrol, above 30mpg, no more than 70k miles.
To cut a long story short i had to sell my beloved 2004 seat leon cupra, not the fastest car but put a smile on my 24yr old face, previous car history...106 rallye, polo gti, rx8 231, leon cupra...
I then decided i ought to try and save a few quid and bought...a diesel...a 2005 bmw 118d to be precise.
However after 2 months of ownership i am thoroughly bored of it and need to return to petrol for my own sanity.
Question is, i have no way of adding to the cost of a new car, so do dealers accept straight swaps nowadays?
By my reckoning its worth about £5.5k (69k miles, 2005 bmw 118d se, immaculate bla bla)
Shortlist so far...
Seat leon cupra r
Celica gen7 tsport
Ep3 civic type r
Any suggestions...
Reliable, fun, petrol, above 30mpg, no more than 70k miles.
*Al* said:
Unlikely, but only if you take a heavy hit on your car value. After all they're a business not a charity.
Well the car i want ideally is a leon cupra r, and theyre priced about £4.5k so i may take a hit but at least il not be stuck in my boring diesel hatch, wouldve thought the 118d would be desirable to a dealer in todays climate, surely easier to sell than most hot hatches which is what id be afterThere is no reason cash has to be involved in a deal. Dealers will often buy you car outright so a swap should not be an issue but don't expect anything more than trade value for yours.
The difficulty may be if you have an unrealistic expectation of what your car is worth. I didn't realise that 8 year old 1 series of that spec were still as expensive as that, in fact a neighbour got about that much for a 80k 07 plate some time ago.
Small diesel cars are popular though, maybe your best bet is to sell it privately or if you want a hassle free sale, through auction (proper auction, not EBay). Both are likely to get you more than being forced to drop your trousers at Arthur Dayley's and handing Terry the Vaseline.
Making the wrong decision in car buying can be costly but in the grand scale of life is not a big deal so don't lose sleep over it like I probably would have at 24 years old.
The difficulty may be if you have an unrealistic expectation of what your car is worth. I didn't realise that 8 year old 1 series of that spec were still as expensive as that, in fact a neighbour got about that much for a 80k 07 plate some time ago.
Small diesel cars are popular though, maybe your best bet is to sell it privately or if you want a hassle free sale, through auction (proper auction, not EBay). Both are likely to get you more than being forced to drop your trousers at Arthur Dayley's and handing Terry the Vaseline.
Making the wrong decision in car buying can be costly but in the grand scale of life is not a big deal so don't lose sleep over it like I probably would have at 24 years old.
You might do better selling your own car first though and if you don't fancy the private sale process try one of the companies that buy cars. I have just sold one through we buy any car and was pleasantly surprised by both the process and the price, it was more than the trade in.
Of course timing may mean you don't have a car for a day or two but it would make you a cash buyer on the new one and possibly save you some money.
Of course timing may mean you don't have a car for a day or two but it would make you a cash buyer on the new one and possibly save you some money.
Dealers will do anything to make money..... if they can turn a profit from swapping your car with another they will. However you will end up with a worse/cheaper car.
I assume you traded in your last car to 'save money' and now you are going to trade this in too? Sounds like a great way to lose a shed load of money really fast IMO. Best off learning your lesson and keeping it a while.... I can't be the only PH member who has changed cars frequently and then thought 'damn, should have saved a few ££££ and kept the last one'.
I assume you traded in your last car to 'save money' and now you are going to trade this in too? Sounds like a great way to lose a shed load of money really fast IMO. Best off learning your lesson and keeping it a while.... I can't be the only PH member who has changed cars frequently and then thought 'damn, should have saved a few ££££ and kept the last one'.
Couple of weeks ago had a dealer offer me 16,000 for a car which he quite honestly told me he would be putting up for sale for 18,995. He will probably get 18,000 for it (which is what I would have got inc all the hassle of selling it privately).He knocked 1000 off the car I wanted from him. So I lost about 1000 but had no hassle selling privately and got a nice new car with a 3 year warranty.
You will take a hit on the value but not as much as you might think.
You will take a hit on the value but not as much as you might think.
I think a dealer would take it. It's the right type of car - small, diesel, BMW - something in demand that they'd be able to sell on easily.
With your previous car history I guess you know a bit about them, what to look for, etc. Why not put an advert on ebay saying in the description the type of car you'd take as a swap/part-ex (cash your way). There must be loads of people running EP3's, Leon Cupra R's, etc that are keen to get rid for something more economical.
With your previous car history I guess you know a bit about them, what to look for, etc. Why not put an advert on ebay saying in the description the type of car you'd take as a swap/part-ex (cash your way). There must be loads of people running EP3's, Leon Cupra R's, etc that are keen to get rid for something more economical.
Escy said:
I think a dealer would take it. It's the right type of car - small, diesel, BMW - something in demand that they'd be able to sell on easily.
If you can find one with a (less desirable, to most of the population...) Cupra that's been sat there a while, but don't be surprised if they try it on. :sucksteeth: "No one's buying small diesels these days..." 
No problem at all, just remember that you'll get trade price for yours, and pay retail on the new one.
Problems arise when a "customer" looks on here, or the autotrader, finds the dearest example of their car they can find for sale at a dealer, assumes they'll get that much for it, or usually a bit more "because mine is mint" and then finds the cheapest possible example of the car they're looking to buy.
If you go in with reasonable expectations there is no reason a straight swap, or cashback, deal can't be done with a dealer.
Problems arise when a "customer" looks on here, or the autotrader, finds the dearest example of their car they can find for sale at a dealer, assumes they'll get that much for it, or usually a bit more "because mine is mint" and then finds the cheapest possible example of the car they're looking to buy.
If you go in with reasonable expectations there is no reason a straight swap, or cashback, deal can't be done with a dealer.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff