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It’s sometimes said that car dealers can smell an uninformed customer when they walk in and will start circling them like sharks. Depending on what your local dealership is like, this might only be a slight exaggeration.
You don’t have to be a car enthusiast to be a well-informed, hard-haggling customer. Paying attention to these ten quick tips can make a real difference to your car and your wallet.
1. Buy a car at the end of the month or at the end of the financial year
Plan your purchase, but don’t sign on the dotted line until near the end of the month. Many car dealers operate on monthly sales targets and may be more likely to offer discounts and free extras around this time to help meet their targets.
You can save a lot by purchasing a car during the EOFY car sales. The automotive manufacturers and dealers offer special deals and also throw in optional extras worth thousands of dollars for free.
2. Be serious about safety
ANCAP safety ratings are no joke. These ratings determine how likely an accident is to injure or kill you, and the differences between safe and unsafe cars are enormous.
More importantly, it can also affect the cost of car insurance. If you’re after a more cost-effective drive and you want a safe vehicle, avoid settling for less than a 4- or 5-star ANCAP rating.
3. Do your homework on the car you want
Learn about your chosen car's typical drive-away price before you buy, as well as which extras are tacked on and how much these are really worth. This gives you a baseline against which to haggle and consider “free” extras.
It also lets you determine how much haggling room is left when you’re quoted a price. You probably won’t get a good deal if you don’t take this step and if you do, how would you know?
4. Know the haggling dos and don’ts
Do keep your expectations realistic. You probably won’t haggle much off an already-discounted price.
Do keep it friendly and polite. Good manners go a lot further and sometimes a deal simply comes down to how much they like you.
Do leave your phone number, even if you walk away. They might come back to you with a better offer.
Don’t be afraid to walk away. If they’re not budging, find someone who will.
Don’t try low-balling them unless you’re ready to climb back up the price ladder.
5. Make dealers compete with each other
A lot of dealers might turn down an offer without hesitation, but would accept the very same offer when asked to match a competitor’s price. There’s always a better deal out there somewhere and dealers know it. Try to be in touch with more than one dealer before buying and let them compete for your business.
Know what car you want? A Car broker could save you money
With an established network of dealers, a car broker can source the vehicle you want and negotiate on your behalf to save you money.
6. Always do a test drive
There’s no substitute for a test drive. If you’re still deciding between different cars or models, test drive them all if possible. Never buy a new car without test driving it first.
7. Beware of unwanted extras
Dealers are always ready to generously throw in extras for free or at cost, to sweeten the deal. Think about the extras you actually want before buying and try to resist walking out with something you didn’t want.
Some of the extras you almost certainly don’t want are an extended warranty, rustproofing and paint protection. A new car already has all of these in some form and these extras are often just a sales trick.
The cost of car insurance changes a lot depending on what you’re driving. Common new cars, even the latest models, are often cheaper to insure than one would expect thanks to the availability of spare parts. Meanwhile, cars that don’t have more recent safety features such as auto braking or traction control, or cars with a poor ANCAP rating, can be considerably more expensive.
8. Check the fuel consumption
Check a car’s fuel consumption with the yellow sticker on the windscreen. This allows you to you to compare efficiency between vehicles and can give you a reasonable idea of what the car's operating costs might be.
9. Make sure all the boxes are ticked before you buy
Check off these tips before buying for better luck finding a deal, but when the pen’s in your hand and the dealer is salivating over your shoulder you should ask yourself whether you have:
Understood the terms and conditions. Make sure you know exactly what you’re signing up for.
Been to multiple dealers. If you haven’t, then you’re almost certainly not getting the value you could be.
Know what is and isn’t included. Be certain that you aren’t paying for unwanted extras and that you won’t be missing anything.
If you're planning on using a car loan or other form of finance to purchase your car, it pays to do your research. You have a lot of options when it comes to car finance, so it pays to understand how they differ, and what makes a loan more competitive than another. Along with the banks, many dealers offer car loans, and it's important to compare both to find the one that bests suits your needs.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Elizabeth Barry is the lead editor for Finder. She has over 10 years' experience writing about a range of topics with a focus on personal finance. You’ll find her writing and commentary in a range of publications and media including Seven News, the ABC, MSN, the Irish Times and Singapore Business Review.
Find out more about how you can be a driver with DiDi, even if you don't own your own car. Rent a car and start making money using the ridesharing platform.
Australian Military Bank lets you finance a car, motorbike or boat up to five years old with its competitive car loan. Find out about the rates and fees in this review.
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