UKC

Switching back to a personal car from company car. Got my finance prepared with my bank, went to the first dealer and their finance wasnt competitive.

Second dealer has a car a like, already fitted with 4 new tyres in Audi approved, 2 free services (all I'll need for the time I'll have it), 2 years warranty, valeted and autoglym, gap insurance included. All without asking and cheaper than my banks offer. It's got mats and wouldn't suit mudguards.

So my question is what do I ask for to seal the deal, apart from some fuel in the tank or the road tax, I cannot think what else I could cheekilky ask for. I was shocked that their first offer was so good. It is Audi - they are in need of a bit of a boost on sales for some reason...

In reply to Philip:

This mainly applies to Little Black Cars like A3’s but extends to a disproportionate number of other Audi’s too. Firstly, ask for the quantum mechanical package; this ensures that the cars’ dimensions change with speed. The faster they go the smaller the gap in traffic they need to fit through – for relativity reasons, this effect can only be appreciated from inside the vehicle.
As it’s an Audi, ask them to upgrade it to a model with working indicators and a set of rear view / wing mirrors. If it’s a second hand car, the previous owner probably hasn’t realised that these are missing, unless applying make-up.
Get the steering checked as many of them have very worn steering judging by the way they unexpectedly drift from lane to lane.
Have the windscreen replaced with optical quality glass and not the usual one that renders red light invisible and distorts the drivers’ view so much that the car in front looks to be a safe distance in front but is actually only two feet away.
Sat-nav can be a useful addition, it’s easy to spot the cars without it as they remain stuck in outside lanes for mile-upon-mile and cannot find their way out of it.
Finally, ensure that the dash board is calibrated as many Audi speedo’s obviously underestimate the actual speed.

Did I miss anything?

A full tank of fuel and full sized or space saver wheel could reasonably be added to your requirements.

In reply to Billy the fish:

Yawn....you should get a prize for flogging the s**t out of an old joke that isn't funny anymore.

To the op
seems like you've got most things sorted. If you really want I'd just go for the last second "knock 100 quid off and I'll do in now" (smile and stare silently technique) worth a shot.

In reply to Billy the fish:

I'm a current audi driver too, but those are definitely A5 coupe and smaller issues. Although I did joke with the dealer that on a BMW the indicators seem optional.

When the finance guy at the 1st dealership came out to spout his numbers one of his much used lines to explain the benefit of PCP was "If in 3 years times someone has invented a car that runs on water, and the value drops out of your car, you can just hand the keys back and walk away".

I replied that it would be impossible to run on water*, but perhaps a more realistic scenario would be the emissions being called into doubt and the residual value dropping. He didn't see the funny side of that.


*without a separate electrolysis process or fusion.

In reply to jimjimjim:


Yes. We'll it's PCP so I might try and get another £4 off to match a Merc deal I've got on a similar priced car.

It's that or a boot liner, or updated sat nav maps for the SD card. Both would be worth more to me than the cost to them, unlike fuel or tax - so I'm more likely to get it.

In reply to Philip:

If the offer is right just take it. If you really want to indulge in macho posturing to "seal the deal" you can always spit on your hand before you shake

In reply to timjones:

They offered to reduce it by the cost of GAP insurance, so I didn't feel the need to ask for anything extra. Over all a very pleasant experience, the salesman was polite and there was no sales bullsh*t from then at all. They were quite honest in what made them the money, where they would put the discount so that they got paid the most for the monthly amount I wanted.

In reply to Philip:
Sounds like you got most of what you would expect given the current climate within VAG. I also asked for an Audi pedal car for my grandson which was only a few quid but it made my grandson smile. I wanted the extended warranty but they just wouldn't go for it. Was happy anyway as I couldn't find one anywhere in the country within £4K of what I paid.

In reply to Philip:

the only other bits worth considering might be a boot liner, roof rack... type of add ons. If you really think you can get anything else from them. But, if you already have the vibe that they've offered a great deal and you'd only look a ucnt asking for more & more, then buy it, before someone else does.

In reply to Philip:

If it's a diesel ask when the cam belt was last replaced? One of the most common failures in VW engined cars and replacement could set you back a couple of hundred quid. I mentioned it when I bought my A3 (42,000 miles on clock) earlier this year and without my having to ask they promptly offered to put a new one in.

In reply to Trangia:

No cam belt, its A7 quattro. It's a chain that requires engine out to replace, usually at 200k+ miles.

Its only got 27k on the clock, I only want it for 2 years, they've covered the warranty and all servicing for that time and it'll only add 40k to mileage. Mechanically its fine.

I dropped a hint about the map upgrade,but got the impression I could push on the finance but not on anything that required the servicing team to have it back (its already had service, early 1st MOT, valet and smart repairs).

The map is the same edition as in my a5 so I'm not concerned. I'm getting a tank of juice.

If I wanted to be an asshole I could cancel the GAP insurance with 30 days, and that is pretty much all my deposit back. But as it seems so valuable to them, and I want the goodwill on the upgrade in 2 years I'll stick with what I've got.

In reply to Philip:
Nice car.
I picked up an A7 last year to replace an A6 Avant. I've been very pleased with. It drives nicely, making long journeys feel less arduous. It still draws admiring comments as it looks like a thing. It is smart enough to meet clients and send them a positive impression yet remains practical enough for transporting a Weimaraner
Touch wood it has run faultlessly and has now tripped over 60k at four years old.
The car is loaded with toys, the head up display is a great addition. The only oddity is that the mirrors don't fold automatically which seems a real omission given their availability on other models and all the other gadgets.
The only items I have purchased have been a phone cable and a USB cable.

On the subject of negotiating on cars bear in mind that for many dealers they make more money on the finance than they do on the metal.
I have done deals to get the best price by taking their lousy finance package and then clearing it after 3 months (normally the minimum terms with no penalty) with savings or a better finance deal.
Note: Always be clear on any early termination clauses and do your maths!
I have a rule about taking out debt on depreciating assets but having a nice car is small indulgence I can live with.

In reply to TMM:

I won't take it debts without something to offset them, in this case car allowance exceeds the monthly PCP after factoring in tyres and insurance. I had the choice of top of the range C class estate on the company, or take the cash. BIK just kills nice cars now. The BIK value is 50% higher than the actual cost to the company of the benefit, and thats on a 117g Merc 4 cylinder diesel.

All the savings are on finance. Apparently new car sales can be as low as a free hundred quid on the car,but 10% of the value if they hit targets. The retention must be higher on finance deals.

This should last me until I'm ready to go for a new A7, I spec'd one this morning at 60k with the options. That's going to be about £10k a year over 3 years. Thatll take some convincing of the boss.