Hi guys, long time lurker here deciding now is the time to finally buy a golf GTI.
Currently looking at a 3 door in solid white with the following options:
- Discover nav
- Keyless entry
- Park assist
I currently own (no finance) a 2008 BMW 120d with 65k miles, which i would rather trade in than sell privately. I do not want to buy the GTI outright. The plan is just to lease/PCP and change every 2-3 years. I have been to orangewheels and seen that i can get around £4243 off the list price for this car but that would mean i would have to travel to the location of the dealer and maybe not get a good part ex deal....?
I have not been to my local dealer in Newcastle to see what they can do yet as i didn't want to go in unprepared.
Could anyone provide with me with advice on the best way to proceed as i am quite inexperienced
Thanks very much
Local lad (or lass)! If you are looking to get a GTI then I suggest going to a few different dealerships in the region. I've never done well negotiating with Benfield Silverlink, they never seem interested in big discounts. Benfield Scotswood road can be OK if you press them hard and the timing is right (if they are chasing a sales target), sometimes they are disinterested and always lowball you on the p/x or are non-committal on the p/x price because they are unsure when the GTI will arrive. If you do try Scotswood Road, seek "Jenny Dixon" out, she's always been the best for me there in relation to negotiating discount.
For my last 2 VWs, I have ended up with Pulman, their p/x prices for nearly new VWs are usually markedly better than Benfield's, which for me has ended up being the clincher. Again it depends who you speak to, I have always found "Mick Stones" most receptive to the biggest levels of discount and a fair p/x price (but a 2 year old GTD is going to be of greater interest to them than an 8 year old BMW).
As said before - do you homework, know what the best broker price is and what the worst p/x price is for yours (you will only get "webuyanycar" money for your 7 year old BMW, they have no interest in selling a car older than 5 years on their forecourt unless it is something specialist and rare). Get them to match that price to change.
You should do well getting a discount on a GTI now - don't let the £750 deposit contribution come into the deal, that should be in place on top of your deal if you are PCPing. Definitely don't let them negotiate on monthly payment terms rather than actual price either. If you get the actual price right, the monthly payments will look after themselves.
To be brutally honest though, with your trade-in being too old to be of interest to them, i'd save yourself the hassle of bartering and go straight to a broker. Order the GTI at their price, ask for the £750 deposit contribution on top nearer the time when you get your VW finance sorted (if you are going that route) and get rid of your car privately either through a private sale or a "webuyanycar" style website (some will beat them by at least £100). You might have to travel to a North West dealership to pick up your broker-sourced car.
A local dealer usually will be looking to bamboozle you with optional extras or reducing discount and increasing PCP term to keep the monthly figures the same - you really do have to keep your wits about you to avoid it and know exactly at what price you will do a deal and what price you will walk away.
See what discount the brokers (drivethedeal, Orangewheels, UKnewcars etc) are doing for your desired car with the options you want.
There is another option - keep an eye ouf for an exceptional lease deal, sell your BMW use some of it to pay the initial lease payment and pocket/bank the difference. There have been some great lease deals recently (leasing works best on a car with few or no options though - options bump up the monthly payments a lot)
