I also then got a better price than *I* was expecting (quoted) part exchange for my current car.
We worked out this to be about 5500Sfr saved.
This was for a lower end Ford Focus.
Pat
They'll not come down on the CHF, but will go up on the specification. Don't haggle - that's for stalls - but tell them you'll need XYZ to convince you. Once they've agreed to the aircon, then mention the GPS et cetera .
Think also of the depreciation of your vehicle; when it comes to selling it, the fancier models will go first. Nobody buys a car without GPS now.
Walk away if you don't get what you want. Read that line again.
Also, don't go at the start of the week; targets dictate end of week sales and your dealer will be desperate.
Mostly they work to monthly cycles and quite often, round about the 20th of the month, when they start to see they're not going to hit their month end target the manufacturers start offering extra incentives to dealers to move more metal. Usually the bonuses are paid not just on the single few extra cars - they're often based on pretty much the whole month's sales volume of the dealer, that means by selling just a "few" extra cars the dealer can earn more money on all the cars he's moved that month.
The pressure is usually highest at the end of a quarter since they all have to publish quarterly accounts and want to get the best picture out to the marke.
If you're not set on a particular model then shop around amongst different makes and make sure you tell each dealer the sort of offers you've got elsewhere, playing them off one against the other is a good plan.
If you already know which car you want then it still pays to have references of other makes for similar cars but it's also worthwhile "touring" the dealers of the make you want. You can do that by phone but face to face is often best. If the salesman sees you're interested he'll run to his boss to see how much he can get off the deal.
The money he's got to play with is pretty much the same in terms of whether he will give you more for your old car to trade in or more discount on the new car you want. If you;re interested in accessories though you can probably get a bit better apparent value. CHF500 in discount off the car means CHF 500 off the margin but CHF 500 in retail value of accessories probably only costs the dealer CHF 400 or so therefore he can afford to give a bit more (make sure you understand the fitted price though so you don't end up with an extra labour bill as a surprise at the end of the deal).
Shop around for the next few weeks to see what you want and the sort of offers that come out - but, if you can, wait until around about the 25th of the month to start negotiating in earnest and don't be afraid to play one dealer off against another. They don't like it much but right now is a buyer's market.
How much you can get off will vary from model to model but don't be surprised if you find 20% or more on the table for the right deal (they've got less to play with on the smaller more basic models of course which are often priced to get people into the show room to then be able to "sell up").
And I do not have a fixed make in mind... I think of civic or golf perhaps down to seat ibiza or up to bmw 1 (i do not know if it is a good idea, as I "look serbian" to the swiss police, although I am not..) So the idea of shopping around sounds good. Thank you for the hints!
This is also exactly what I've done buting a car previously back in my country - I decided: "citroen c3 diesel or honda jazz" wherever I can get a better deal - and surprisingly I ended up with a honda...
Honda Civic 1.4
new price: CHF26,200 ( link )
2 years old with 24 month guarantee: CHF19,980 ( link )
CHF6000 difference on a much-loved Japanese car, known for it's longevity. Add that extra 2 year guarantee and you're giggling.
Or! For almost the same price as this lowlier model, upgrade to the 1.8l at CHF26,500, with 60km on the clock! ( link ) I guess it was a Demo car
Currently used prices are in flux as manufacturers dump new prices. Shop around! Other brands available... have fun!
Btw, 83HP "european" civic is not bad, still a bit funny in comparison to the typical american version 2.0, 180HP But that's it for our narrow roads and high tax in the petrol...
I've heard that cars are cheap in Switzerland, perhaps they are new or on lease but not second hand. I've seen 1998 Honda Accords (200k miles) being advertised for 6k CHF. Back in Uck that car would be a grand at most.
Shall I tell you about the used car I bought in the States which had to be towed back to the dealer 2 hours after purchasing it because the whole exhaust system collapsed onto the roadway..
from the UK to the eastern Europe
Obviously if a car is just a toaster on wheels to you... can't go wrong with a honda, even a used one. Or get the new Golf 6. Can't go wrong with that one either.
Uncle Max, please slowly say: I am not American, I do not trade narcotics, I do not have guns. Repeat.
While I agree to the strategy, please do not put heavy chrome on otherwise perfectly light weight rims...