Invite From Toyota For Cost Price Cars

[jay dh]

my parents received a letter saying next weekend, selected cars are cost price. so they called up our local toyota as they want to change car and they told us the cars were minus VAT. unless toyota are stupid (quite poss), this is not cost price. anyone got more info on this?

cheers

Jay

[Blue84]

I got one of them too yesterday, it's an invitation thingy isnt it?

[Al J]

My invite was "sell a 100 cars in a 100 hours". Just the usual mention of special deals. I won't be tempted this time. I've finally seen the new Yaris.

[Fidgits]

yeah, they will do anything to try and get you through the door at the moment...

[jay dh]

yeah, they will do anything to try and get you through the door at the moment...

could u elaborate on that please

if they need to sell these cars, it can only mean good news

[DaveSR]

yeah, they will do anything to try and get you through the door at the moment...

could u elaborate on that please

if they need to sell these cars, it can only mean good news

Yep but there not cost price ..... I went to mine last week!

The cars are cheaper but nothing special unless you haggle

[jay dh]

yeah, they will do anything to try and get you through the door at the moment...

could u elaborate on that please

if they need to sell these cars, it can only mean good news

Yep but there not cost price ..... I went to mine last week!

The cars are cheaper but nothing special unless you haggle

i would say the VAT taken off an 20k car is a good start, leaves room for pleanty of haggling

[Fidgits]

yeah, they will do anything to try and get you through the door at the moment...

could u elaborate on that please

if they need to sell these cars, it can only mean good news

Okay, elaboration...

Since 2004 new car sales have been steadily slowing, as people have gotten into lots of debt over increase house prices, so a new car is the first luxuary to go, but last year, people were still buying used until about september, when that market began to take a hit.

So, they tried to encorage people back in the showrooms and forecourts, no manufactuer wants to slow down on car production, so dealers took to pre-registering cars offering them at what appears to be reasonable deals for 'new' cars.

Except, the car companies werent the only ones suffering, which is why almost every shop had a permament sale on during december, and guess what, it worked, retail sales were actually up on 2004, however, the majority of people were not better off, and the statistics state most borrowed heavily on credit cards for the christmas rush..

So, people are now worse off than in September, the car companies havent stopped building cars, and those that could afford to buy new, bought the pre-registered cars or nearly new.

The stock piles up, and desperate to get people through the door, almost every dealership is running some promotion, some mailing campaign to attract people to the showrooms, to try and reduce the stock.

Now Jay, you say 'it must be a good thing' - and hey, if you can get a car you really want at a knock down price, then of course it is....

or is it...

You see, the used car market is in a terrible state as well, and even normally 'high demand' cars are not selling, which effects the value - so if your going to trade in, your gonna get a bad deal, for 2 reasons.

The first being, if they are knocking off 17% off the list price of the car, they are going to try and recoop some of that off your trade in.

Secondly, if garages are selling pretty much brand new cars at a few grand below list, that shunts the whole used car market down a few points.

So, with those two things, you'll be offended by the trade-in offer.

No worries, you'll sell privately, only, with used car garages desperate to shift stock, this means you cant price at the market value, as thats probably the same, if not higher than someone could pick up off a forecourt with a warranty.

And even if you price it right, there is so much on the market, it could be a long hard slog to find a buyer, as anyone buying a car has so much choice.

But i digress.

Yeah, if you want to buy a new or used car, its never been a better time - and absolutley you could probably knock even more off the price if you haggle hard, they need to sell.

If you can get a reasonable price for your car, then you've made a good deal... or have you...

In my mind, its a false economy. Getting a 20 grand car for 17 grand is a good deal, but if everyone can get the 20k car for 17k - the cars not worth 20k anymore, its only really worth 17, but if you get it for 15, you've saved 2k which isnt bad.

Okay, that'll all dissapear with depreciation, which is going to hit record levels this year since everyones trying to offload cars, but if you get something you really want, then go for it...

but remember, a bargin everyone can get, isnt a bargin, its just price realigement.

[jay dh]

i see what your saying, but its never a good time to part ex a car (unless ur lucky). i know that depreciation is getting larger, but thats something that happens on every car and a fact of motoring. if my parents manage to get 40% off the new price for the pre reg car, they would probably get it. they did this with their last purchase. eg getting a 20k car for 12-13k.

also the trade in car is a V reg yaris cdx which is worth about 3.5k private so he isnt gona lose out that badly cos its not worth that much now

[JAHill]

but remember, a bargin everyone can get, isnt a bargin, its just price realigement.

Ah man... You can take that quote to the bank! ;)