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[Lizzie Zoom]

I have just received a personalised invitation from my local Vx main dealer, who know me oh so well, to attend a special Trade UP event.

They say they will give me a "£4,000 guaranteed scrappage allowance" on a vehicle that I buy at cost Plus £1!

Oh the joy, the promise of being tied in to a finance deal for x-years for a tinny, unexciting, restricted "number of vehicles", non-Omega!!

No thanks!!
 
What is the "Cost" value of a Vx car in percentage terms, on the list price, anyway?  Cost for the manufacturer, or the dealer - if the latter that means they make just £1 per car!  What rot!

[Nick W]

They don't make much selling the car. Finance is preferred because their profit is known, guaranteed and good, and the idea is that they'll expect to see the car for servicing and whatever they can sell-up at the time - brakes, tyres etc. That's why oil or A/C treatments are so popular: buy them for £2 a can, charge £12 and the customer will never actually notice whether you used them or not. Which happens more than you'd like

[Lizzie Zoom]

They don't make much selling the car. Finance is preferred because their profit is known, guaranteed and good, and the idea is that they'll expect to see the car for servicing and whatever they can sell-up at the time - brakes, tyres etc. That's why oil or A/C treatments are so popular: buy them for £2 a can, charge £12 and the customer will never actually notice whether you used them or not. Which happens more than you'd like

Ah, that had crossed my mind.  It is now a strange world when retailing is not about the profit on the actual, physical, item sold, but on the finance provided.

Just proves to me again that, if you cannot afford to buy something, like a car, outright, then you are going to pay through the nose for inflated finance deals!!

I'll keep my Omega!

[Nick W]

They don't make much selling the car. Finance is preferred because their profit is known, guaranteed and good, and the idea is that they'll expect to see the car for servicing and whatever they can sell-up at the time - brakes, tyres etc. That's why oil or A/C treatments are so popular: buy them for £2 a can, charge £12 and the customer will never actually notice whether you used them or not. Which happens more than you'd like

Ah, that had crossed my mind.  It is now a strange world when retailing is not about the profit on the actual, physical, item sold, but on the finance provided.

It's not just retail; when the big three US car manufacturers had their problems a few years ago, the General Motors board realised that they had turned into a finance company that was losing pots of money making cars.

[STEMO]

It's not on all models. I looked for another sports tourer, but no can do.

[Lizzie Zoom]

They don't make much selling the car. Finance is preferred because their profit is known, guaranteed and good, and the idea is that they'll expect to see the car for servicing and whatever they can sell-up at the time - brakes, tyres etc. That's why oil or A/C treatments are so popular: buy them for £2 a can, charge £12 and the customer will never actually notice whether you used them or not. Which happens more than you'd like

Ah, that had crossed my mind.  It is now a strange world when retailing is not about the profit on the actual, physical, item sold, but on the finance provided.

It's not just retail; when the big three US car manufacturers had their problems a few years ago, the General Motors board realised that they had turned into a finance company that was losing pots of money making cars.

Was that when they had forgotten how to make cars that Americans wanted to buy?

That must have been when Detroit went into shut down!

[Lizzie Zoom]

It's not on all models. I looked for another sports tourer, but no can do.

Oh no, it is only on those models that too few people are buying!

Now that in retailing I completely understand.   

[tunnie]

So what is the 'at cost price' of Astra Elite, 1.6 Turbo Petrol? Compared to retail 

Suppose that's not listed either and it's stuff like Mokka they are trying to flog.

[Lizzie Zoom]

So what is the 'at cost price' of Astra Elite, 1.6 Turbo Petrol? Compared to retail 

Suppose that's not listed either and it's stuff like Mokka they are trying to flog.

And Adam's!!

[Doctor Gollum]

At cost is typically a 15-18% discount over retail and the basic flat fee to the dealer is generally included in that. The £1 bit is the profit over and above the basic wholesale price.

There money on these cars is on things like the finance and accessories, not to mention people through the door who are attracted by the headline prices but then actually end up buying the cars not in the promotions. On finance...

[STEMO]

At cost is typically a 15-18% discount over retail and the basic flat fee to the dealer is generally included in that. The £1 bit is the profit over and above the basic wholesale price.

There money on these cars is on things like the finance and accessories, not to mention people through the door who are attracted by the headline prices but then actually end up buying the cars not in the promotions. On finance...

IIRC, you've got to take them on 6.5% finance.

[tunnie]

That could be a decent deal if say:

£20k Insignia, with ~4k off for say 20% to be an 'cost only'. Then another £4k for traded in Omega.

£12k for band spankers? I could be tempted with that, maybe next year though.

[STEMO]

That could be a decent deal if say:

£20k Insignia, with ~4k off for say 20% to be an 'cost only'. Then another £4k for traded in Omega.

£12k for band spankers? I could be tempted with that, maybe next year though.

Good luck with that one. You wouldn't get much of an insignia for £20K anyway, the list price (which we are using here) of my astra was over £26K.

[tunnie]

That could be a decent deal if say:

£20k Insignia, with ~4k off for say 20% to be an 'cost only'. Then another £4k for traded in Omega.

£12k for band spankers? I could be tempted with that, maybe next year though.

Good luck with that one. You wouldn't get much of an insignia for £20K anyway, the list price (which we are using here) of my astra was over £26K.

£26k for an Astra 

[Andy B]

That could be a decent deal if say:

£20k Insignia, with ~4k off for say 20% to be an 'cost only'. Then another £4k for traded in Omega.

£12k for band spankers? I could be tempted with that, maybe next year though.

Good luck with that one. You wouldn't get much of an insignia for £20K anyway, the list price (which we are using here) of my astra was over £26K.

£26k for an Astra 

You could spend that on an Astra (go faster GTE/GSi/what ever it's called) and some years ago when I used to frequent my local Vauxhall dealer when I had my Omega ... & that was a good few years back now

[Lizzie Zoom]

IF I was considering buying an Insignia, after trading in my Omega, it would have to be this one at the £40K price shown:



I like nothing but the best (that I can afford!) , so do you think I could get this for cost +£1?

I bet not!!

My current 3.2 Elite at £32K has gone up for a smaller engine though!

[Andy B]

I do like the most recent Insignia .... just not heavy enough to tow my caravan & they're FWD (presumably the 4x4 is a slip & grip set up  hopefully better than the 4x4 Calibra was  )

[Andy B]

.....
My current 3.2 Elite at £32K has gone up for a smaller engine though!

IIRC the Senators were the best part of £30k all those years ago, which suggests that cars are easier/cheaper to buy now than they ever were.

[Lizzie Zoom]

.....
My current 3.2 Elite at £32K has gone up for a smaller engine though!

IIRC the Senators were the best part of £30k all those years ago, which suggests that cars are easier/cheaper to buy now than they ever were.

Yes indeed Andy although in those days my company bought my big cars

Just checked on the Mercedes options after all the talk about them.  Surprised to find the EE 220 d 4MATIC SE Saloon at a
total price of £38,745, and I rather like the average 41 mpg quoted.  Interesting comparison with the Insignia I featured

[Nick W]

IF I was considering buying an Insignia, after trading in my Omega, it would have to be this one at the £40K price shown:

I like nothing but the best (that I can afford!) , so do you think I could get this for cost +£1?

I bet not!!

Maybe not, but they can't sell many - they don't sell many Insignias, let alone the expensive ones - so you ought to be able to haggle a bloody good deal. I'd be buying a Volvo S90 for that sort of money.

[Lizzie Zoom]

IF I was considering buying an Insignia, after trading in my Omega, it would have to be this one at the £40K price shown:

I like nothing but the best (that I can afford!) , so do you think I could get this for cost +£1?

I bet not!!

Maybe not, but they can't sell many - they don't sell many Insignias, let alone the expensive ones - so you ought to be able to haggle a bloody good deal. I'd be buying a Volvo S90 for that sort of money.

Or a Merc E Class?

[Nick W]

Maybe not, but they can't sell many - they don't sell many Insignias, let alone the expensive ones - so you ought to be able to haggle a bloody good deal. I'd be buying a Volvo S90 for that sort of money.

Or a Merc E Class?

Not while there's still a hole in my arse.

[Andy B]

.....
Just checked on the Mercedes options after all the talk about them.  Surprised to find the EE 220 d 4MATIC SE Saloon at a
total price of £38,745, and I rather like the average 41 mpg quoted.  Interesting comparison with the Insignia I featured

That's the thing with Mercs, the headline price looks appealing, but by the time you've added the nice to have option that Ford/Vauxhall/etc add as standard, they become very expensive. But at least the Merc will be rear wheel drive. 
But does anyone actually buy a Merc nowadays, Merc 'sell' all their cars on lease deals that's why the roads are full of cars with a 3 point star on them.

[Andy B]

....
Not while there's still a hole in my arse.

Why .... what's up with an E Class? 

[Nick W]

....
Not while there's still a hole in my arse.

Why .... what's up with an E Class? 

They have no appeal to me. I've never found the seating position of any Merc I've tried over the last 30 years to be comfortable, they look horrible, unless you spend a stupid amount of money the trim looks and feels cheap, they were the new cars we did the most warranty pickups for, the dealers' attitude stinks, VFM is bad, etc etc

[Andy B]

....
Not while there's still a hole in my arse.

Why .... what's up with an E Class? 

They have no appeal to me. I've never found the seating position of any Merc I've tried over the last 30 years to be comfortable, they look horrible, unless you spend a stupid amount of money the trim looks and feels cheap, they were the new cars we did the most warranty pickups for, the dealers' attitude stinks, VFM is bad, etc etc

Agree re the Artico 'leather' .... it split on the driver's seat on my R Class. I've only ever dealt with the parts dept of any Merc dealership 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

At cost is typically a 15-18% discount over retail and the basic flat fee to the dealer is generally included in that. The £1 bit is the profit over and above the basic wholesale price.

There money on these cars is on things like the finance and accessories, not to mention people through the door who are attracted by the headline prices but then actually end up buying the cars not in the promotions. On finance...

Yes......dealers primarily sell finance and overpriced add-ons on rather than the cars themselves. When I tell them I don't want or need finance they always try and push it.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Sat in quite a few Mercedes in the showroom recently.

The smell of plastic and glue is very strong. .......Put me in mind of a seventies TVR 3000M

[Andy B]

...
 When I tell them I don't want or need finance they always try and push it.

I have to say that when I gt my Merc early this year I just told them I didn't want or need any of their gap or wheel or minor damage insurance and just said OK. Likewise finance for the actual car. 

[Doctor Gollum]

....
Not while there's still a hole in my arse.

Why .... what's up with an E Class? 

They have no appeal to me. I've never found the seating position of any Merc I've tried over the last 30 years to be comfortable, they look horrible, unless you spend a stupid amount of money the trim looks and feels cheap, they were the new cars we did the most warranty pickups for, the dealers' attitude stinks, VFM is bad, etc etc

Agree re the Artico 'leather' .... it split on the driver's seat on my R Class. I've only ever dealt with the parts dept of any Merc dealership 

On the ML/GL leather is only standard on the V8s...

[Andy B]

...
On the ML/GL leather is only standard on the V8s...

which is presumably why I found one with leather hard to find ....

[Doctor Gollum]

...
On the ML/GL leather is only standard on the V8s...

which is presumably why I found one with leather hard to find ....

£1,644 option on the GL...

[tunnie]

So I put my reg into that trade up offer, had a value of £260 if in good condition. £90 if average.   

Not a deal for me, as I previously mentioned you must buy on finance, in the small print:

'Trade-in car must be registered in your name for at least 90 days. Only available on 6.9% APR Representative Conditional Sale and Personal Contract Purchase. Other deposit contributions may be available if you do not have a vehicle to trade in. Conditional Sale: 24-60 month term. Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) : 24-48 month term available. '

[Lizzie Zoom]

So I put my reg into that trade up offer, had a value of £260 if in good condition. £90 if average.   

Not a deal for me, as I previously mentioned you must buy on finance, in the small print:

'Trade-in car must be registered in your name for at least 90 days. Only available on 6.9% APR Representative Conditional Sale and Personal Contract Purchase. Other deposit contributions may be available if you do not have a vehicle to trade in. Conditional Sale: 24-60 month term. Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) : 24-48 month term available. '

  oh, yes, it is always in the small print, the catch, or con, to catch the unwary out, or rather tempt them in to buy more than they wanted to!

[tunnie]

6.9% is a joke, you can easily get 2.9% at Tesco for example. £10k loan over 3 years and cars yours at end of it, think that's what I'll be doing.

[Doctor Gollum]

6.9% is a joke, you can easily get 2.9% at Tesco for example. £10k loan over 3 years and cars yours at end of it, think that's what I'll be doing.

That 2.9% is no less of a hook than buying a car for cost plus a quid

By the same logic, buying it on a 0% introductory credit card is a good idea 

[Andy B]

6.9% is a joke, you can easily get 2.9% at Tesco for example. £10k loan over 3 years and cars yours at end of it, think that's what I'll be doing.

There'll always be someone that'll take them up on their offer so they can have a nice shiney new car with as little effort as possible.