New Car v Used Car

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
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Devils Advocate
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Re: New Car v Used Car

Postby Devils Advocate » Tue Nov 13, 2018 12:41 pm

Sid I take all your points you make and as I say if you are happy with the deal and the dealer is too then it's a win/win all around.

The OP's original question was actually New v Used and my view on that was the best value car you can buy is a sub 2 year old ex lease vehicle with no strings or silly wranglings attached. As I said to Katy.
It looks now though through comments which I accept that this is pretty hard to do in Spain as used prices are so high. Do we know why this is?
A quick google shows PCP and the likes is popular in Spain so where do all these 2 year old cars go to? Why are they so expensive that it actually makes buying new a no brainer?

My dislike for the new car market has grown over the years, especially the unfathomable finance packages and the trend of long life oils and longer service intervals which were once geared for high mileage fleet operators and not the private 6,000 mile a year cash buying punter, like yourself and Mark basically are.

Ok con may be strong, I don't know but as you say misleading yes. Just your comment that SEAT told you the cars are "set up" at the factory for massive service intervals stinks. What does that mean do you reckon Sid? Set up?

No wonder they can offer 4 years "free" servicing on that basis.

I don't even trust these guys to actually change the consumables they say they are going to, do you? Do you actually check? I'm sure the vast majority don't.

As an aside, are servicing records kept on the key with SEAT or do you have an old fashioned book that they stamp.
This is another recent ploy to ensnare people to use the dealership.

With recent experiences albeit in the UK I'm convinced it happens around the world at main dealerships, ie skimping and dishonesty as less and less people actually own the cars they service and don't give a toss about the car.......you guys actually do.

As Sid will know amongst the cars I've bought in the last 3 years were 2 new (well one actually was a pre reg) and a 2 year old ex fleet BMW with balance of warranty and one "free" service left.

So I takes the BMW for it's last service which had been transferred to me with the car and had a couple of nice coffees in the clinical reception area whilst chatting to the other hapless customers there.
No way did I have access to the service shop and not once did I get the chance to speak to a "technician", never even saw one.

And so 2 hours later the service manager calls me, hands me the fob and paperwork detailing the "service" and bids me farewell.
I checks with the "virtual" display on the car and sure enough it now tells me next service is due at an eye watering 20000 miles lol.

Upshot here was we were setting off on our journey to Spain for last years road trip a few weeks after this service so at least it was some form of peace of mind.
Never the less the week before departure I took it to my good friends independent local garage, a well kitted out garage with proper mechanics and a customer base of people with nice cars who were sick of main dealer rip offs.

Well, you know what I'm going to say next I guess, yep we started with the air filter which was deemed to be changed.
Bear in mind car had done 200 miles tops since service, well the filter looked like it had been on a WW2 desert tank for 2 years and the micro filter was the same, whether the oil had been changed and oil filter I can't hand on heart say, I'm guessing they sucked oil out and refilled and that was that, if I'm lucky.

So a complete fluids and filter change ensued and genuine peace of mind was re established. Now I'm not on my own here, reports of this are profound from people who actually care about their cars.
I'd not fancy service like that in the hot and dusty landscape of Southern Spain that's for sure. A disgrace.
Just kicking myself I didn't check sooner, yes I called them and told them what I found and what I thought of them but it was futile.

In contrast, the other 2 cars I mentioned were slightly less mainstream than the Beemer, no fancy finance packages, no "free" servicing, I just fought for the best deal and got a tank full of petrol in both and a few little extras chucked in as a sweetner.

However come service time a completely different ball game to BMW.
Workshops equally as busy, maybe more so but they actively encourage you in to the shop to see the service and work taking place should you wish. You can see the new filters and sundries lying next to car, you see the sump plugs removed and old oil coming out and you know you are at least getting something for your money. Also the nice dealer stamp in the old fashioned service book is nice to have.
That's the way it should be done.

Mark, as with Sid if you are happy with the deal and have confidence in the people you buy from then that's great.

I too would love to hear if anyone has had joy with getting a decent discount at a Spanish dealership for cash.

One of our long time Spanish friends over there bought a big Nissan 4x4 18 months ago new in Velez Malaga I think he said.

He was enthusing how great a discount he got because of his offer of a bank transfer that day to secure the deal.
He may be waffling Mark, he did indeed buy the car but I've no proof if the deal went as he says it did.

Cheers
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

katy
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Re: New Car v Used Car

Postby katy » Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:58 pm

In my post box today from local VW dealer...Cost price plus a £1. Wide choice of models, specifications, colours all brand new. First come first served. Wonder if they will knock the quid off for cash :lolno: :lolno:

Pamela1
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Re: New Car v Used Car

Postby Pamela1 » Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:16 pm

This has been an interesting topic and very informative and more so because Devils Adovacte was very inquisitive and asked many questions..because he did i think people will have learnt more about this subject.
Like some others, i can't get my head around the finance option being the cheaper deal but if that's how it is then that's that..
Our biggest problem is having to pay over the odds because we may not be able to get finance to reap the benefits of the discounts which are available.
A. We are non residents.
B. Hubby is self employed
C. His age may go against him.
D. Brexit...if that will effect any deal.
We won't have the answers till we hit a showroom and ask...Perhaps it's easier to negotiate the price of property. It may well be an old banger in the end. :lol: :lol:

Pamela1
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Re: New Car v Used Car

Postby Pamela1 » Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:18 pm

katy wrote:In my post box today from local VW dealer...Cost price plus a £1. Wide choice of models, specifications, colours all brand new. First come first served. Wonder if they will knock the quid off for cash :lolno: :lolno:
Put my name down Katy.. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Devils Advocate
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Re: New Car v Used Car

Postby Devils Advocate » Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:24 pm

katy wrote:In my post box today from local VW dealer...Cost price plus a £1. Wide choice of models, specifications, colours all brand new. First come first served. Wonder if they will knock the quid off for cash :lolno: :lolno:
I'd doubt it but you may get "free" servicing chucked in :mrgreen:
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

El Cid
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Re: New Car v Used Car

Postby El Cid » Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:40 pm

Ok. Enough of this. The OP asked a question about buying a car in SPAIN, not the UK.

I will take this opportunity to point out that this forum is for people living in or moving to Andalucia. Experiences in the UK unless they are specifically relevant to Andalucia are not relevant, so please keep to the forum rules.

Beachcomber and I intend to enforce this rule in future, so please respect it.

Any further references to the UK that are not directly relevant to the thread will be deleted, and this decision is not for discussion on the forum. If you wish to discuss it, do it by email to [email protected]

Thread closed.

Sid


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