How to make the most of Britain’s best new car deals
What Car? helps buyers get the new car they want at the best price possible. They explain the various buying options out there, and provide the know-how needed to haggle with confidence.
The What Car? Target Price is the most a buyer should expect to pay for a vehicle, based on exhaustive research by the What Car? mystery shoppers. Decent discounts are available on even the most popular new cars; you can save more than 12% on the Ford Fiesta 1.0T Ecoboost, and around 6% on the latest Audi A3 Saloon 2.0 TDI Sport.
Haggle with confidence using What Car?’s top tips
Be prepared. Research your chosen car model, pricing and any extra options you want before visiting the dealer
Compare the list price with the What Car? Target Price; also check available broker deals. This will provide you with the confidence to haggle, and to remain firm on the price you want to pay
Research the best possible finance deals that are offered by manufacturers and third parties
Time your dealer visit right; sales targets are usually totted up at the end of the month
If there is a part-exchange vehicle involved, negotiate its price separately to avoid losing out
Beware of special offers. Ask exactly what is involved and calculate whether it is actually saving you money in the long run.
What Car?’s consumer editor Alex Newby said: ‘Many of us don’t feel all that comfortable about haggling, but once you have researched the best available price for your new car – using the What Car? Target Price or broker prices – you should feel perfectly confident about asking the same from your dealer. If they won’t play ball, buy from somewhere that will.
‘You can take your car to any franchised dealer for warranty work; you’re not even tied to a franchised dealer for servicing, so it makes no difference as to where the car comes from.
‘There are some fantastic discounts available, even on the most popular new cars on sale right now, but if you want them from a dealer, you’ll still need to adopt the right approach to get the price you want. Alternatively, you can let a broker do the work for you.’
A selection of What Car?’s most searched-for and highly rated vehicles
Make – Model - List price - Target Price - % saving
Hyundai i10 1.2 SE £9,995 £9,491 5.04
Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI 105 SE £17,660 £15,777 10.66
Ford Fiesta 1.0T Ecoboost Zetec 5dr £14,545 £12,770 12.20
Audi A3 Saloon 2.0 TDI Sport £24,275 £22,829 5.96
Mercedes S350 Bluetec L SE Line £62,905 £61,444 2.32
Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 1.6 e-HDI 115 Exclusive £23,255 £20,887 10.18
Volkswagen Golf Estate 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion £21,885 £20,109 8.12
Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dci Acenta 2WD £21,330 £19,268 9.67
Land Rover Range Rover Sport SDV6 HSE £61,250 £61,250 0.00
Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.4 TFSI 150 Sport £25,790 £25,724 0.26
BMW 435i M Sport Auto £41,665 £38,932 6.56
Ford Fiesta ST-2 £18,250 £17,102 6.29
Visit whatcar.com for more information on Target Price data and car-buying advice.
