Dear Sir,
I am looking to buy a Mondeo hatchback, about 1 year old. I have been reading your August Car Prices and read about main dealers.
I have never bought from a car supermarket. What are the drawbacks with buying there? A friend bought a 6 month old Mondeo from one near Wilsden at half the new price. What is the catch?
Yours faithfully
D Dearne
Dear Mr Dearne,
There are always exceptions to the rule (both good and bad), so when buying any car you really can't beat doing your homework.
Know the average mileage and price window to aim for (between private and fair price if using our prices).
Lot's of people over pay for their new car, or accept too low a price for their part exchange, no matter whether they buy at a Supermarket or a main dealer.
Equally, some people find absolute steals at main dealers.
When buying a very nearly new car, you have the following advantages:
- It has a lot of manufacturer warranty left
- It won't have done many miles and can't have missed any services
So, with very nearly new (less then a year old) you can shop around and buy the cheapest.
Once a car is over 1 year old, it should have been serviced to manufacturer standard, or the warranty may be invalidated.
At this stage a main dealer's strengths start to come in; they will service it correctly and if they are selling it, will prepare it to a higher standard than their cheaper competitors.
So while it may be slightly more, it is actually better value.